U.S.-COLOMBIA LAUNCHES STRATEGIC POLICY DIALOGUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 002855

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS CO PINS SOCI SNAR PTER ETRD
BL, VE, EC, BR, PE
SUBJECT: U.S.-COLOMBIA LAUNCHES STRATEGIC POLICY DIALOGUE
ON REGIONAL, GLOBAL ISSUES

Classified By: Ambassador William R. Brownfield for Reasons 1.4(b and d
)


1. (C) Summary: On July 23, Dr. David F. Gordon, the State
Department's Director of the Office of Policy Planning (S/P),
led the first Policy Planning talks with the GOC. The talks
were carried out under the March 2007 U.S.-Colombian
strategic framework agreement. The meetings in Bogota with FM
Bermudez, Vice Minister Camilo Reyes, and other senior GOC
interlocutors focused on long-term economic, security, and
environmental challenges in a changing international context.
Gordon stressed that Colombia's success in addressing its
internal challenges left it well-positioned to exploit global
and regional trends and play a global role advancing widely
shared goals. The GOC's experience in building democratic
institutions and the rule of law in its fight against
terrorism/transnational crime could help other countries in
various regions, including Iraq and Afghanistan. GOC efforts
to work with like-minded countries to promote economic
integration, democratic institutions, and security
cooperation could also help stabilize the region. End Summary.

U.S. Participants:

S/P Director Dr. David Gordon
Ambassador William R. Brownfield
WHA Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher McMullen
S/P Deputy Director William McIlhenny
Political Counselor John Creamer
Deputy Political Counselor Julie Chung (notetaker)

GOC Participants:

Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Jaime Bermudez
MFA Vice Minister Camilo Reyes
Ministry of Defense (MOD) Vice Minister Sergio Jaramillo
MFA Director of Multilateral Relations Clara Ines Vargas
MFA Director of the Americas Paola Lugari
MFA Coordinator for U.S. and Canada Patricia Cortes
Ministry of National Planning, Director of Justice and
Security Paola Buendia

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Opportunities for Regional, Global Role
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2. (C) S/P Director David Gordon led the U.S. delegation in
our first bilateral Policy Planning dialogue with the GOC at
the Foreign Ministry in Bogota on July 23. The talks were
held under the umbrella of the bilateral Strategic Security
Relationship to Promote Cooperation signed in March 2007.
Gordon said Secretary Rice had directed him to begin this
dialogue with Colombia, and noted that we have far-reaching
Policy Planning talks with only a limited number of key
allies and partners, such as Australia, Brazil, Chile, Japan,
China, Canada, and several European governments.


3. (C) Gordon noted a number of trends that are reshaping
the international environment and presenting the U.S.,
Colombia, and other members of the international community
with new opportunities and tests. He mentioned: 1) the
growth of effective, competent states willing to work
cooperatively in new ways to respond to 21st century
challenges that require sustained and broad address; 2) the
growing complexity of the security challenges the
international community faces; 3) the diversification of
power in the world, exemplified by the shifting of power
centers from the Atlantic to Pacific basins; and 4)
environmental and economic trends that make global financial
management much harder.


4. (C) Against that backdrop, he said Colombia's human and
economic resources, and success in addressing its internal
security and governance challenges, left it well-placed to
exploit many global and regional trends. Colombia is
likewise well prepared to play a larger international role in
support of a number of objectives that can help build a
stable, prosperous and secure world. Gordon noted

specifically that the GOC's experience in strengthening
democratic institutions and rule of law in its fight against
terrorism/transnational crime could be usefully applied in
other countries such as Afghanistan. Its counternarcotics
achievements could also be relevant in Mexico and Brazil--two
countries that face major narcotrafficking challenges.


5. (C) Newly appointed Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez
thanked President Bush for his support for the U.S.-Colombia
Trade Promotion Act (CTPA) and emphasized that the GOC is
addressing human rights concerns, including protection of
unionists. The participation of the Brazilian and Peruvian
presidents in Colombia's July 20 independence day
celebration, as well as the popular marches the same day
demanding an end to FARC violence, showed the countries'
renewed confidence in Colombia as well as their willingness
to cooperate on security and narcotrafficking. Bermudez said
Colombia's ability to combat terrorism while preserving
democracy and human rights was "unique" in Latin America and
could offer useful "lessons learned" to other countries. He
stressed that the GOC has complemented its security effort
with social programs aimed at promoting social inclusion.
Greater social cohesion is key to achieve lasting security
and improved economic competitiveness.

-------------- --
Regional Vigilance Needed in Fight Against FARC
-------------- --


6. (C) Vice Defense Minister Sergio Jaramillo noted that the
GOC's recent rescue of Colombian and U.S. hostages held by
the FARC reflected GOC success in sharply improving its
military capabilities. Colombia's story deserves more
international recognition. Ongoing, sustained pressure by
security forces has nearly dismantled the powerful Norte de
Valle drug cartel, and also produced the capture or death of
key FARC leaders. He said Colombia is starting to export some
of the expertise developed in fighting narco-terrorism,
including sending anti-kidnapping experts to Haiti, sharing
counternarcotic tactics with Mexico, and training police in
Afghanistan. This was a critical time for Colombia to
continue working with its neighbors to build upon its
successes.


7. (C) MFA Vice Minister Camilo Reyes said differing
ideological conceptions of democracy and economic models
could impede progress in Latin America. Gordon cautioned
that Latin America's ideological challenges transcend
traditional left-right divisions. Instead, they contrast the
authoritarian, state-centered development model promoted by
Venezuela with the market-based, democratic approach favored
by Chile, Brazil, and Colombia. He noted that the most
interesting and promising social experiments in the region
were taking place in the latter group. DAS McMullen said the
U.S. supports a positive regional consensus in favor of
economic integration, democracy, and security cooperation,
but seeks to avoid direct conflict with Venezuela, Ecuador,
or Bolivia. He noted that the Organization of American States
(OAS) missed an opportunity to support Colombia in the debate
over the GOC's attack on Raul Reyes' camp in Ecuador. Too
many countries valued abstract notions of sovereignty over
Colombia's legitimate security needs. Still, he urged the GOC
to work with Mexico, Brazil, and Peru to provide a positive
alternative to Venezuela's authoritarian model.

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The Challenge of Balancing Regional Interests and Conflicts
-------------- --------------


8. (C) Reyes reviewed Colombia's active participation in
regional groups such as Union of South American Nations
(UNASUR),Plan Puebla-Panama, and the Association of
Caribbean States, as well as efforts to promote closer ties
between the Andean Community and the European Union (EU) and
Mercosur. Free Trade Agreements with the United States and
Canada remained top priorities. but Colombia also seeks to
expand its commercial ties with other regions. On Bolivia,
Reyes said Colombia is working with Brazil and Argentina to

promote a peaceful, democratic resolution to the conflict
between President Morales and his political opponents. He
said Morales sees himself as the president of Bolivia's
indigenous, not all Bolivians. The result is a polarizing
approach which has weakened Bolivia's fragile democratic
institutions, including the judiciary, and threatens to
produce an institutional rupture. He said the GOC would
remain engaged, but voiced concern that the presidential and
prefect recall elections set for August 10 would only
encourage both sides to harden their positions.


9. (C) On Venezuela, Reyes identified several factors that
led to Chavez' decision to tone down his rhetoric against
Colombia and speak out against the FARC. He said Chavez'
domestic poll numbers are down, and Venezuelans do not
support his attacks against Uribe. Moreover, his
international and regional support has deteriorated due to
his rhetorical and political excesses. For example, no one
in the region supported his call last January for countries
to grant the FARC belligerent status. Jaramillo added that
Chavez' shift is likely tactical, not strategic. The
computer files seized by the GOC at the Reyes camp show many
key Chavez advisors are closely tied to the terrorist group.
Reyes said GOC relations with career Ecuadorian Foreign
Ministry officials are positive, but noted that improvements
in GOC-GOE ties depend on President Correa's domestic
political calculations. Unlike in Venezuela, Correa's
believes his criticism of Uribe pays domestic political
dividends, making an improvement in bilateral relations
unlikely until Correa has obtained popular approval of his
new Constitution.


10. (C) Gordon reiterated that Colombia and Brazil are the
best positioned countries in South America to enhance their
influence in the region and world. He urged the GOC to try to
deepen cooperation with Brazil on counternarcotics,
counterterrorism, environmental, and energy issues. He added
that narcotrafficking would remain a long-term challenge as
the FARC's weakening control over the drug trade is replaced
by new criminal groups.


11. (C) Comment: While the talks began on global themes,
their quick migration to regional and national issues
reflects the very local focus of Colombia's diplomatic and
national security focus. The Policy Planning format was a
useful means to begin broadening a bilateral dialogue that,
while rich and wide, has likewise been centered largely on
Colombia's internal challenges. Over subsequent iterations,
we should continue to discuss broader international trends in
a way that helps the GOC think more expansively about its
role in the world and the region. GOC interlocutors were
interested in our informal suggestions that it might be
worthwhile to hold an expanded session with Peru and Chile,
but careful to note this should be pursued tactically in a
manner that does not make it appear the U.S. is excluding
Brazil. MOD Vice Minister Jaramillo suggested that one way
to do this might be for another country, such as Chile, to
convene a multilateral round of Policy Planning talks.


12. (U) S/P staff has cleared this message.
BROWNFIELD