Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BOGOTA3581
2007-05-18 13:13:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:  

TELLING COLOMBIA'S STORY

Tags:  PHUM PGOV PTER KJUS MARR CO 
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DE RUEHBO #3581/01 1381313
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181313Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5513
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7552
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 9001
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY 8706
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 5066
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 5689
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS BOGOTA 003581 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PTER KJUS MARR CO
SUBJECT: TELLING COLOMBIA'S STORY

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Summary
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UNCLAS BOGOTA 003581

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PTER KJUS MARR CO
SUBJECT: TELLING COLOMBIA'S STORY

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Summary
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1. President Uribe's democratic security policy -- and the
paramilitary demobilization -- has saved the lives of over
40,000 Colombians, strengthened Colombia's democratic
institutions, and led to substantial improvements in human
rights protection. The establishment of GOC territorial
control and the demobilization of the AUC (United
Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) have created space for new
political and social groups, enabled democratic institutions
such as the courts and media to function effectively, and
helped extend the rule of law. These advances are a work in
progress, and many challenges remain. Still, Colombia's
progress on human rights and democracy over the last five
years is undeniable. End summary.

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Democratic Security
--------------


2. For the vast majority of Colombians, the marked
improvement in the public security climate in the last five
years is a major human rights achievement. The doubling of
the size of GOC security forces and their increased presence
in rural areas have made Colombians safer. Murders are down
almost 40 percent, falling from almost 29,000 in 2002 to
17,300 in 2006. Kidnappings fell 75 percent, from 2,885 in
2002 to 687 in 2006. Victims of massacres fell from 680 in
2002 to a little over one third that level in 2006. Over
40,000 Colombian lives were saved. The improved security
climate promoted Colombians' freedom to travel, work, and
socialize. In a country fighting three Foreign Terrorist
Organizations, economic growth has averaged over 5 percent
since 2002.

-------------- --
Security Creates New Political and Social Space
-------------- --


3. The establishment of greater GOC territorial control and
the paramilitary demobilization have allowed civil society
and political parties to operate more openly than ever
before. In May 2006, the leftist Polo Democratico candidate
for president received over 2.5 million votes, the highest
total ever for a leftist presidential candidate. In 2003,
Polo candidates won the Bogota mayoralty and the governorship
in Valle del Cauca department. A former paramilitary killing

ground, Sucre department now hosts numerous victims groups
and the Polo Democratico party is increasingly active.
Nationwide, the willingness of over 48,000 victims -- many of
whom continue to live in areas previously dominated by
paramilitaries -- to denounce paramilitary crimes and assert
their rights reflects the improved security environment.


4. The GOC is also working to strengthen protection of
threatened human rights activists, journalists, labor
unionists, and participants in the Justice and Peace Law
process. Justice and Interior Ministry spending on special
protection programs rose from USD 2 million in 1999 to USD 33
million in 2007. More than 6,900 persons received protection
in 2006 under the Interior Ministry program, including more
than 1,500 union members. The labor-affiliated National
Unionist College (ENS) reported that murders of unionists
fell by over 60 percent over a 5-year period, dropping from
197 in 2001 to 72 in 2006. The number of human rights
defenders killed or disappeared also dropped from 17 to 4
over this period. In addition to the Interior Ministry
program, the Colombian National Police and the Department of
Administrative Security (DAS) protect over 3,000 Colombians.


-------------- --------------
Institutions Dismantling Para Structures, Sympathizers
-------------- --------------


5. Over the years of paramilitary activity, illegal groups
formed links with some Colombian politicians, businessmen,
and security personnel, especially in the north coast. These
links are now being exposed, investigated and prosecuted.
The democratic security policy and the demobilization of
32,000 paramilitaries delegitimized the AUC (United
Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) and broke its military
power, creating the space needed to allow Colombia's
institutions -- the Courts, prosecutors and media -- to begin
the process of dismantling paramilitary political and
economic structures. The Justice and Peace law (JPL),which
Inspector General Edgardo May calls the "motor" of the
justice process, provides a framework -- as well as
incentives -- for paramilitaries to tell the truth about
their crimes. President Uribe strongly backs the ongoing
investigations, and has repeatedly stressed the need to
uncover the truth whatever the consequences.


6. The Prosecutor General's Office (Fiscalia) is spearheading
application of the JPL. The Prosecutor General's Justice and
Peace Unit has taken the voluntary testimony of 22
paramilitaries, leading to the revelation of 91 mass graves
and solving numerous murders. Over 2,800 paramilitaries have
signed up to testify and make reparations to qualify for the
reduced sentences provided under the law. The Prosecutor
General arrested and jailed the former head of the
FBI-equivalent Department of Administrative Security (since
freed by the Supreme Judicial Council on a legal
technicality, but called for questioning again on May 11) for
paramilitary ties. It also jailed 15 former elected
officials for alleged paramilitary links.


7. The paramilitary process has also led to the
incarceration of over 70 paramilitary leaders in maximum
security prisons, and the Supreme Court is investigating
links between politicians and former paramilitaries. To
date, the Court has jailed 13 congressmen and two Governors.
One Congressmen is a fugitive, and 6 more national
legislators are under investigation. The Court is also
investigating 12 mayors. President Uribe allocated an
additional USD 1.2 million to the Court last December to
develop its own investigative staff.


8. The improved security has enabled the local press to
carry stories about paramilitary crimes, including their
links to politicians, security force personnel, and
businessmen. El Tiempo editor Enrique Santos publicly said
in March that "there has not been one act by this government
against freedom of the press," and the number of journalists
murdered fell from 10 during Uribe's first two years in
office to five from 2003-06. The Congress has held several
heated debates on the scope of the scandal, with opposition
legislators accusing Uribe and his family of complicity in
paramilitary crimes. Some legislators, as well as local
human rights and labor groups, traveled to the U.S. to repeat
their charges.

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New Criminal Groups
--------------


9. The OAS estimates there are approximately 20 new
criminal groups -- with 3000 members -- operating in the
country. These groups lack the national structure, military
capacity, and political agenda of the former AUC, and are
primarily involved in narcotrafficking. To combat this
threat, the GOC has established 107 rural police stations,
staffed with over 4,000 new officers, in areas identified as
particularly susceptible to the emergence of new criminal
groups. It has also set up special interagency search
forces, consisting of police, military and DAS personnel, in
several departments to pursue these groups. These efforts
have led to over 160 members of new groups being killed in
combat, more than 930 arrests, and the issuance of over 230
arrest warrants. On April 3, the GOC captured Ever Veloza, a
top lieutenant of former paramilitary leader Vicente Castano.
Castano abandoned the peace process last August and is
actively trying to rebuild the old AUC network.

--------------
Military Improvements
--------------


10. Complaints against the military fell by over half from
2002 to 2005, despite a doubling of the force and a tripling
of military operations. Mid-year 2006 figures show a further
decline. Defense Minister Santos is strengthening internal
human rights controls and training within the military,
assigning inspector general representatives to each Army
division and inviting the International Committee of the Red
Cross to train personnel in International Humanitarian Law.
The Defense Ministry is improving cooperation with the
civilian judiciary, signing an MOU with the Prosecutor
General's Office giving civilian prosecutors control of
investigations involving alleged military human rights
violations. The Ministry is also preparing reforms that
would establish the military criminal justice's system's
juridical and financial independence from the Defense
Ministry. From 2002-06, the Ministry used its discretionary
authority to dismiss 1,135 officers and NCOs for human rights
violations, corruption, incompetence or other misconduct.


-------------- --------------
Challenges Remain, but Colombia is a Different Country
-------------- --------------


11. Colombia's progress over the last five years is
undeniable, but serious challenges remain in ensuring respect
for human rights. Its previous inquisitorial criminal
justice system was ineffective in resolving criminal cases,
including investigation and prosecution of human rights
violations, and older crimes remain under this system. The
ongoing transition to the new accusatory criminal justice
system will ensure more efficient processing of recent cases,
resolving them in months rather than years, and increased
resources for prosecutors and judges will facilitate efforts
to punish paramilitaries and their supporters. Still,
despite improved security, narcotrafficking and terrorism
continue to generate human rights abuses. We will focus our
diplomacy and assistance to support the GOC's efforts to
further strengthen democratic institutions, extend the rule
of law, and make its citizens safer.
Drucker