DEFENSE MINISTER SANTOS DEFENDS RECORD IN CONGRESS

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003891 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO SUBJECT: DEFENSE MINISTER SANTOS DEFENDS RECORD IN CONGRESS CENSURE DEBATE REF: BOGOTA 3618 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. Defense Juan Manuel Santos faces a June 6 vote on a congressional censure motion against him. If a majority of both houses of Congress votes in favor of the motion, Santos would be removed from office. Pro-Uribe supporters have the votes to defeat the motion, and the president publicly backed Santos on May 30. On May 28, Santos strongly denied allegations during an eight-hour congressional debate that he conspired to overthrow the government of Ernesto Samper (1994-98). He also rejected accusations he was negligent in failing to prevent illegal electronic surveillance of politicians and journalists. End summary. -------------- Santos Denies Plotting Against Samper -------------- ¶2. In an eight-hour debate on the censure motion in the Senate's First Committee on May 28, Santos responded to ex-paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso's and ELN leader Pablo Beltran's claim that he backed a plot to overthrow then-President Ernesto Samper in 1996-97 (ref A). Santos admitted he wished that Samper had stepped down following revelations his electoral campaign was financed by drug money, but he denied having plotted to overthrow his government. Santos said he wanted Samper's removal, "but always by legal avenues, always in accordance with the constitution and the law, because that is what democracy is about." ¶3. In Semana magazine's May 19 issue, Santos wrote an article recounting his peace talk initiatives with the FARC, ELN, and the paramilitaries during Samper's administration. He stressed the information on his interactions with the illegal armed group members at that time were well-known and legal. Santos said "conspiracy theories" about an alleged plan to overthrow Samper had been discredited and that his story had been verified by others participating in the peace process, including Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Garcia Marquez issued a statement supporting Santos' account. Catholic priest and Conciliation Commission member Dario Echeverri said contemporary accounts provided by Santos to the Commission were consistent with Santos' contention he was not scheming to overthrow Samper. -------------- Santos Says Unaware of Illegal Wiretapping -------------- ¶4. The Senate First Committee debate also centered on opposition demands that Santos take political responsibility for illegal wiretapping of public officials, opposition party members, and journalists by an intelligence unit within the National Police. (Note: The National Police are under the Defense Ministry.) Santos insisted President Uribe and GOC ministers were not aware of the illegal wiretappings. He confirmed the GOC had identified those responsible in the Police, but refused to give names. Santos said all information had been turned over the Prosecutor General's Office (Fiscalia),which had requested that he not make the names public. ¶5. Colombian National Police Director Oscar Naranjo clarified on May 30 that the eavesdropping was not targeted at specific individuals, but rather on zones, such as Santa Fe de Ralito and Itagui prison, where ex-paramilitary leaders had been housed. Naranjo said most of those whose communications were recorded had legitimate reasons for contact with ex-paramilitary leaders in the context of the peace process. He claimed since the GOC owns the electromagnetic spectrum, the Police have the authority to monitor illegal communications. -------------- Support for Santos? -------------- ¶6. Cambio Radical and governing coalition Senator German Vargas Lleras, who views Santos as a potential rival in the 2010 presidential race, told poloff May 30 he is "meditating" over whether or not to support the censure motion. "Santos has a lot of enemies on all sides," he said. Several opposition lawmakers speculated Santos may resign rather than face the censure vote. On May 30, Uribe reiterated his support for Santos. "He may have done the right thing or made mistakes in the past," Uribe said, "but the important thing is that Minister Santos has acted transparently." Unless a substantial number of governing coalition legislators defect, the opposition lacks the votes to pass the censure motion. Drucker