GOC TRIES TO MANAGE RELATIONS WITH ECUADOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001411

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/AND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PTER EC CO
SUBJECT: GOC TRIES TO MANAGE RELATIONS WITH ECUADOR

REF: A. BOGOTA 01145


B. BOGOTA 01279

C. QUITO 00312

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

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) GOC officials said the GOC wants to improve relations
with Ecuador, but questioned whether the GOE is interested in
doing so. Presidential Communications Director Jorge Eastman
said President Uribe felt compelled to respond to Correa's
April 11 comments calling the GOC operation against FARC
member Raul Reyes a "massacre," because Uribe felt Correa's
statements violated a Carter Center-brokered deal that both
presidents would refrain from making aggressive declarations
and would allow their foreign ministries to work to improve
ties. OAS Secretary General Insulza will visit Colombia on
April 17 and will continue on to Ecuador, and various
Catholic Church and civil society efforts continue to improve
ties. Still, Uribe believes Correa's internal political
situation gives him little incentive to reduce tensions with
Colombia. END SUMMARY.

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GOC SEEKS NORMALIZATION, BUT WON'T BACK DOWN
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2. (C) Vice Foreign Minister Adriana Mejia and Vice Minister
of Defense Sergio Jaramillo told us the GOC wants to
de-escalate the conflict with Ecuador that was generated by
the GOC's March 1 strike against FARC Secretariat member Raul
Reyes in Ecuadorian territory. The GOC has sent strong,
consistent signals to Quito indicating it wants to normalize
relations, but the GOE is not reciprocating. Presidential
advisor Jose Obdulio Gaviria told us the GOC fears Ecuadorian
President Rafael Correa is an "unknown quantity" and
"unpredictable." Mejia and Jaramillo reiterated that despite
the GOC's conciliatory approach, it has not promised to
refrain from further cross-border operations if circumstance
warrant them.


3. (C) Casa de Narino Communications Director Jorge Mario
Eastman confirmed that the GOC seeks better relations with
Quito. Still, he said President Uribe felt compelled to
respond to Correa's April 11 comments in Mexico in which he
called the Reyes operation a "massacre" and described the
GOC's claim to have provided 16 intelligence reports on FARC
presence in Ecuador as "farcical." Eastman said Uribe felt
Correa's statements violated a Carter Center-brokered
agreement that both presidents would avoid aggressive
declarations and would allow their foreign ministries to work
on step-by-step actions to improve ties. Uribe judged it
important to defend the GOC's March 1 raid as a legitimate
act of self-defense. In an April 13 response, the GOC accused
Correa of impeding Ecuadorian armed forces' actions against
the FARC. In a subsequent communique, the GOC cited Reyes'
presence in Ecuador as proof of this allegation.

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OTHER BACKGROUND NOISE
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4. (U) Mejia cited the GOE's lawsuit over aerial fumigation
against Colombia in the International Criminal Court (ICC) as
evidence of the GOE's lack of interest in improving ties
(reftel). Correa's earlier comments accusing the GOC of
murdering Ecuadorian citizen Franklin Guillermo Aisalla
Molina--who was killed in the March 1 raid and was later
linked to the FARC by both GOC and GOE officials--and his
claims that the GOC is trying to smear him through the Reyes'
computers are additional obstacles. Eastman said Uribe
believes Correa's attacks on him and the GOC reflect his need
to strengthen his internal political situation given recent
floods, difficult economic conditions, and the on-going
Constituent Assembly. Despite the tensions, both countries
downplayed recent violations of each other's airspace.
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OAS EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS
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5. (U) The GOC welcomed an OAS mission led by Victor Rico to
Bogota and Quito the week of April 7 to facilitate
communication between the two countries, and Eastman said
Rico's visit went well. Still, Correa's recent comments have
undone the progress made by the OAS mission. Reacting to the
Correa-Uribe exchange, OAS Secretary General Jose Insulza
said the normalization of relations would be delayed until
the countries recover confidence in each other. Insulza will
travel to Colombia on April 17 and will then continue on to
Quito.

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LOCAL AND CIVIL SOCIETY EFFORTS TO PROMOTE DIALOGUE
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6. (U) Representative Rivera and Narino Governor Antonio
Navarro Wolff told us their contacts with Ecuadorian
counterparts have diminished since the Reyes operation.
Still, third-party efforts to support Colombian-Ecuadorian
dialogue continue. The Carter Center began an initiative in
November 2007 to facilitate dialogue between influential
individuals from both countries and hosted two meetings in
Atlanta and Quito. A third round is scheduled for April
28-29, in Bogota. Although the initial meeting in Atlanta
had several "very tense" moments, former FM Augusto Ocampo
said that meeting had a cathartic effect and ended well.
President Carter has spoken with Uribe and Correa in an
effort to reduce tensions.


7. (C) In addition, in mid-March then Correa private
secretary Javier Ponce (named Defense Minister on April 9)

SIPDIS
invited National Conciliation Commission members Juan Mayr
and Father Dario Echeverri to meet with him and Constituent
Assembly secretary Abel Acosta to explain the Colombia
situation and hear Ecuador's viewpoint. Mayr told us Ponce
stressed that Correa does not have a free hand in making
decisions, adding that "Super-Minister" Gustavo Larrea is an
independent political actor. In a separate initiative,
Ecuadorian and Colombian bishops from border areas are
meeting April 15-16 to explore ways to improve
communications.
BROWNFIELD