U/S BURNS OCT 14-16 VISIT TO COLOMBIA: GOC LOOKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003896

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PTER PHUM CO
SUBJECT: U/S BURNS OCT 14-16 VISIT TO COLOMBIA: GOC LOOKS
TOWARDS USG TRANSITION

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

SUMMARY
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1. (U) Under Secretary Bill Burns met with President Uribe
and Foreign Minister Bermudez during his October 14-16 visit
to Colombia. President Uribe underscored the importance to
Colombia of the Colombia Free Trade Promotion Act (CTPA) and
continued USG support in its fight against the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Bermudez suggested an
informal meeting with the Secretary before year's end to
continue the close bilateral relationship. UN and OAS
officials briefed on their positive relationship with the
Colombian military and their continued dialogue with the
Ministry of Defense regarding human rights. Business leaders
made predictions on the future of Colombia's economy and the
crossroads it has reached. End summary.

URIBE: CTPA CRITICAL
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2. (C) President Uribe said Colombia is close to defeating
the FARC, but continued U.S. assistance is critical to help
it finish the job. Congressional approval of the CPTA will
help Colombia attract the investment needed to create jobs
and boost growth. Uribe acknowledged U.S. congressional
concerns about violence against Colombian labor leaders and
reviewed GOC progress in prosecuting those responsible. He
said Colombia will be ready to take advantage of a possible
U.S. Congressional session after the November 4 elections to
push the CPTA and asked for President Bush's continuing help
in that regard.


3. (C) Uribe reiterated his commitment to hold accountable
military personnel charged with human rights abuses. He has
insisted that civilian rather than military courts
investigate and prosecute military officials suspected of
human rights violations. Numerous military and police
personnel are currently in jail on human rights charges. The
GOC is cooperating with civilian investigators in the Soacha
cases, and, if guilty, the implicated parties will be
punished. Uribe added that the GOC must respect due process.



4. (C) Uribe said the GOC maintains good relations with
Brazil, but has sharp differences with Venezuela, Ecuador and
Bolivia. Uribe said the GOC fears the anti-private sector
approach of Venezuela and Ecuador will tarnish the region's
image with investors. U.S. Congressional approval of the
CPTA would help Colombia distinguish itself from its statist,
undemocratic neighbors.

FM BERMUDEZ SUGGESTS INFORMAL PLANNING SESSION
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5. (C) Foreign Minister Bermudez suggested an informal
meeting before the end of the year with Secretary Rice and
other senior officials to brainstorm ways to continue the
close U.S.-Colombia relationship--regardless of the outcome
of the U.S. presidential race.


6. (C) Bermudez said the sentencing of extradited former
paramilitary chiefs Ramiro "Cuco" Vanoy and Francisco Javier
Zuluaga-Lindo--as well as Salvatore Mancuso's testimony
before Colombia's Supreme Court via video link from New
York--were important in addressing popular concerns that the
extradited would no longer cooperate with ongoing Colombian
investigations. The GOC will soon send a letter to the USG
asking for assurances that extradited paramilitaries be
returned to Colombia after completing their sentences.


7. (C) Bermudez said the GOC is committed to having a Defense
Cooperation Agreement in place before the end of the year and
said it would soon provide the USG a draft response.
Bermudez said there is ambivalence in the region toward the
hemispheric Pathways to Prosperity initiative. Some
countries might hesitate to commit to the program without a
clear early signal of interest from the incoming U.S.
administration.



8. (C) Bermudez complimented the USG for not responding in
kind to the bellicose rhetoric of Hugo Chavez, Rafael Correa,
and Evo Morales. He urged caution on the timing of
announcements such as those decertifying Bolivia and
Venezuela on narcotrafficking--both of which came before the
UNASUR meeting, giving those countries a regional forum to
rail against Washington. Bermudez suggested micro-lending as
a promising area in which the USG could engage against the
Chavez model.

MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
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9. (C) Acting Defense Minister, Colombian Armed Forces
Commander, Freddy Padilla and Vice Ministers of Defense
Sergio Jaramilloand Juan Carlos Pinzon decried Venezuela's
high-level support to the FARC. They described Venezuela as
the greatest remaining obstacle to defeating the FARC,
contending that Venezuela offers both psychological and
operational breathing room to the terrorist group. Jaramillo
lamented that Chavez is using his oil money to isolate
Colombia. Other than the USG, the GOC could count only on
the support of Mexico and Peru in the hemisphere. Padilla
said the FARC has seen its communications network weakened
and its former discipline corrupted by drug money. He said
the group is trying to acquire man-portable AIR defense
systems (MANPADS) from Venezuela and El Salvador. Jaramillo
opined that increasing FARC desertions show the GOC has
reached the "tipping point" in its fight against the group.


10. (C) Padilla said protection of human rights is a core GOC
goal but admitted, "we have made mistakes." Jaramillo said
the GOC is working with the UNHCHR to improve its human
rights record. Pinzon said the reality of decreased levels
of USG support is sinking in with GOC officials. The GOC is
"not happy" about the cuts, but is working on a transition
plan to ensure "irreversibility" of recent GOC gains.

UNHCHR, UNHCR, MAPP/OAS
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11. (C) UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
Representative Javier Hernandez thanked the USG for its
support, and said the Colombian military has been a leader in
providing human rights training to its forces. UNHCHR
maintains a sustained dialogue with the MoD on human rights
issues, and is working with it to reduce the problem of
extrajudicial killings, which the UNHCHR estimates may
account for eight to ten percent of the 2,400 combat killings
by the military each year. He said Minister Santos is
committed to addressing this issue, but added that the
message has not fully reached field commanders.


12. (C) UN High Council on Refugees (UNHCR) representative
Roberto Mignone also thanked the USG for its support of 11
field offices in Colombia, which have carried out 1,500
missions in the field. He said Colombia still has large
numbers of displaced persons, adding that the debate over
numbers has become politicized. Claudia Perez de Vargas,
Deputy Director of the OAS Mission in Support of the Peace
Process (MAPP/OAS),explained that the OAS's focus remains on
verifying paramilitary demobilization, applying the Justice
and Peace Law process, reintegrating demobilized
paramilitaries into society, and accompanying victims in the
process. In many areas, continuing conflict involving the
FARC and narcotrafficking groups makes reintegration
difficult.

BUSINESS LEADERS
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13. (SBU) Business leaders said Colombia is at a crossroads
in its economic progress. Gains made in security, economic
growth, job creation and poverty reduction under President
Uribe have plateaued; continued USG engagement will be
critical to prevent a regression. They predicted that the
mix of lower commodity prices, restricted credit and reduced
U.S. demand would cause the Colombian economy to contract
through at least 2009. U.S. failure to approve the CPTA and
continue Plan Colombia at significant levels would exacerbate
the downturn.



14. (U) P staff has cleared this message.
BROWNFIELD