Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BOGOTA3454
2007-05-16 15:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:  

PRESIDENT URIBE FIRES TWO POLICE GENERALS AFTER

Tags:  PGOV SNAR CO 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHBO #3454 1361544
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161544Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5246
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7551
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 9000
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY 8701
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 5065
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 5686
RHEHOND/DIRONDCP WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003454 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2017
TAGS: PGOV SNAR CO
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE FIRES TWO POLICE GENERALS AFTER
ILLEGAL WIRETAPS EXPOSED

Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer
Reason: 1.4 (b,d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003454

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2017
TAGS: PGOV SNAR CO
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE FIRES TWO POLICE GENERALS AFTER
ILLEGAL WIRETAPS EXPOSED

Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer
Reason: 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) On May 14, President Alvaro Uribe dismissed national
police chief (CNP) General Jorge Daniel Castro and CNP
intelligence chief (DIPOL) Guillermo Chavez after learning of
illegal DIPOL wiretaps. Vice Defense Minister Juan Carlos
Pinzon confirmed to Judatt that Castro and Chavez admitted to
Defense Minister Santos they knew about the illegal wiretaps.
Weekend news reports in Semana magazine cited the wiretap
information in describing allegedly illegal activities by
ex-paramilitaries imprisoned in Itagui. Media reports
suggested the wiretaps had taken place over at least a
two-year period, and targeted GOC ministers, Administrative
Department of Security (DAS) employees, ex-paramilitary
leaders, and politicians.


2. (U) Uribe named national Judicial Investigative Police
chief (DIJIN) General Oscar Naranjo to replace Castro.
Naranjo is a relatively junior general, and police hierarchy
rules meant a further 10 more senior generals were also
forced out. This means only nine generals remain in the CNP,
requiring colonels to assume leadership responsibilities of
important CNP units. Pinzon said the loss of the other
senior generals would be a blow, especially since the only
"bad apples" were Castro and Chavez, but said the Ministry
would respect the CNP custom.


3. (U) Prosecutor General (Fiscal) Mario Iguaran said May 15
that illegal wiretaps could be punished by a sentence of up
to three years in jail. Iguaran said he would study whether
the wiretaps should be investigated by civilian or military
authorities. Speaking at a May 15 press conference, and
flanked by Castro and Naranjo, Defense Minister Juan Manuel
Santos said the GOC would continue investigating who had
ordered the interceptions, a process that would make the CNP
stronger. Naranjo underscored the seriousness of the illegal
wiretaps and committed to publicizing information obtained in
the investigation about its scope and duration.


4. (U) Political reaction was swift and negative, with
representatives of the "U," Liberal, and Polo Democratico
parties insisting the GOC reveal who had ordered the wiretaps
and who was targeted by them. During a congressional debate
on an unrelated matter, Defense Minister Santos said he
investigated the leak to Semana and discovered the illegal
wiretap activity. He said the Uribe Administration, unlike
the Samper Administration (1994-98) supported by some Liberal
members of congress, had revealed the facts immediately.
Polo Senator Gustavo Petro accused the CNP leadership of
ordering the taping and leaking the results. Petro alleged
the CNP's motivation was to discourage ex-paramilitary leader
Salvatore Mancuso from going ahead with his "version libre"
Justice and Peace Law testimony, which started May 15
(septel).
Drucker