COLOMBIAN COMMUNISTS WANT TO TAKE OVER FARC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 02165


SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PINS PGOV PINR KPRP CO
SUBJECT: COLOMBIAN COMMUNISTS WANT TO TAKE OVER FARC

REF: BOGOTA 1956


1. CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: ROBERTO SAENZ VARGAS, YOUNGER BROTHER OF
FARC LEADER ALFONSO CANO (NOM DE GUERRE OF GUILLERMO
LEON SAENZ VARGAS),AND FARC GO-BETWEEN MORRIS
ACKERMAN SEPARATELY HAVE TOLD POLOFF THAT HARDLINERS
WHO NOW CONTROL THE COLOMBIAN COMMUNIST PARTY (PCC),
HAVE DETERMINED TO WORK TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE
COLOMBIAN REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES (FARC) INSURGENT
GROUP AS WELL AS GUERRILLA PEACE TALKS WITH THE
GOVERNMENT. THE PCC'S FIVE-MEMBER SECRETARIAT WOULD
REPLACE THE FARC'S, AND AS DID SALVADORAN PARTY CHIEF
SCHAFIK HANDAL, PCC GENERAL SECRETARY ALVARO VASQUEZ
DEL REAL WOULD HEAD THE GUERRILLA NEGOTIATING TEAM.
IN OUR VIEW, FARC HEAD MANUEL MARULANDA VELEZ WOULD
ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN "ONLY OVER HIS DEAD BODY." END
SUMMARY.


COMMUNISM'S COLLAPSE HAS ONLY SERVED TO HARDEN PCC
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3. RECENT CHANGES IN COLOMBIA AND THE REST OF THE
WORLD, INCLUDING THE COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM
INTERNATIONALLY, ACCORDING TO ACKERMAN, HAVE ONLY
HARDENED THE ORTHODOX COLOMBIAN PARTY'S RESOLVE IN
FAVOR OF PROLONGED CAMPESINO-BASED ARMED STRUGGLE
(THROUGH THE FARC). SAENZ, WHO QUIT THE PARTY IN
NOVEMBER, CALLED THE PCC "THE ONLY COMMUNIST PARTY IN
THE WORLD THAT HASN'T CHANGED." ACCORDING TO SAENZ
AND ACKERMAN, THE PCC'S DECISION TO TAKE OVER THE FARC
STEMS PARTIALLY FROM ITS DISSATISFACTION WITH THE
GUERRILLAS' CONDUCT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS (NOW RECESSED)
WITH THE GOVERNMENT. THE PCC IS NOT HAPPY THAT UNDER
CANO, THE CHIEF GUERRILLA NEGOTIATOR, THE TALKS WERE
ALLOWED TO DRIFT INTO NOTHING MORE THAN NEGOTIATIONS
FOR A CEASE FIRE (IN WHICH THE PCC HAS NO INTEREST),
AND ACCOMPLISHED FEW OF THE GUERRILLAS' AND THE PCC'S
POLITICAL OBJECTIVES.


REYES AND CHACON: MR. INSIDE AND MR. OUTSIDE
--------------

4. TWO PERSONS EXPECTED TO PLAY KEY ROLES IN THE
PARTY'S EFFORTS TO TAKE OVER THE INSURGENCY ARE FARC
SECRETARIAT MEMBER RAUL REYES, LONG "THE PARTY'S MAN"
IN THE FARC'S FIVE-MEMBER DIRECTORATE, AND PCC
ORGANIZATION SECRETARY AND SECRETARIAT MEMBER MILLER
CHACON (NOM DE GUERRE: "MISAEL"). ACKERMAN SAID THAT
EACH DAY SOMEONE FROM THE PCC'S SECRETARIAT TRAVELS TO
VISIT THE FARC'S. THE PCC IS AFRAID TO LEAVE THE
FARC'S HIERARCHY ALONE FOR EVEN A MINUTE, ACKERMAN SAID.


WILL ANYONE IN FARC TOP BRASS STOP THE PARTY?
--------------

5. OF THE FARC'S FIVE SECRETARIAT MEMBERS, ACKERMAN
SAID THE PCC HOPES TO WIN OVER FARC HEAD MANUEL
MARULANDA VELEZ (AKA "TIROFIJO"); THAT WOULD INSURE
THE ACQUIESCENCE OF TIMOLEON JIMENEZ, TIROFIJO'S
PROTEGE. THE PPC ALSO HOPES TO SET CANO AND IVAN
MARQUEZ AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, NEUTRALIZING BOTH. RAUL
REYES ALREADY IS FIRMLY IN THE PARTY'S CAMP. WHILE
ACKERMAN SAW TIROFIJO ("MORE A GUERRILLA THAN A
COMMUNIST") AS THE MAIN OBSTACLE TO THE REALIZATION OF
THE PARTY'S GOAL, SAENZ DIDN'T THINK ANYONE INSIDE THE
FARC SECRETARIAT, ALL PARTY MEMBERS, POSED A PROBLEM.
SAENZ SAID THAT MORE OF A HINDRANCE WAS THE PCC'S OWN
SECRETARIAT, NOT ALL OF WHOM AGREE ON TAKING DIRECT
CONTROL OF THE INSURGENCY.


THE FARC IS ALL THE PARTY HAS LEFT
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6. SAENZ AND ACKERMAN AGREED THAT ANOTHER PCC
MOTIVATION WAS THE DETERIORATION OF ITS INFLUENCE OVER
OTHER, MOSTLY URBAN SECTORS OF COLOMBIAN SOCIETY,
INCLUDING TRADE UNION (E.G., CUT, AND THE PETROLEUM
WORKERS' USO) AND ARTISTIC MOVEMENTS (E.G., THEATER
AND WRITERS GROUPS). FOR THE PCC, SAENZ SAID, "ONLY
THE FARC REMAINS." SAENZ SAID THE FARC CONTINUES TO
HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RURAL SUPPORT, SOME THROUGH
INTIMIDATION.


CANO AND OTHER '80S HOPEFULS: PARTY'S LOST GENERATION
-------------- --------------

7. THE PARTY IN THE 1980S SENT SEVERAL BRIGHT, YOUNG
ACTIVISTS TO THE FARC OSTENSIBLY TO PROVIDE THE
CAMPESINO MOVEMENT WITH POLITICAL ADVICE. THEIR
ACTUAL OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXTEND THE PARTY'S INFLUENCE
OVER THE INSURGENCY, AS THE PARTY EARLIER HAD DONE
WITH JACOBO ARENAS, WHO HEADED THE FARC UNTIL HIS
AUGUST 1990 DEATH FROM A HEART ATTACK.


8. THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF THE 1980S CROP WAS
ALFONSO CANO, OVER WHOM THE PCC REALIZES IT HAS LOST
CONTROL. HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE. SAENZ SAID THE
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF BEING A GUERRILLA CHANGED THE
YOUNG TURKS. MANY, ACCORDING TO ACKERMAN, UPON
STRAPPING A GUN ON THEIR HIP AND GAINING SOME
INDIVIDUAL POWER, NOT TO MENTION THE MONEY FROM THE
GUERRILLAS' LUCRATIVE ACTIVITIES, BEGAN TO FEEL THEY
DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE ORDERS ANYMORE FROM PARTY LEADERS
IN BOGOTA. IT IS PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF FAILURE OF THE
PREVIOUS EFFORTS TO INFLUENCE THE FARC THAT THE PARTY
NOW WANTS TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF THE GUERRILLA GROUP.


9. ACCORDING TO SAENZ, THE PROBLEM FOR THE PARTY IS
DEEPER. ACCUSING PARTY LEADERS WHO HAVE NEVER RUN FOR
PUBLIC OFFICE OF BEING DETACHED FROM "THE REAL WORLD,"
SAENZ, A FORMER CITY COUNCIL ALTERNATE AND
UNSUCCESSFUL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CANDIDATE, SAID
BEING A GUERRILLA LEADER OR AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IS FAR
DIFFERENT FROM BEING A PCC LEADER. "YOU BECOME AWARE
OF REAL PEOPLES' CONCERNS, AND IT CHANGES YOU." IT
CHANGED SCHAFIK HANDAL AND THE SALVADORAN PARTY, SAENZ
SAID, AND IT WOULD CHANGE THE PCC.


PARTY TAKEOVER WOULD EXPOSE THE FARC FOR WHAT IT IS
-------------- --------------

10. FOR THAT REASON, SAENZ, DISAGREEING WITH
ACKERMAN, THOUGHT IT WOULD BENEFIT THE PEACE PROCESS
FOR THE PARTY TO TAKE OVER THE FARC AND THE TALKS.
BESIDES, SAENZ SAID, SUCH A TAKEOVER WOULD REVEAL TO
THE PUBLIC THE DECADES-LONG LINK BETWEEN THE PCC AND
FARC, EXPOSING TO THE FARC'S RURAL SUPPORTERS THAT ITS
AGENDA IS THE SAME COMMUNIST ONE DISCREDITED
WORLDWIDE. SAENZ WOULD THEREFORE LIKE THE PCC TO
COMPETE OPENLY IN ELECTIONS INSTEAD OF THROUGH ITS
ELECTORAL FRONT, THE PATRIOTIC UNION (UP).


11. COMMENT: BASED ON WHAT MOST SOURCES HAVE SAID
ABOUT TIROFIJO, ALTHOUGH A LOYAL PARTY MEMBER, WE
BELIEVE "ONLY OVER HIS DEAD BODY" WOULD HE LET ANYONE,
EVEN THE PCC, TAKE OVER "HIS" MOVEMENT. FOR THAT
REASON, THE PARTY'S GOAL OF TAKING OVER THE FARC HAS
TO BE VIEWED AS A LONG-TERM PROJECT, WITH THE

POSSIBILITY OF BEING REALIZED ONLY AFTER TIROFIJO (IN
HIS 60S) PASSES FROM THE SCENE. END COMMENT.


BUSBY