PARA-POLITICAL SCANDAL UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 007240 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2017 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREF PREL PTER CO SUBJECT: PARA-POLITICAL SCANDAL UPDATE REF: BOGOTA 5530 Classified By: Political Counselor John Creamer - Reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) Summary. The Supreme Court has linked 37 of Colombia's 268 legislators to the former paramilitaries, with fourteen members in jail, one a fugitive, and twenty-two under formal investigation. Congressmen facing investigation include Mario Uribe, a distant cousin and longtime political associate of President Uribe. Jailed politicians are pushing for legislation to allow them to avoid prison and re-engage in politics. President Uribe has said politicians convicted of ties to illegal armed groups should tell the truth about their para ties, face the "political death penalty", and serve some jail time. Despite the scandal and falling poll ratings, Congress continues to function in a normal fashion. End summary. Number of Implicated Pols Grows -------------- ¶2. (U) In September and October the Supreme Court announced that six additional members of Congress face formal investigation for alleged ties to ex-paramilitaries. With that announcement, the number formally implicated in the para-political scandal hit 37 with: --Fourteen members of Congress jailed for alleged para-ties--one already pleaded guilty; --One member wanted and on the run (likely in Europe); and --Twenty-two other members under formal investigation by the Supreme Court ("Indagatoria"). ¶3. (U) The media has linked ten other legislators to the scandal and dozens of other politicians at the state and national level are under investigation. ¶4. (U) The Court also announced that Senator Mario Uribe, President Uribe's distant cousin and longtime political associate, is under investigation. Mario, head of the small GOC coalition Colombia Democratica Party, allegedly met with former-para leaders--including Salvatore Mancuso--and benefited from corrupt para land deals. On October 4, Mario resigned from the Senate to fight the charges, a tactic aimed at transferring jurisdiction of the case from the Supreme Court (which investigates Congress) to the Prosecutor General (Fiscalia). Uribe, reacting to the Court's decision on Mario, told the media, "As President my duty is to support Justice. As a person, I feel sad." Jailed Politicians Seek Relief -------------- ¶5. (U) Congressional contacts tell us jailed politicians are pushing for a new law that would reduce or eliminate jail time for para-politicians and allow them to continue in politics. On October 5, four jailed Congressmen issued a statement from La Picota prison urging Congress to pass legislation that would make penalties for jail para-politicians "proportional" to Justice and Peace Law (JPL) penalties for ex-paramilitaries. Under the JPL, ex-para leaders face 5-8 years of jail time, while politicians face penalties of 6-14 years. No bill has been presented to address the status of the jailed politicians, but several legislators publicly support the principle of proportionality. GOC and Congressional Leaders: No Surprises -------------- ¶6. (C) Secretary of the Presidency Bernardo Moreno told us Uribe faces tremendous pressure from para-politicians to introduce a bill that would minimize their jail time and preserve their political futures. Uribe has made clear his first priority is to obtain passage of legislation clarifying the legal status of 19,000 former paras adversely impacted by the July 11 Supreme Court decision (reftel). Once that issue is resolved, the GOC will consider a bill making the sentences of para-politicians proportional to the time served by paramilitaries under the JPL. Still, Moreno said any bill favoring para-politicians should require them to serve some jail time, make them ineligible to hold political office for a lengthy period if not life, and require them to reveal the truth about their para ties. ¶7. (C) Senate President Nancy Patricia Gutierrez publicly confirmed that pressure was building from inside La Picota prison (where most para-politicians are being held) for political allies to seek relief. Still, she said she would not allow Congress to "sneak" through provisions benefiting the politicians by attaching them to pending legislation. Any bill would be separate and subject to four public Congressional debates. Justice and Interior Minister Carlos Holguin said October 8 that if reports of on-going criminal activity by jailed congressmen are accurate, these congressmen are delaying consideration of any "proportionality" bill and are "digging their own graves" Congress Functioning "Normally" -------------- ¶8. (C) Moreno, Gurierrez, and House President Oscar Arboleda told us Congress is functioning normally, despite the sometimes tense atmosphere over the para scandal. Members are focused on October 28 regional and local elections, and appear resigned to the fact more colleagues will likely face jail time. House Secretary-General Angelino Lizcano told us rumors regarding members implicated in the scandal have been circulating for months or years. The Supreme Court investigations, though painful, were expected and strengthen the institution. Brownfield