PRE-ELECTIONS CLIMATE IN SUCRE: NEW SPACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 007193

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: PRE-ELECTIONS CLIMATE IN SUCRE: NEW SPACE
EMERGING, OLD CHALLENGES PERSIST


Classified By: Polcouns John Creamer.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d)

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SUMMARY
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1. (U) Politicians, local authorities, and victims groups in
Sucre report the paramilitary demobilization has opened new
political space, allowing increased participation by new
political parties and social groups ahead of the October
elections. Still, some victims, groups and candidates
complain of security concerns from FARC activity and new
criminal groups. A culture of vote-buying persists, and
questionable campaign financing remains an issue. In
response to these concerns, the GOC and local authorities are
investigating complaints of fraud and corruption, providing
protection to candidates, and preparing to monitor polling
places. END SUMMARY.

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NEW SPACE FOR PARTICIPATION
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2. (U) Colonel Jorge Rodriguez, the Commander of the
National Police (CNP) in Sucre, said the July 2005
demobilization of the Montes de Maria paramilitary bloc has
created new political space in an area formerly plagued by
violence, extortion and intimidation. As a result, newer,
left-wing political parties such as the Polo Democratico
Alternativo (PDA) are openly campaigning against the
traditional parties and local elites that have long held
power in the region. PDA's mayoral candidate in San Onofre,
Adil Jose Melendez, said there is a dramatic difference from
previous elections, in which the paramilitary-backed
candidate was the only contender for political office.
Today, San Onofre has five candidates running for mayor from
various parties. Moreover, the number of mayoral candidates
in Sucre rose from 77 in the 2003 local elections to 142 in
the upcoming October elections.


3. (U) PDA and other smaller parties are exploiting the
political opening created by demobilization as well as the
arrest of many local elected officials for paramilitary ties.
In Sucre, ex-Senators Jairo Merlano (U Party) and Alvaro
"Gordo" Garcia (Colombia Democratica),and ex-Congresswoman
Muriel Benito Rebollo (Conservative) have been arrested, as
well as four members of Sucre's departmental legislature.
PDA's candidate for mayor of Sincelejo said voters are
looking for viable alternatives to the corrupt, and in some
cases, murderous, practices revealed by these arrests.

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SECURITY CONCERNS REMAIN
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4. (C) Conservative Party Senator for Sucre, Julio Manzur,
said intimidation and threats no longer exist in his
department, but PDA candidate Melendez said he campaigns
under fear of reprisals from new criminal groups active in
the area. Melendez said those new groups are trying to
influence local elections, because the winners of mayoral
races would have authority to enforce controls along a major
narcotrafficking route. (Note: In Colombia, mayors also serve
as the local police chief.) Jackeline Moguea, a victims'
group leader, candidate for the San Onofre City Council, and
recent participant in the International Visitors Program,
also noted cases of intimidation by former paramilitaries
working as campaigners.

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CULTURE OF VOTE-BUYING, CORRUPTION PERSISTS
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5. (C) Catholic Bishop Nel Beltran said extreme poverty in
Sucre, coupled with a general lack of education about the
democratic process, creates a culture in which people seek
handouts from politicians. This has led candidates such as
Edgar Benito Rebollo (Conservative party candidate for Mayor
of San Onofre and brother of jailed former Deputy Muriel
Benito Rebollo) to offer benefits like free beauty treatments

to women who register with his party. PDA candidate Melendez
said his campaign does not have the funds to compete with his
wealthy opponents from traditional parties, who publicly hand
out food, money and other goods. Melendez said he must
conduct his campaign on foot, as he does not have funds for a
car. His aim was to convince people they should vote for
candidates based on their political platforms, rather than
their pocketbooks.

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EX-OFFICIALS EXERT INFLUENCE FROM JAIL
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6. (C) Questions also remain about the financing of some
local campaigns. A September 9 article in Colombia's leading
daily newspaper reported several candidates in Sucre are
receiving political and financial support from former
officials who have been jailed because of alleged links to
former paramilitaries. Juan David Diaz, victims' group
leader and son of the mayor of El Roble who was murdered by
paramilitaries, said these jailed officials continue to
control the local governmental machinery, as well as the
local offices of national GOC agencies such as the Prosecutor
General's Office and Family Welfare. Diaz said the jailed
officials are hand-picking successors and employing
intimidation tactics to ensure their win.


7. (C) Bishop Beltran said it is common knowledge in the
department that U party candidate for Governor, Jorge Carlos
Barraza, receives political and financial support from jailed
former Senators Garcia and Merlano. Juan Carlos Montes, a
campaign manager for PDA's candidate for Governor, Lucy
Urzola, said Barraza also benefits from support from jailed
former Congresswoman Muriel Benito Rebollo. He also charged
that Barraza's campaign is funded largely by Enilce "la Gata"
Lopez, who was arrested for funding paramilitary groups in
exchange for their help in maintaining her monopoly on the
lottery market in the department. Barraza admitted to
meeting with the jailed officials, claiming it was his
"Christian duty" to visit those in prison, and telling us he
went there to offer legal advice to his friends.

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GOC TAKES STEPS TO ENSURE FAIR ELECTIONS
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8. (U) Sucre,s CNP Commander Rodriguez said the police
collaborate with local military forces to provide security
for political candidates. To ensure unbiased enforcement of
voting procedures, the National Registrar has re-assigned
local registrars from their home departments to posts in
other departments. For example, Sucre's registrar for the
October elections, Luigin Barrera, comes from Huila
Department. These newly arrived registrars are training
election workers to be vigilant against voting fraud. The
poll workers will be checking records to ensure each person
votes only in his or her designated district. To prevent
voters from taking photos of ballots to receive payments, the
registrars will require all cell phones be turned off before
entering the voting booth.


9. (U) The National Elections Commission (CNE) has also
assigned three special magistrates to Sucre to analyze the
financial records of all political campaigns. This new
investigative unit, created on August 28, will issue monthly
reports of their findings and investigate charges of illicit
funding and over-spending in political campaigns. The three
magistrates recently assigned to Sucre said it may be
difficult to reach any conclusions prior to the October 28
elections, but they will report any evidence of wrongdoing to
the CNE in Bogota to ensure transparency and accountability
in the campaign process.
Brownfield