DUSTR VERONEAU DISCUSSES TRADE, LABOR VIOLENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006105

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE PASS USTR/VERONEAU/CARRILLO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2017
TAGS: ETRD ECON PREL PGOV CO
SUBJECT: DUSTR VERONEAU DISCUSSES TRADE, LABOR VIOLENCE
WITH COLOMBIAN OFFICIALS

REF: BOGOTA 5932

Classified By: CDA BRIAN NICHOLS FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Summary. During his August 7-11 visit to Colombia,
DUSTR John Veroneau discussed U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion
Agreement (CTPA) prospects and labor violence with Trade
Minister Luis Guillermo Plata and Attorney General Mario
Iguaran. Veroneau briefed the officials on the state of play
in Washington and expressed support for Uribe Administration
efforts to address labor and human rights concerns. Veroneau
believed that the administration would bring the CTPA to a
successful vote in the present Congress, and stated that the
Administration planned to present pending FTA's to the
Congress in the order that they were signed. The GOC expects
that the Protocol modifying the CTPA will be approved in the
Colombian Congress by October. End Summary.

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VERONEAU TO PLATA: CTPA WILL PASS, BUT TIMELINE UNCERTAIN
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2. (C) DUSTR Veroneau exchanged views on CTPA developments
with Trade Minister Luis Guillermo Plata during an August 8
luncheon. Presidential trade envoy Sandra Suarez, Vice
Minister Trade Eduardo Munoz, and DCM at the Colombian
Embassy in Washington Marianna Pacheco accompanied Plata.
Veroneau told Plata that he felt confident that the current
U.S. Congress will approve the CTPA. He outlined the
Administration's proposed sequencing of pending trade
agreements, in accord with the date of signing. Peru will go
forward in September. Colombia should follow, but it might
slip until 2008 depending on when Congress recesses for the
year. Although some in Washington and on Capitol Hill have
argued for Panama to leap-frog Colombia, the Administration
believes that Colombia should follow Peru. Should Congress
recess early, or the Peru deliberations slip, Veroneau judged
that the Administration would send the CTPA to Congress in
the February-March timeframe.


3. (C) Plata said that the GOC had just introduced the
Protocol modifying the CTPA to the Colombian Congress for its
approval. The present session began in late July and will
continue until December. The GOC did so under emergency
procedures in order to secure rapid approval. President
Uribe will forge ahead, Plata underscored, despite expected
pushback from some in Congress who will resist approving the
Protocol while the agreement faces such an uncertain future
in Washington. In a separate meeting, Senate President Nancy
Gutierrez assured Veroneau that the Protocol faces no
difficulties and the Colombian Congress would approve it no
later than October.


4. (C) Plata expressed concern over the potential
requirement that Colombia enact legal and regulatory changes
to their labor regime before the U.S. Congress would consider
the accord. He asked Veroneau how the USG has handled that
issue with Peru. The DUSTR explained that Peru had pledged
to enact certain changes by decree, without legislative
changes. Veroneau did not foresee changes to Colombian law
becoming a pre-requisite for U.S. Congressional consideration
of the CTPA. That being said, he emphasized that the process
would require a U.S.-Colombia dialogue on labor to discuss
commitments that the GOC would make to meet the concerns of
certain members of Congress.

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LABOR VIOLENCE: PROGRESS MADE--STILL AWAITING CONVICTION
NUMBERS
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5. (U) Veroneau met on August 9 with Attorney General Mario
Iguaran to discuss progress on labor violence cases.
Director of International Affairs Francisco Echeverri,
Current Human Rights Unit Director Leonardo Cabana, and
prospective Human Rights Unit Director Sandra Castro
accompanied Iguaran. Veroneau expressed support for the
progress the Attorney General has made on human rights, and
sought an update on cases of violence against labor leaders
discussed in a March 2007 meeting he had with Cabana. Iguaran
said that the GOC had made progress in those cases, but did
not provide specific details regarding the number of cases
closed or people convicted.


6. (U) The labor violence sub-unit of the AG's Human Rights
Unit was created in October 2006 as part of a tripartite

agreement brokered by the International Labor Organization
(ILO) between the GOC, labor leaders, and Colombian industry.
The AG equipped the unit with 13 special prosecutors, 85
investigators, and an annual budget of $1.5 million, and
charged the sub-unit with the prosecution of cases of
violence against labor leaders, resulting in 89 convictions
since 2001. Seven of those cases were prosecuted since the
new unit was created, resulting in 11 individuals going to
prison.


7. (C) Iguaran told Veroneau that Cabana had done an
excellent job, but he would transfer Cabana from his post as
Director of the Human Rights Unit to take charge of some
other cases. Cabana's replacement is Sandra Castro, a former
defense attorney who recently joined the office. Iguaran
said Castro would provide an update on the labor cases when
it becomes available.


8. (C) Comment: Prosecutors in the labor sub-unit previously
complained to embassy officials about Cabana's lack of
leadership abilities and dedication. Cabana proved
un-responsive to USG requests for information regarding the
progress of labor cases.


9. (U) DUSTR Veroneau cleared this message.
Nichols