NAS MONTHLY REPORT, JANUARY 2007

UNCLAS LIMA 000312 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP STATE FOR WHA/PPC ONDCP FOR LT COL RONALD GARNER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE SUBJECT: NAS MONTHLY REPORT, JANUARY 2007 REF: A. LIMA 0190 ¶B. LIMA 0218 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) The key developments in January 2007: ** The 2007 Eradication Plan was signed by Minister of Interior Pilar Mazzetti on January 11. ** Eradication and interdiction operations are still stalled due to the ongoing reorganization of the police. ** NAS received the official list of the new PNP generals, but there are still delays in assigning mid-level officers. ** NAS and USAID Directors presented a comprehensive overview of the USG's 2007 anti-drug projects to DEVIDA. ** NAS and USAID are coordinating their eradication efforts in Santa Lucia and the Campo Verde/Aguaytia areas. ** Interior Minister Mazzetti survived the controversial resignation of her Vice-Minister, with support from Garcia "for now." ** Post hosted 48 cocalero leaders, including seven mayors and Nelson Palomino, for a civil exchange of views. ** NAS Aviation is looking at using two fixed-wing aircraft owned by DIRAVPOL to fill a cost-saving role in operations. ** New container scanners are operational in the ports of Callao and Paita; MRU wins international award. ** NAS is working with the "Alliance for a Drug-Free Peru" to create a new anti-drug communications strategy. ** OAS/CICAD and NAS are joining forces to offer money laundering training in Peru. END SUMMARY -------------- ERADICATION WAITING FOR POLICE REORGANIZATION -------------- ¶2. (U) The 2007 Eradication Plan was signed by Minister of Interior Pilar Mazzetti on January 11. Eradication operations did not begin on January 8 as planned and have yet to start due to the ongoing reorganization of the police. CORAH is ready to eradicate at a moment's notice, once the police arrive. ¶3. (U) As part of its review of CORAH operations, NAS has instituted a new salary scale to rationalize the system for pay raises, promotions and time in service. This effort will reduce personnel costs and guarantee that more funds are directed toward operations. Congress is debating a new labor law that, if approved, could affect CORAH's ability to hire and fire workers, among other things. We are monitoring the progress of the law and are analyzing the possible impacts once the new law is approved. -------------- -------------- NAS AND USAID DIRECTORS PRESENT 2007 PLANS TO GOP -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) NAS Director Susan Keogh and USAID Director Paul Weisenfeld presented a comprehensive overview of the US Mission's planned 2007 anti-drug projects to DEVIDA Executive President Romulo Pizarro and his senior staff on January 22. The Embassy presentation followed a similar one by DEVIDA a week earlier on its 2007-2011 National Drug Strategy. These efforts portend much closer and more frequent consultations between the GOP and the US Mission on anti-drug programs in ¶2007. -------------- -------------- NAS AND USAID COORDINATE TO ENSURE COCA-FREE ZONES -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) NAS and USAID continue close coordination on Programmed and Voluntary Eradication activities. We have a joint plan to start Programmed Eradication in Santa Lucia and to have "token" eradication in the Campo Verde/Aguaytia area with a small number of police and eradicators to give an incentive to more communities to sign up with the alternative development program and to estimate the amount of coca in these areas. -------------- MAZZETTI SURVIVES RESIGNATION OF TOP AIDES -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Pilar Mazzetti has survived as Minister of Interior despite the recent high-profile resignation of Vice Minister Dardo Lopez-Dolz, a friend and ally of Mazetti. On January 19, the Lima dailies reported the resignation of Lopez-Dolz and several other Ministry advisors - he claimed over disagreements on operational and administrative decisions. Subsequent press reports indicated "irregularities" over contracting. Over the past month, Mazzetti has pushed through substantial changes in the Peruvian National Police leadership and has survived challenges to her own stewardship of the Ministry. Mazzetti met with President Garcia January 20 after which Garcia declared his support for her "for now." PM Jorge del Castillo also threw in his support, calling the matter a "10 minute crisis" that would be forgotten as soon as a vice-ministerial replacement was named (Ref A). At month's end, there was still no replacement. -------------- EMBASSY MEETS WITH COCALERO LEADERS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Post hosted 48 cocalero leaders on January 18, including seven mayors and Nelson Palomino, head of a large cocalero federation. The tone of the meeting was open and civil. The cocaleros main assertions were: extreme poverty plagues their communities and coca is one of their few profitable agricultural commodities; foreign aid has been poorly managed in the field; municipalities, not NGOs, should be the development implementers; and cocaleros are not narcotraffickers. The representatives came from the Apurimac and Ene River Valley (VRAE) and requested a meeting with the Embassy during their 2-day trip to Lima to meet with GOP officials on the VRAE Plan. While Palomino and his group took a more moderate stance than usual during the meetings, given his past radical, pro-coca and anti-U.S. statements, it is doubtful this will continue (see Ref B). -------------- PNP HAS NEW LEADERS AND NEW TECHNOLOGY -------------- ¶8. (U) Interdiction operations in the VRAE and Upper Huallaga are on hold because of the police reorganization. The PNP's Special Operations Office in Lima installed a new mapping system (ARGIS) that will use GPS data and satellite imagery to create accurate maps of coca regions. This new technology will facilitate the gathering of intelligence information on narcotrafficking. ¶9. (U) The official lists of the new PNP generals and command structure are out, but there are still delays in assigning mid-level officers. General David RODRIGUEZ Segeu is the new Director General of the PNP and General Miguel HIDALGO Medina is assuming command of DIRANDRO. The two met with NAS Director Susan Keogh to discuss the goals and priorities for this year's interdiction and eradication operations, which are expected to begin in early February. See Ref A for brief bios of the Generals. -------------- -------------- LULL IN OPERATIONS ALLOWS AVIATION TIME FOR TRAINING -------------- -------------- ¶10. (U) NAS has been taking advantage of the slow operations tempo to conduct training in Pucallpa. Night-vision-goggle refresher training and the DynCorp Instructor Pilot (IP) qualification training for four DIRAVPOL pilots are under way. For the first time, maintenance test pilot qualification training for pilots is being conducted by a DIRAVPOL Maintenance Evaluator (ME). NAS is moving more responsibility to DIRAVPOL flight crews as part of our nationalization plan. ¶11. (U) On January 12, General Richard Benavides assumed command of the Peruvian Air Police (DIRAVPOL). He is not an aviator, so NAS is considering sending him to the Aviation Commander's course at HAI in Titusville, Florida. ¶12. (U) NAS hired a contractor to inspect the DIRAVPOL-owned Cessna 210 and its twin-engine Islander (both with piston engines) to determine the cost to make them flyable. If the cost is reasonable, NAS will sign an agreement with DIRAVPOL to station the aircraft at the police bases in Santa Lucia and Mazamari/Palmapampa. The aircraft would support CN administrative flights, command and control, medevacs, radio relays, and road reconnaissance. These light fixed-wing aircraft will save helicopter flight hours--a significant cost saving. Fuel and maintenance will be provided by DIRAVPOL. In addition, NAS is investigating the different type of cameras that can be mounted in the FAP C-26 aircraft. One C-26 now has a FLIR installed, but after 18 months of experience operating the C-26s in Peru, it is clear that we also need a camera to photograph CN target areas. -------------- -------------- NEW SCANNERS DELIVERED AND OFFSHORE PATROLS START -------------- -------------- ¶13. (U) New container x-ray scanners are installed and operational in the Port of Callao and in the northern port of Paita. Peruvian Customs have almost fulfilled their self-imposed staffing obligations for 24/7 operations in Callao and 16/7 operations in Paita. This, coupled with the export control system recently enacted by Peruvian Customs, brings export security in Peru to an all-time high. Officials seized 102 kg of cocaine HCl at the Lima airport this month. In addition, NAS Lima is partnering with DEA Lima on maritime and aviation offshore patrols of the northern Peruvian coast in an attempt to interdict drugs leaving Peru by fishing vessels. These patrols will be timed to coincide with the DEA "Operation ALL INCLUSIVE" and would be the first-ever such USG-sponsored operation in Peru in the maritime arena. ¶14. (U) The joint Customs-Police-NAS Manifest Review Unit (MRU) received an award from the International Law Enforcement Officers Association. -------------- -------------- NAS IS CREATING NEW ANTI-DRUG COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY -------------- -------------- ¶15. (U) NAS is working with the "Alliance for a Drug-Free Peru" (Alianza) to develop a nationwide communications strategy, based on social marketing principles, that will be used by all NAS-funded demand reduction NGOs. Advertising and marketing professionals, who are members of Alianza, will use existing research, key informants, and focus groups to create a coherent set of messages with phrases, slogans, and images that can be used to direct drug prevention messages to audiences of all ages and at all socioeconomic levels. Alianza is a private sector-led NGO that provides this professional service at no charge. TV and radio spots will be created as well as other media such as posters, banners, pamphlets, and flyers. NAS will fund some of the production and distribution costs. ¶16. (U) The communications campaign will support NAS's main demand reduction strategy of community anti-drug coalitions. The six coalitions are now expanding the areas they serve and are raising their visibility in order to create a constituency that supports anti-drug and anti-narcotrafficking strategies. NAS has reorganized its external evaluation team to also provide counsel on ways to build capacity and develop sustainability. -------------- -------------- OAS/CICAD AND NAS OFFER MONEY LAUNDERING TRAINING -------------- -------------- ¶17. (U) OAS/CICAD and NAS joined forces to offer money laundering training. Two CICAD money laundering experts visited Lima the week of January 22 at the invitation of NAS to assess opportunities for offering training courses in money laundering issues, and other programs. NAS arranged meetings for the visitors with senior GOP officials including the Attorney General, the President of the Supreme Court, the new head of the Peruvian drug police, and the Director of Peru's Financial Intelligence Unit. As a result of this visit, NAS is advancing plans to fund a number of CICAD-provided training courses in Peru in 2007. POWERS