SPAIN ALSO SEEKS TO KEEP PRESSURE ON THE FARC

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000829 SIPDIS FOR EUR/WE - ELAINE SAMSON FOR WHA/AND - LOURDES CUE E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2018 TAGS: PTER PREL EUN SP VE SUBJECT: SPAIN ALSO SEEKS TO KEEP PRESSURE ON THE FARC REF: A. STATE 77205 ¶B. CUE-LLORENS-FRITSCHLE E-MAILS Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Poloffs conveyed reftel points July 22 to MFA Deputy Director General for Andean Affairs Ramon Santos Arms, who agreed on the necessity of keep pressure on the FARC. Additionally, he said that Spain would use the upcoming July 24-25 visit of Venezuelan President Chavez to encourage Venezuela to halt complicity in FARC-related narco- and arms trafficking. ¶2. (SBU) Spanish officials had a chance to review the FARC issue in-depth when Colombian Defense Minister Santos visited Spain the weekend of July 5, addressing an opposition Partido Popular-affiliated summer university regarding the July 2 rescue operation. Santos also met privately with Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon to brief her on Colombian efforts against the FARC. Aguirre