GOC OFFERS JUSTICE AND PEACE BENEFITS TO FORMER

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 004615 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KJUS CO SNAR SUBJECT: GOC OFFERS JUSTICE AND PEACE BENEFITS TO FORMER FARC "JAILER" MARTIN SOMBRA AND 119 OTHER FARC MEMBERS REF: 08BOGOTA1473 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor David M. Zimov Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Peace Commissioner Restrepo announced on December 30 that the GOC would offer Justice and Peace Law (JPL) benefits, including possible reduced sentences, to 120 jailed members of the FARC in exchange for criminal confessions and written pledges to lay down their arms. "Martin Sombra," the FARC member who previously held numerous U.S. and other hostages and is subject of a U.S. extradition request, is part of the FARC group seeking benefits. Restrepo said that 112 other FARC members had previously demobilized individually, but that this group of 120 was the first to do so collectively. Restrepo told us in October that the GOC wanted Sombra to participate in the JPL, but he said he did not want to interfere in the extradition of FARC leaders to the United States. The impact of Restrepo's announcement on the USG's December extradition request for Sombra remains unclear. End Summary. SHORTER SENTENCES FOR TELLING THE TRUTH -------------- ¶2. (U) Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo announced on December 30 that the GOC in January would extend Justice and Peace Law (JPL) benefits, including possible reduced sentences, to 120 jailed members of he Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in exchange for criminal confessions and written pledges to lay down their arms. The GOC has mainly used the JPL to process demobilized members of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). Still, in April the GOC published a decree authorizing similar benefits to demobilizing FARC members (reftel). ¶3. (U) Restrepo noted that 112 FARC members are currently participating in the JPL process--most notably former 47th Front commander alias "Karina"--but that the new group of 120 represents the largest group of FARC to express a collective intention to give up the armed struggle and return to civilian life. Restrepo said a total of 1,178 imprisoned insurgents have told the GOC they want to submit to the JPL, which he said undercut the FARC's insistence on a "humanitarian exchange" of FARC hostages for FARC prisoners in Colombian jails. IMPACT ON SOMBRA EXTRADITION REQUEST UNCLEAR -------------- ¶4. (C) On October 8, Restrepo told us privately that Sombra had offered to help persuade other imprisoned FARC leaders to cooperate with the GOC and the JPL process, and that he would like to admit Sombra to the JPL process. Still, Restrepo told us he would not want to admit Sombra to JPL if the U.S. planned to request his extradition; he did not want the GOC to get caught up in suspending the extradition of FARC leaders. We informed Restrepo at the October 8 meeting that we had sought Sombra's extradition. We requested Sombra's provisional arrest for extradition purposes on October 2, and submitted the formal diplomatic note request for extradition on December 12. The GOC acknowledged the request on December ¶15. ¶5. (C) It remains unclear whether the JPL announcement will impact the Sombra extradition request. Several of the fifteen extradited former AUC leaders already in custody in the United States are still participating in the JPL process. Those ex-AUC leaders were extradited after failing to cooperate in the JPL process and for continuing to conduct illegal activities from prison in Colombia. BROWNFIELD