ICRC RECOVERS FARC HOSTAGES CLARA ROJAS AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 000129 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2018 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PTER PREF VZ CO SUBJECT: ICRC RECOVERS FARC HOSTAGES CLARA ROJAS AND CONSUELO GONZALEZ DE PERDOMO REF: BOGOTA 100 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Political Counselor John Creamer - Reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (U) Summary. At 1100 EST on January 10, an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mission recovered FARC-held hostages Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez de Perdomo in a remote area approximately 120 miles southeast of San Jose de Guaviare. Two Venezuelan helicopters -- flying under ICRC markings -- then flew directly from the recovery site to Venezuela. Catholic Priest Dario Echeverri told us the release will not likely lead to the release of additional hostages or give momentum towards a humanitarian exchange or peace talks. End summary. ¶2. (U) The on-again, off-again mission to recover FARC-held hostages Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez de Perdomo was reinitiated on January 9, after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced that he received from the FARC the coordinates needed to recover the hostages. After consulting with President Uribe, GOC Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo immediately reiterated GOC authorization and security guarantees for the mission -- led by the ICRC. Two Venezuelan helicopters with ICRC markings deployed from Venezuela and landed at San Jose de Guaviare at 0830 EST on January 10 ready for the recovery phase of the mission. ¶3. (U) ICRC officials, plus a small group led by Venezuelan Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, deployed to the recovery site. The high-profile "international commission" led by former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, that traveled to Colombia in late December for the aborted first attempt did not participate. Both the Rojas and Gonzalez families have remained in Caracas since the first attempt failed. Meanwhile, in Spain, scientists announced they confirmed with a 99.99 percent probability the GOC's result that the child in GOC custody is Rojas' son Emmanuel. ¶4. (C) Separately, Catholic priest Dario Echeverri told us that FARC Secretariat member Ivan Marquez has agreed to meet with senior clerics to discuss the Church's "encounter zone" proposal, but they need to coordinate the time and place. Echeverri said the Church would also continue efforts to reach out to FARC leaders Alfonso Cano, Raul Reyes, and Mono Jojoy through individual bishops and priests. ¶5. (C) Despite Marquez' agreement to meet, Echeverri said he is not optimistic that the Church initiative to start GOC-FARC talks on a broader humanitarian exchange will prosper, especially if Chavez remains involved. The Church cannot compete with the political benefits offered the FARC by Chavez and French President Nicolas Sarokozy. At the same time, a Chavez-led effort to obtain the release of additional hostages would likely fail, since he did not enjoy the GOC's trust. Longtime FARC go-between Alvaro Leyva self-servingly told us the same thing earlier in the day. ¶6. (C) Echeverri said he understood Chavez has been in increasing contact with Mono Jojoy, who controls most of the politically significant FARC hostages. He expects Chavez to encourage Jojoy not to respond positively to the Church's initiative. Brownfield