JUSTICE AND PEACE LAW PROCESS BEGINS TO SHOW

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003620 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO SUBJECT: JUSTICE AND PEACE LAW PROCESS BEGINS TO SHOW RESULTS -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The Prosecutor General's (Fiscalia) Justice and Peace Unit Chief Luis Gonzalez told poloff on May 16 voluntary testimonies of ex-paramilitary leaders have so far helped to identify the perpetrators of over 200 murders and have been instrumental in helping the GOC create new mechanisms to deal with victims--over 56,000 victims have approached Justice and Peace prosecutors and investigators with information. End summary. -------------- JPL Process Revelations Unprecedented -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Prosecutor General's (Fiscalia) Justice and Peace Unit Chief Luis Gonzalez told poloff on May 16 the voluntary confessions of ex-paramilitary leaders has so far identified the killers of over 200 victims, including those of union workers and indigenous. Moreover, based on the information obtained from the ex-paras and victims, the unit has been able to conduct 91 exhumations, finding 704 bodies. Of those, they have identified 42 and obtained preliminary information on 188. Gonzalez said they have information on 22 additional mass graves around the country. He estimated the sites could contain a further 3,000 bodies. ¶3. (SBU) In addition to information on individual homicides and mass graves, ex-paramilitary leaders have revealed information on kidnappings, disappearances, illegal financing schemes, public corruption practices, money laundering, and narcotics and arms trafficking activities. For example, ex-paramilitary representative member Jose Baldomero Linares, AKA "Guillermo Torres," revealed information about his group's narcotrafficking activities and routes, which focused primarily on the departments of Vichada and Meta. Ex-paramilitary leader Francisco Javier Zuluaga, AKA "Gordo Lindo," confessed to the exportation of 9,000 kilos of cocaine and the trafficking of 3,000 arms coming from Bulgaria in 1999. ¶4. (SBU) Since December 2006, when the first voluntary testimony or "version libre" took place, the Justice and Peace Law (JPL) unit has questioned 22 people as part of the JPL version libre process, of which six were paramilitary leaders. In the next two months, the JPL unit is scheduled to take testimony from another 22 ex-paras. Gonzalez said with U.S. help, the Fiscalia is building an information system capable of doing link analysis to decipher all the information it is receiving. -------------- - Creating Mechanisms for Victims' Participation -------------- - ¶5. (SBU) Gonzalez said the JPL process has also been instrumental in helping the GOC create new mechanisms to help victims use the justice system. Thus far, the JPL has met with over 56,000 victims. Gonzalez cited the victims' willingness to come forward as a sign of growing confidence in the government and of a greater sense of security. He warned, however, there were still areas of the country where people are afraid to talk. The JPL unit is trying to reach out to remote communities where State presence remains weak. For those harder-to-reach areas, they are promoting the JPL unit's 24/7 toll free number for victims. Drucker