COLOMBIA REACTS PRUDENTLY BUT FIRMLY TO ALLEGED VENEZUELAN

S E C R E T BOGOTA 000121

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/01
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KJUS ETRD OAS CO VE
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA REACTS PRUDENTLY BUT FIRMLY TO ALLEGED VENEZUELAN
INCURSIONS

REF: BOGOTA 3011

CLASSIFIED BY: Wililam R. Brownfield, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)

SUMMARY

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1. (C/NF) Minister of Defense Silva told the Ambassador that an
alleged January 27 Venezuelan overflight of Colombian airspace was
a deliberate provocation and that he expected more such incidents.
According to the GOC, a Venezuelan military helicopter crossed into
the Colombian department of Arauca, overflew a Colombian Army base,
and remained in Colombian airspace for about 20 minutes on January

27. In remarks to the press from Davos, Foreign Minister Bermudez
demanded explanations from the GBRV and said the GOC would file a
formal complaint with the OAS and then the UN if the GBRV did not
provide an adequate reply. President Uribe publicly continued to
urge a cautious and prudent response. Venezuelan officials denied
the charge, but agreed to investigate. Separately, the GOC
captured and deported a Venezuelan National Guard sergeant who
crossed into Vichada department and fired his rifle. The repeated
GBRV incursions increase the political pressure on the Colombian
government to strengthen its air and border defenses. End Summary.




GOC REPORTS VENEZUELAN MILITARY

CROSSINGS, GBRV DENIES AND DOWNPLAYS

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2. (U) The GOC alleged that a Venezuelan military helicopter
entered the Colombian department of Arauca on the morning of
January 27th and flew over the city of Arauca - including the
headquarters of the Colombian Army's 18th Brigade - before
returning to Venezuelan airspace near the city of El Amparo (Apure
state). Minister of Defense (MOD) Gabriel Silva said he was
"absolutely certain" the incursion had taken place and claimed the
GOC had proof of the flight from both the Armed Forces and
Colombian citizens. (NOTE: Several Colombian media outlets ran
interviews with Arauca residents discussing the flight. A long
distance photo appeared in the press. End Note.)




3. (SBU) Separately, Sergeant Juan Vicente Gomez Martinez of the
Venezuelan National Guard crossed into Puerto Carreno (Vichada) on
January 28 and fired his rifle. No injuries were reported.
Colombian media reported that Colombian Marines captured Gomez and
turned him over to local prosecutors, who found no basis to
prosecute him and deported him to Venezuelan authorities.




4. (SBU) The GOC sent the GBRV a strongly worded diplomatic note on
January 28th advising that the GOC was "deeply worried" by the
flight's "flagrant violation of national sovereignty," and that the
GOC demanded an explanation. The letter also stressed that the
Colombian military had acted prudently and responsibly by not
reacting to the alleged incursion. GOC Foreign Minister Jaime
Bermudez also said the GOC would demand an explanation for the
Gomez incident.




5. (U) GBRV Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro categorically denied
any overflight had taken place (calling it a "Colombian false
positive"),while Vice Minister of Defense Daniel Machado said the
GBRV would investigate but suggested Colombian authorities had
mistaken Venezuelan airspace for Colombian. Machado denied knowing

any details of the Gomez incident, but said such small incidents
were bound to occur along borders like that of Colombia and
Venezuela.



GOC REACTS PRUDENTLY

BUT FIRMLY

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6. (U) Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland,
President Uribe told reporters that he was sure the overflight had
been an accident, and he urged his administration to react with
total prudence. Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez followed Uribe's
lead, stressing that the GOC was awaiting the official GBRV
response, was committed to acting through diplomatic channels, and
would lodge a formal complaint with the OAS and then the UN, if the
GBRV reply failed to satisfy Colombian concerns.




7. (S/NF) MOD Silva was more forceful in his public reaction,
saying he believed the flight was no accident. Silva was much more
candid in a January 28 meeting with the Ambassador, saying that he
saw the incursions as part of a pattern of increasing Venezuelan
provocations. Silva added that he believed the GBRV helicopter
pilot had been on a suicide mission and that he anticipates the
next provocation will be a maritime border incursion by GBRV
forces, probably in disputed waters of the Gulf of Venezuela. He
confirmed that Colombian forces had standing orders not to fire
unless fired upon.




8. (U) Congressman Santiago Castro, Vice President of the House,
called the alleged overflight a provocative act of military
aggression, and he demanded the GOC invest up to $3 billion USD in
anti-air defenses to protect Colombia from similar Venezuelan
threats. Castro contended that Colombia should have the ability to
react more strongly in the future, arguing that a calm reaction to
the next Venezuelan violation of Colombian airspace would signal
weakness, not prudence. Castro added that Colombia should not
enter into an arms race with Venezuela, but opined that the defense
budget should be changed this year to make anti-air defenses a
priority. He added that Congress would hold a classified session
to discuss such security measures.
BROWNFIELD