EVER VELOZA (HH),OTHER FORMER PARA LEADERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003782

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2018
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: EVER VELOZA (HH),OTHER FORMER PARA LEADERS
CONTINUE JUSTICE AND PEACE TESTIMONIES

REF: A. BOGOTA 2901

B. BOGOTA 3018

Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer. Reason: 1.4(b,d)

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Summary
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1. (U) On September 24-25, former AUC (United Self Defense
Forces of Colombia) block commander Ever Veloza (aka "HH")
continued his voluntary testimony (version libre) under the
Justice and Peace Law (JPL). Veloza, who previously
acknowledged his complicity in over 3000 murders and whose
extradition was suspended by President Uribe for six months
to allow him to testify, implicated politicians, military
personnel, and businessmen in paramilitary crimes. Over 130
victims in Medellin and via video in Apartado viewed his
7-hour testimony. Other former AUC leaders also continue
their testimonies, shedding light on thousands of crimes. So
far, 1513 demobilized paramilitaries have given their
versiones--leading to the exhumation of 1289 remains and
information on over 11,500 crimes--have been witnessed by
10,890 victims. End Summary.

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Veloza Recounts Para Murders and crimes
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2. (U) Justice and Interior Minister Fabio Valencia Cossio
announced on August 31 that he would suspend the extradition
of former paramilitary commander Ever Veloza for six months
to allow him to continue his testimony (version libre) under
the Justice and Peace Law (JPL). Veloza has acknowledged his
complicity in over 3000 murders and personally confessed to
over 600 murders. He testified in June that his men paid navy
officers to turn off radars to facilitate drug shipments.
Veloza also implicated banana industry officials, Valle de
Cauca Senator Juan Carlos Martinez, former Cartago (Valle de
Cauca) Mayor and current Congressmen Luis Carlos Restrepo
Orozco, and former 17th Brigade officials General Rito Alejo
and Colonel Byron Carvajal for colluding with paramilitaries.

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Politicians, Military Implicated
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3. (SBU) In a JPL session on September 24, Veloza testified
in a small holding room in the Medellin Fiscalia building
with his lawyer, key prosecutor Nubiastella Chavez, Medellin
Inspector General Plinio Posada Arranceta, three assistant
investigators, and a victims representative. His testimony
was broadcast to an adjoining room where over 30 victims
watched via a large screen projector. The victims submitted
follow up questions on pieces of paper handed to
investigators during breaks, with some launching violent
outbursts against Veloza. Another 100 victims watched via
live satellite feed in Apartado, Cordoba department. Veloza
spends most days in isolation at Itagui prison, but receives
daily visits from his lawyers as well as thrice-weekly
personal visits. .


4. (SBU) An emotionless, unrepentant Veloza recounted
details of the murders, strangulations, and decapitations of
his victims. At times looking relaxed, he took notes and
pored through notebooks as the prosecutors posed questions.
Veloza identified an unnamed intelligence officer of the 17th
brigade in a photo lineup as a collaborator in the San Jose
de Apartado massacre and confessed to the killing of two
unionists because he believed they were FARC members. He
repeated previous testimony implicating former Cauca Governor
and Ambassador Juan Jose Chaux of paramilitary ties and
accepting paramilitary support for his gubernatorial
campaign. He said Colombia was "full of Chauxs." He also
alleged that Antioquia businessman Hugo Albeiro Quintero
Restrepo and 25 palm growers in Choco had narcotrafficking
ties with former AUC commander Vicente Castano. Quintero
Restrepo was arrested on September 25 for conspiracy, forced
disappearance, and aggravated murder.


5. (C) At a separate meeting with head prosecutor Chavez,
she explained that the Fiscalia inteviewed members of
Veloza's Bloque Bananero and Bloque Calima prior to his
testimony to develop their lines of questioning. Chavez, who

has been working on the case since Veloza was arrested in
April 2007, said the Fiscalia believes it can verify about
80% of his testimony. She speculated that Veloza would
likely provide information "drop by drop" or avoid
implicating key political figures in an effort to extend his
extradition suspension. Veloza claims he was pressured by
Casa de Narino spokesman Cesar Velasquez and lawyer Oscar
Palacio to keep quiet on implicating politicians, a charge
both denied. Chavez said the Fiscalia is investigating this
accusation and reviewing protection measures for Veloza and
his immediate family.

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Other Former Para Leaders Confess to Crimes
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6. (U) In addition to Veloza, other former paramilitary
leaders continue to shed light on their crimes. In September,
Jorge Enrique Rios (Sarmiento) of Bloque Central Bolivar
confessed to 72 homicides and 52 armed actions in Tumaco
(Narino) and El Bagre and Zaragoza (Antioquia). He also
testified that his group handed over the remains of two
youth--who were recruited and later killed for disobeying
orders--to the army in 1998, who then declared them killed in
combat. In July, former AUC leader Enrique Banquez confessed
to the torture and massacre of 60 villagers in El Salado
(Valle de Cauca) in 2000. He also confessed to participating
in the massacre of 27 people in Chengue village (Sucre).


7. (U) In July, Raul Hasbun (Pedro Bonito) of the Bloque
Bananero admitted to training the paramilitaries who
participated in the 1997 Mapiripan massacre, ordering a
massacre in San Jose de Apartado in 1998, and purchasing 4200
AK47s for his bloque. He compared his killings to "cutting
flowers" and said he did not recollect his victims'
identities. In September, Manuel de Jesus Piraban (aka
"Pirata") admitted to participating in the murders of 17
Patriotic Union (UP) members between 1985 and 1995 in Meta.
On October 6, Jorge Ivan Laverde Zapata, commander of the AUC
in Norte de Santander, said his men burned over 200 victims'
remains in ovens to eliminate evidence.

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Human Rights Group Calls for Suspending Extraditions
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8. (U) Paramilitary testimonies under the JPL continue to
reveal information on previously unsolved crimes as well as
the location of remains--belying fears that the GOC's
extradition of fifteen paramilitaries last May would
undermine the process. Still, Colombian Commission of Jurists
President Gustavo Gallon charged that the extraditions remain
an obstacle to uncovering the truth about paramilitary
crimes. He called on October 1 for the GOC to temporarily
suspend the extradition of additional paramilitaries, as well
as for the temporary return of the fifteen already
extradited. If return is not an option, Gallon said at a
minimum the USG and GOC should provide video feeds of
confessions to victims here, as was recently done with
Salvador Mancuso. So far, 1513 demobilized paramilitaries
have given their versiones--leading to the exhumation of 1289
remains and information on 11,505 crimes--have been heard by
10,890 victims.
BROWNFIELD