CORDOBA PRE-ELECTIONS REPORT: INCREASED

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 007223

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2017
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: CORDOBA PRE-ELECTIONS REPORT: INCREASED
PARTICIPATION DESPITE SECURITY CONCERNS

Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (U) New parties and community groups are taking advantage
of the greater political space created by the paramilitary
demobilization and jailing of elected officials with
paramilitary ties to participate actively in the October
local elections in Cordoba. Still, candidates fear new
criminal groups in the area, and questionable campaign
financing remains an issue. Many politicians continue to
give hand-outs for votes. The GOC and local authorities are
providing protection to candidates, preparing to monitor
polling places, and investigating complaints of fraud and
corruption. END SUMMARY.

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SMALLER PARTIES EXPLOIT NEW OPENINGS
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2. (U) Alicia Pinzon, the newly appointed Registrar for the
city of Monteria, said new 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. Patricia Rodriguez,
head of the OAS Special Mission to Support the Peace Process
(MAPP/OAS) office in Monteria said they are able to do this,
in part, because of the safer climate created by the January
18, 2005 demobilization of the Cordoba block of the United
Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).


3. (U) The arrest of several local elected officials with
paramilitary ties also created new political openings for the
PDA and other smaller parties. In Cordoba, Senators Zulena
Jattin (U party),Reginaldo Montez (Cambio Radical),Juan
Manuel Lopez Cabrales (Liberal),and Miguel de la Espriella
(Colombia Democratica),as well as Congressman Jose de los
Santos Negrete (Conservative),have been arrested. Alvaro
Emiro Petro, the PDA candidate for governor in Cordoba, said
the PDA's strategy is to differentiate themselves from the
corruption scandal surrounding traditional party officials.

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SECURITY IS STILL A CONCERN
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4. (C) New candidates say they are advancing actively
campaigning but fear reprisals by armed criminal groups.
Petro said he had not received any direct threats, but added
that some of his campaign workers and candidates running on
the PDA ticket for city council in Monteria had received
written threats from new criminal groups, including the
Aguilas Negras.

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HAND-OUTS REMAIN PART OF THE STRATEGY
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5. (C) PDA's candidate for mayor of Monteria, Argemiro
Caldron said his wealthy opponents continue to exploit the
poor and uneducated, offering them handouts in exchange for
votes. He also said the Liberal, Conservative and Colombia
Democratica party candidates distribute bags of cement, food
and cash at the main marketplaces in Monteria. Campaign
workers for Liberal Party candidate for Mayor of Monteria,
Juan Carlos Lengua, acknowledged keeping petty cash on hand
at their campaign headquarters and distributing small sums of
money to about 300 peasants per day. A physician is also on
hand to tend to locals' health needs during campaign season,
as a "goodwill gesture" to the community. One campaign
worker said it was common knowledge that all the parties
distribute these benefits. For this reason, few expect newer
parties with less resources to capture a large percentage of
the vote.


6. (C) Petro claimed the Liberals and Conservatives in
Monteria were outspending his campaign by ten to one for
publicity, not counting the additional cash payments and

other goods they are distributing. Petro and Caldron both
claimed the local newspaper, El Meridiano, refused to sell
them advertising space or give them any coverage.

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JAILED OFFICIALS SUPPORT CANDIDATES
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7. (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 Cordoba
receive political and financial support from former officials
who have been jailed due to allegations of links with former
paramilitaries. Petro accused these jailed officials of
continuing to control the local governmental machinery and
continuing to employ intimidators to ensure their hand-picked
successors win. Petro said Liberal party candidate for
Cordoba Governor, Marta Saenz, published a full-page ad in
the local newspaper stating her alliance with Lopez, Jattin,
Montes and Santos. Saenz told us she believes the jailed
officials are innocent. She saw no reason to refuse their
support. Caldron accused Colombia Democratica's
gubernatorial candidate, Margarita Rosa Andrade, of receiving
support from jailed ex-Senator Miguel de la Espriella, but
Andrade denies such ties.

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GOC WORKING TO GUARANTEE FAIR ELECTIONS
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8. (C) Petro accused the traditional parties of using
government subsidies to obtain votes by linking peoples'
continued receipt of unemployment or housing subsidies to
votes. Still, Ferlina Salgado at the Inspector General's
office (Procuraduria) in Monteria, said she had received no
official complaints of such activity. She said the
Procuraduria will investigate any official complaints it
receives regarding government officials currently in office,
while the Prosecutor General's office (Fiscalia) investigates
all claims of vote-buying by aspiring candidates.


9. (U) The National Registrar re-assigned Monteria's local
registrars to the interior of the country, and brought the
registrar from Meta department to Monteria to ensure unbiased
enforcement of voting procedures. Pinzon is training
elections workers to be vigilant against voting fraud. These
workers will check records to ensure that each person votes
only in his or her designated district. To prevent voters
from taking photos of ballots to receive payments, elections
workers will be requiring all cell phones be turned off
before entering the voting booth.


10. (U) To respond to concerns about questionable financing
for the candidates, the National Elections Commission (CNE)
created new investigative units to analyze financial records
of all political campaigns. These new three-person
investigative units, created on August 28, will investigate
charges of illicit funding and over-spending in political
campaigns and issue monthly reports of their findings to the
CNE. Major Javier Perez Watts, Deputy Commander of the CNP
in Cordoba said the police collaborate with local military
forces to organize security for political candidates while
they are campaigning.
Brownfield