COLOMBIANS MARCH - IN SMALLER NUMBERS - AGAINST

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 004262 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KJUS CO SUBJECT: COLOMBIANS MARCH - IN SMALLER NUMBERS - AGAINST FARC AND KIDNAPPING REF: A. 08BOGOTA2647 ¶B. 08BOGOTA4134 ¶C. 08BOGOTA3079 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor David M. Zimov Reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (U) Several thousand Colombians marched through the country's major cities on November 28th to demand the FARC and other illegal armed groups release the hostages they still hold before Christmas. The disappointing turnout was significantly smaller than the millions who demonstrated to release hostages on February 4, and again on July 20, 2008 (Ref A). ¶2. (U) Directors of the groups promoting the marches told the media the low turnout was due to increasing apathy towards the humanitarian exchange issue in the wake of Operation Checkmate ("Jaque"),which freed high-profile hostage Ingrid Betancourt, AMCITs Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes, and Keith Stansell, and other Colombian hostages. Organizers said the poor turnout was also the result of torrential rains that recently inundated parts of the country, and to distractions in the wake of the growing financial crisis and recent pyramid-scheme scandals (Ref B). Betancourt called for the marches in October, and reportedly told participants at a concurrent rally in Madrid that she still believes a dialogue with the insurgents is necessary. ¶3. (C) Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo told us Operacion Jaque had taken both international and domestic pressure off the GOC to engage in a humanitarian exchange process with the FARC. The GOC was in no rush to engage with the group until the FARC showed it was serious about releasing hostages and starting peace talks. Leading Invamer-Gallup pollster Jorge Londono told us the recent pyramid crisis and pocketbook issues were moving up in importance on the list of issues that concern Colombians--at the expense of the humanitarian exchange. U Party Representative Nicolas Uribe told us the march turnout was a "disaster." His constituents, he said, were upset that Betancourt did not attend. Also, after numerous recent marches and protests from the indigenous, pyramid scheme victims, and striking workers, the people "were getting sick of marches." BROWNFIELD