AMBASSADOR AND PRESIDENT COLOM REVIEW SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 001231 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2018 TAGS: SNAR PGOV PINR KCRM GT SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND PRESIDENT COLOM REVIEW SECURITY ISSUES IN PUERTO BARRIOS REF: A. GUATEMALA 1056 ¶B. GUATEMALA 387 Classified By: Ambassador Stephen G. McFarland for reasons 1.4 (b&d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The Ambassador and Emboffs accompanied President Colom and Vice President Espada September 19 to Puerto Barrios, on Guatemala's Caribbean coast, for a special security cabinet meeting. Local participants in the security cabinet meeting complained about the deteriorating security situation and scoured the police for poor performance, but mostly tiptoed around the main causal factor, narcotrafficking. During lunch at the Puerto Santo Tomas naval base, the Director of Military Intelligence gave a discouraging presentation indicating that state forces in the area are overwhelmed by the challenges of fighting the war on drugs. Security force officers highlighted the need for Merida Initiative assistance, and the Ambassador said the USG is committed to supporting their efforts. President Colom also reiterated his commitment to combating narcotrafficking. End Summary. Colom Reopens Kaibil Base in Puerto Barrios -------------- ¶2. (U) On September 19, the Ambassador, Pol/Econ Couns, and Deputy MILGRP Commander accompanied President Colom, Vice President Espada, Minister of Defense Garcia, Minister of Government Jimenez, and Army Chief of Staff Illescas to Puerto Barrios, Izabal Department, on Guatemala's narrow Caribbean coast. In a last-minute addition to the schedule, Colom formally reopened the Puerto Barrios military base, where Guatemala's Kaibil Special Forces Brigade is headquartered. Kaibil troops staged a demonstration for the visiting dignitaries, and Colom made a symbolic presentation of newly acquired Israeli light arms to Kaibil Commander Col. Zepeda. "Mobile Security Cabinet" Meeting in Puerto Barrios -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Following an intervening private meeting with the Ambassador, President Colom led a meeting of his "Mobile Security Cabinet" at a Puerto Barrios hotel, together with local representatives, senior GOG security officials, area congressional representatives, the Ambassador, and Embassy officers. He said reform and professionalization of the state's rule of law apparatus is a top priority for his government, and pointed to recent personnel changes he ordered at the Attorney General's Office (ref a). Colom said he was aware that the Puertos Barrios area is afflicted by trafficking in illicit narcotics and contraband, and attendant ills such as corruption and violence. He described Guatemala's eastern Department of Izabal as having been "abandoned by the state." The GOG would augment the SAIA's (Anti-narcotics Analysis and Information Service) local presence, improve training of security force members, and encourage better cooperation between the Ministries of Defense (MOD) and Government (MOG). The headquartering of the Army's Kaibil Special Forces Brigade in the reactivated Puerto Barrios military base would strengthen state presence in the region, Colom asserted. Some Kaibil soldiers would be detailed to support police operations. ¶4. (SBU) Minister of Government Francisco Jimenez gave an overview of the police presence in Izabal Department, observing that there is one police officer for every 1,432 inhabitants. He said homicides are the most common crime in Izabal, followed in order by assault, motorcycle theft, car QIzabal, followed in order by assault, motorcycle theft, car theft, kidnapping, and domestic violence. National Civilian Police (PNC) Deputy Commander Henry Lopez (who has since been fired, see septel report) said there is also trafficking in persons in the area. Colom lamented that, of 18,000-plus police nationwide, only 4,200 are performing true policing functions at any given time. The others are performing functions "they shouldn't be doing," the President said, including guarding prominent individuals and buildings. Following the National Prison Director's presentation on renovation of the Izabal prison, Colom said prison guards' salaries remain "miserable," and prison guards are therefore susceptible to bribes. He said he was astonished that there had been no prison breaks so far during his time in office, and that he "prays that Mexico will soon complete extradition processing for 'El Cachetes' (Daniel Perez)," a prominent member of the Mexican Zetas who was captured following the March 25 narco-melee in Zacapa (ref b). Colom said 180 police officers plus an army contingent are guarding the Guatemala City prison where "Cachetes" is being held, and that the Zetas had offered $1 million for his escape from prison. The Names We Can't Say -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Local leaders berated the PNC for police corruption, inefficiency, and complicity in crime. Referring to narcotrafficking, one mayor said that "everyone knows what's going on, and everyone shuts up." Another mayor said that, in contrast to the recent past, violent crimes are now committed in broad daylight by men who openly display their firearms. Citizens are frightened and do not trust the authorities. The Mayor of Livingston said that while the PNC roster shows 15 police officers assigned to his town, in fact there is one. The Mayor of El Estor said that of the ten officers assigned to his community, five are "off duty" at any given time. Responding to most speakers' omission of any reference to narcotrafficking, President Colom observed that, in Izabal Department, "there are last names we cannot say, and places we cannot go." (Note: He did not mention the last names on participants' minds, those of the Lorenzana and Mendoza narco-families.) He said the Presidency is installing a new hotline so that mayors can report corruption and local security concerns directly to his office. Colom said that incidence of child prostitution and drug use was increasing, and urged local leaders to stop allowing bars to open for afternoon parties for minors at which drugs are distributed. ¶6. (SBU) Area Members of Congress reacted sharply to a senior female police officer's call for more women to join the PNC. Deputy Thelma Ramirez (of the ruling UNE) denounced sexual abuse of female cadets at the national police academy, as well as deplorable living conditions at the local female police officers' barracks. Deputy Jorge Villatoro (UNE) said "we have just 200 PNC officers in this department, and thank God we don't have more!" Deputy Byron Chacon (GANA) denounced PNC complicity in narcotrafficking. A local women's NGO representative scoured the PNC for indifference to domestic violence, which she said is getting worse. Sexual abuse by family members of even young girls is common, she said, and men who used to beat their wives are now killing them with growing frequency. In response to these criticisms, President Colom opined that the PNC, for which the public had had high hopes when it was established by the 1996 Peace Accords, by 2004 had become penetrated by organized crime and otherwise corrupted. He said he would soon call a meeting of all the country's leading political figures to try to establish a broad consensus about how to ameliorate the deteriorating security situation. Narcos Outclass the Military -------------- ¶7. (SBU) During lunch at the Puerto Santo Tomas naval base, Director of Military Intelligence Naval Capt. Jose Antonio Lemus gave a briefing indicating that narcotraffickers have outclassed state security forces in nearly every way. The Navy's antiquated, mostly brown-water vessels are no match for narcotraffickers' faster, modern blue water vessels, and in any case the Navy is short on fuel. Narcotraffickers' communications equipment is newer and more secure than that used by Guatemalan authorities, Lemus said, and the traffickers have more modern weapons. Lemus and other Qtraffickers have more modern weapons. Lemus and other military officers present opined that effective USG assistance to Mexico and Colombia had encouraged narcotraffickers to intensify their operations in Guatemala. They hoped that the Merida Initiative would deter traffickers and help modernize the security forces. The Ambassador said that the Merida Initiative reflected the USG's confidence in the Guatemalan security forces' potential to improve their contribution to the fight against narcotrafficking. The first stage of the Initiative represented an investment that would grow as the GOG demonstrated its growing efficacy. The Ambassador emphasized that the Guatemalan military and police have the ability to achieve some CN actions; the more Guatemala achieves, the better it can make a case for more foreign assistance. He said the USG is firmly committed to supporting President Colom's efforts to improve security, and hopes the GOG will continue to expand its security cooperation with neighboring countries. President Colom reiterated that he is committed to expanding and modernizing the military, but did not provide specifics. Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) Narcotraffickers have gained the upper hand along Guatemala's eastern coast. Area police are corrupt, inefficient, and out-manned and out-gunned; other local authorities intimidated. Most participants at the security cabinet meeting preferred to tiptoe around the issue of narcotrafficking rather than address it directly. While there is merit in Capt. Lemus' claim that state forces' technical capabilities are lacking, the fact that there have been no cocaine seizures in the area this year -- despite the large volume of drug traffic -- indicates that will is also lacking. Embassy welcomes President Colom's declared intention to work toward national political consensus on what to do about deteriorating security. The Ambassador and appropriate Embassy offices are working closely with Colom and his cabinet to develop achievable plans for security reform. The Merida Initiative will be an important part of any effort to contest traffickers' growing influence in Guatemala. McFarland