Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BOGOTA6461
2007-09-05 11:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bogota
Cable title:
INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS RECOVERS BODIES OF FARC
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006461
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS RECOVERS BODIES OF FARC
HOSTAGES
REF: A. BOGOTA 4716
B. BOGOTA 4741
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer.
Reason: 1.4 (b,d)
-------
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006461
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS RECOVERS BODIES OF FARC
HOSTAGES
REF: A. BOGOTA 4716
B. BOGOTA 4741
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer.
Reason: 1.4 (b,d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) The FARC and GOC agreed after six weeks of
negotiations that the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) would recover the bodies of the 11 legislators
killed in June and that the OAS would coordinate an
international forensic team to examine the cadavers. The
FARC claims the legislators were killed in a cross-fire with
an unidentified military group; the GOC asserts they were
executed by the FARC. The ICRC recovered the bodies on
September 3, and is transferring them to Cali for the
forensic exam. End Summary.
--------------
Bodies Recovered, OAS Team to Examine
--------------
2. (U) On September 3, the ICRC recovered the bodies of 11
local legislators killed while being held hostage by the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Bad weather
delayed the transfer of the bodies to Cali. Weather
permitting, the bodies will arrive in Cali on September 4.
The FARC claims the legislators died during a firefight with
an unidentified military group in Narino department on June
18. The GOC said its security forces were not operating in
the area, and charges the FARC executed the legislators
(reftels). The FARC kidnapped the legislators in April 2002.
3. (C) Local ICRC delegate Barbara Hintermann told us it
took six weeks of tough negotiations before the FARC and the
GOC agreed on the terms of the handover. The GOC accepted
that the ICRC and FARC intermediary Alvaro Leyva would
recover the bodies without GOC participation. The FARC agreed
the OAS would coordinate the work of an international
forensic team, whose members were chosen by Spain, France,
and Switzerland, to examine the cadavers and determine the
cause of death. Leyva told us after the bodies' recovery,
the ICRC would transport them to the Medical Examiners office
in Cali where the forensic team would examined them. He said
the international forensic specialists include a ballistics
expert and an anthropologist.
--------------
A Difficult Agreement
--------------
4. (C) Leyva speculated that President Uribe did not want
the bodies returned, alleging the GOC consistently introduced
conditions which it knew the FARC would find hard to accept.
He claimed Uribe thought the FARC would never agree to OAS
participation in the forensic team due to its verification
role in the paramilitary peace process. When the FARC agreed
to an OAS role, the GOC demanded that a member of the
Fiscalia (Prosecutor General's Office) accompany the ICRC to
the grave sites. Leyva said the GOC only dropped this
demand, because it feared the ICRC, or Leyva, would tell the
legislators' families the GOC was blocking agreement. GOC
officials tell us the FARC delayed a deal to make it more
difficult for the forensic team to determine the
circumstances of the deaths.
5. (C) Leyva said the return of the legislators' bodies is
not linked to Venezuelan President Chavez' efforts to promote
a humanitarian exchange of FARC-held hostages for FARC
members jailed by the GOC. Still, he predicted the popular
emotion generated by the bodies' return--and their subsequent
burials--would put increased pressure on Uribe to move
forward on a humanitarian exchange.
Brownfield
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS RECOVERS BODIES OF FARC
HOSTAGES
REF: A. BOGOTA 4716
B. BOGOTA 4741
Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer.
Reason: 1.4 (b,d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) The FARC and GOC agreed after six weeks of
negotiations that the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) would recover the bodies of the 11 legislators
killed in June and that the OAS would coordinate an
international forensic team to examine the cadavers. The
FARC claims the legislators were killed in a cross-fire with
an unidentified military group; the GOC asserts they were
executed by the FARC. The ICRC recovered the bodies on
September 3, and is transferring them to Cali for the
forensic exam. End Summary.
--------------
Bodies Recovered, OAS Team to Examine
--------------
2. (U) On September 3, the ICRC recovered the bodies of 11
local legislators killed while being held hostage by the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Bad weather
delayed the transfer of the bodies to Cali. Weather
permitting, the bodies will arrive in Cali on September 4.
The FARC claims the legislators died during a firefight with
an unidentified military group in Narino department on June
18. The GOC said its security forces were not operating in
the area, and charges the FARC executed the legislators
(reftels). The FARC kidnapped the legislators in April 2002.
3. (C) Local ICRC delegate Barbara Hintermann told us it
took six weeks of tough negotiations before the FARC and the
GOC agreed on the terms of the handover. The GOC accepted
that the ICRC and FARC intermediary Alvaro Leyva would
recover the bodies without GOC participation. The FARC agreed
the OAS would coordinate the work of an international
forensic team, whose members were chosen by Spain, France,
and Switzerland, to examine the cadavers and determine the
cause of death. Leyva told us after the bodies' recovery,
the ICRC would transport them to the Medical Examiners office
in Cali where the forensic team would examined them. He said
the international forensic specialists include a ballistics
expert and an anthropologist.
--------------
A Difficult Agreement
--------------
4. (C) Leyva speculated that President Uribe did not want
the bodies returned, alleging the GOC consistently introduced
conditions which it knew the FARC would find hard to accept.
He claimed Uribe thought the FARC would never agree to OAS
participation in the forensic team due to its verification
role in the paramilitary peace process. When the FARC agreed
to an OAS role, the GOC demanded that a member of the
Fiscalia (Prosecutor General's Office) accompany the ICRC to
the grave sites. Leyva said the GOC only dropped this
demand, because it feared the ICRC, or Leyva, would tell the
legislators' families the GOC was blocking agreement. GOC
officials tell us the FARC delayed a deal to make it more
difficult for the forensic team to determine the
circumstances of the deaths.
5. (C) Leyva said the return of the legislators' bodies is
not linked to Venezuelan President Chavez' efforts to promote
a humanitarian exchange of FARC-held hostages for FARC
members jailed by the GOC. Still, he predicted the popular
emotion generated by the bodies' return--and their subsequent
burials--would put increased pressure on Uribe to move
forward on a humanitarian exchange.
Brownfield