URIBE REAFFIRMS OPPOSITION TO DEMILITARIZED ZONE

id: 130283 date: 11/15/2007 20:57 refid: 07BOGOTA8086 origin: Embassy Bogota classification: CONFIDENTIAL destination: 07BOGOTA8001 header: VZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBO #8086 3192057 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 152057Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0119 INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7867 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 9544 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ NOV 9059 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 5634 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 0824 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6290 RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4175 RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY -------------- header ends -------------- C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 008086 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2017 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREF PREL PTER VZ CO SUBJECT: URIBE REAFFIRMS OPPOSITION TO DEMILITARIZED ZONE FOR FARC REF: BOGOTA 8001 Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) President Uribe reiterated his opposition to a demilitarized zone ("despeje") in talks with the FARC, and ruled out a meeting between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and senior FARC leader Manuel Marulanda. In his November 8 meeting with Chavez, FARC Secretariat member Ivan Marquez had called for a Chavez-Marulanda meeting in Colombia, repeated the FARC demand for a demilitarized zone, and said the FARC would provide proof of life for the hostages. GOC High Commissioner for Peace and the Minister of Interior said the GOC would not support an endless round of Chavez-FARC negotiations. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On November 13, President Alvaro Uribe underscored the GOC's commitment to negotiating a humanitarian accord with the FARC, but reiterated his opposition to a demilitarized zone ("despeje"). He also ruled out a meeting between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and octogenarian FARC leader Manuel Marulanda in the Yari, a region in southeast Colombia historically dominated by the FARC. Uribe said the "only meeting we want for Marulanda is with police, prosecutors and judges." He noted that GOC had already shown its openness to a humanitarian accord by releasing more than 170 FARC, including Rodrigo Granda, earlier this year -- a gesture that has gone unanswered by the FARC. ¶3. (SBU) Uribe's statement was prompted by Chavez' insistence on a Chavez-Marulanda meeting after his November 8 meeting in Miraflores presidential palace with FARC Secretariat member Ivan Marquez. Marquez had proposed that such a meeting be held in Colombia, and reiterated the FARC's calls for a "despeje" for humanitarian exchange. In an October 31 letter to Senator Piedad Cordoba, Marquez praised statements by FARC members Sonia and Simon Trinidad--currently serving time in U.S. prison--that they do not want to be an obstacle to accord, but insisted they must be included in any deal. Marquez called their extradition to the U.S. an act of "treachery" by Uribe. He said Marulanda has given the order to provide Chavez with proof of life of for Ingrid Betancourt, the three Americans, and the other hostages. ¶4. (SBU) Colombian High Commissioner for Peace Luis Carlos Restrepo said on November 14 in Madrid that Chavez' mediation in a humanitarian swap was an important development, but Chavez' meeting with Marquez in Venezuela - which the GOC was not informed of beforehand - proves a "despeje" in Colombia is not needed for negotiations. He added that the "despeje" option was a "closed door." Minister of Interior and Justice Carlos Holguin echoed Restrepo's comments, adding that Venezuela's involvement, although made in good faith, cannot be indefinite or allowed to take over the negotiations. Restrepo traveled from Madrid to Caracas where he meet with ELN leaders and GOC officials. ¶5. (C) The press reports that the FARC will provide proof of life to Chavez before his November 20 trip to Paris. Cordoba has publicly suggested that she has proof of life for the three Americans and will provide it to U.S. officials on November 16. Control Risk official Robert Froude told us November 14 that his company--which was hired by Northrop Grumman to work on the case of the three Americans--has been communicating independently for some time with Colombian journalist Jorge Botero to produce proof of life. Botero, an associate of Cordoba who interviewed the three Americans in 2003, has told Control Risk he has the "green light" from FARC leaders to film the U.S. hostages. Froude said it is unclear how Botero's efforts track with those of Cordoba. Brownfield =======================CABLE ENDS============================