FARC BLAMED FOR ATTACK ON U.S.-FUNDED JUSTICE HOUSE

UNCLAS BOGOTA 002787 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER KJUS ASEC CO SUBJECT: FARC BLAMED FOR ATTACK ON U.S.-FUNDED JUSTICE HOUSE ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Colombian national police blamed the FARC for an August 19 attack on a U.S.-funded justice center in Cauca department. There were no reported injuries, but approximately 80% of the structure was destroyed by the blast. USAID had invested $150,000 in the new justice house, which was designed to provide basic legal and social services to the community. There are no indications that the project was targeted due to the U.S. connection. Security at the site was minimal; there are fifty other U.S.-funded justice houses throughout Colombia. In Narino, the FARC recently released a communique threatening to treat all projects developed under Colombia's "Strategic Leap" plan as legitimate military targets. End Summary. JUSTICE HOUSE ATTACKED -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Colombian police reported that the FARC attacked a municipal justice house in Santander de Quilichao, Cauca, on August 19. The town is approximately halfway between the departmental capitals of Cali and Popayan. The attackers placed a 40-pound gas-cylinder bomb inside the building and detonated it with a time fuse in the early morning hours of August 19. There were no injuries, but approximately 80% of the structure was destroyed by the blast, and several nearby properties were also damaged. ¶3. (SBU) Justice houses are centers where basic legal and social services are provided to the local community. The projects are developed jointly by local authorities, the GOC Interior and Justice Ministries, and USAID. The centers constitute an important part of USAID's democracy program. Local courts, prosecutors and other public officials are typically co-located at these centers. SOFT TARGETS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) There are 54 justice houses located in urban areas throughout Colombia--50 of which receive USAID funding--and most are protected by only minimal security. The municipal security guard on duty on August 19 was not specifically assigned to the Santander de Quilichao Justice House, and was doing rounds at the time of the bombing. In recent months, the FARC have continued to favor attacks on soft targets. FARC BLAMED FOR ATTACK -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Colombian police blamed the FARC's Jacobo Arenas Column for the August 19 attack. Indigenous members of the FARC were expected to demobilize at the location later that day in a discreet ceremony, and one theory is that the FARC wanted to disrupt the event. A second theory is that the bombing was planned by a disgruntled urban developer, possibly in conjunction with the FARC. An anonymous handwritten pamphlet was circulated a few months ago threatening the justice house's architects and engineers. U.S. INVESTMENT DESTROYED -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The Colombian Ministry of Justice funded $320,000 of the construction for this Justice House, and USAID funded $150,000 in equipment, furniture and pre-investment studies. The Justice Ministry said they do not have funds to rebuild the center. The building was not marked with the USAID logo, and there are currently no indications that the center was targeted due to the U.S. investment. FARC COMMUNIQUE THREATENS SOCIAL PROJECTS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The FARC's 29th Front recently released an un-dated communique in Narino. The communique threatens to treat as legitimate military targets all projects developed by Accion Social and the Center for Coordinated Integrated Action (CCAI) under Colombia's Strategic Leap ("Salto Estrategico"). Brownfield