AMBASSADOR'S TRIP HIGHLIGHTS THE DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003160 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID MARR PHUM PTER SNAR AORC MOPS SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S TRIP HIGHLIGHTS THE DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN SECURITY AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) The Ambassador participated in a September 16 ceremony to transfer ownership of five counterdrug radar installations to the Colombian Air Force (COLAF). The ceremony was held at the Tres Esquinas Air Force Base, in a remote area near the Colombia-Ecuador border. The transfer ceremony included the newly appointed Minister of Defense (MOD) and other high-ranking members of the GOC military, with representatives from U.S. MILGP and DAO. The Ambassador also met with representatives of an indigenous group at risk of extinction, the Korebaje, and discussed the pressures and challenges they face as a result of the Colombian conflict. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- INDIGENOUS GROUP WORKS TO BALANCE SECURITY AND IDENTITY -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador met with representatives of the Korebaje indigenous group, Alvaro Piranga and Loreto Orlando Figueroa, to discuss the importance of preserving the Korebaje's language, traditions, and cultural patrimony. The tribe has been under significant pressure from Colombia's illegally armed groups to engage in drug production and transport and to surrender traditional lands to large private-sector entities. The group is working with USAID, the International Organization for Migration (IOM),local governments, and Colombian NGOs, to protect the Korebaje people, their culture, and the fragile natural resources of the area in which they live from the violence that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other illegal groups perpetuate in their communities. The key elements of support that the Korebaje need are education, traditional medical practices, economic development, and strengthening their community while protecting their autonomy from outside influences. They emphasized the importance of cultural education for their youth and requested assistance with preserving their tradition of orally passing down their way of life from one generation to the next. ¶3. (SBU) When asked by the Ambassador about the impact of the Colombian conflict on their culture, the Korebaje representatives resoundingly replied that their biggest adversary is the FARC and not GOC military forces. Piranga and Figueroa stressed they are trying to secure a balance between their security and their cultural identity. They emphasized that they are not the enemies of the Colombian National Police (CNP) nor are they involved in the armed conflict. Figueroa did, however, recount an incident where a Korebaje boat was seized by the Colombian military while en route to another community. The boat was seized under allegations that they were transporting illegal arms. Figueroa asked the Ambassador to assure the Tres Esquinas Base Commander that they were not involved in any illegal activities. The Ambassador thereafter did advise the Base Commander of the statements made by the Korebaje leaders. The Korebaje are currently preparing for a nationwide indigenous group conference to denounce the FARC and the impact the armed conflict has on their lives and traditions. -------------- -------------- TRANSFER CEREMONY HIGHLIGHTS TWENTY YEARS OF COLLABORATION -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador participated in the ownership transfer ceremony of five U.S. TPS-70 counterdrug radars to the COLAF. The radar systems are located in San Andres Islands, Riohacha, San Jose del Guaviare, Marandua and Tres Esquinas. The ceremony marked nearly 20 years of a collaborative program between the Colombian and U.S. Air Forces. Defense Minister Gabriel Silva Luj????n and General Jorge Ballesteros Rodr????guez, Commander of the COLAF, also participated in the ceremony and subsequent tour. The MOD emphasized the responsibility the GOC has to protect its people and country, and how the radar installation was an important part of this goal. The U.S. Air Force Counterdrug Mission intends to support these radars through the Fiscal Year Defense Plan (FYDP) with counterdrug funding, logistical support, and technical assistance. BROWNFIELD