Cablegate: Caramagna Expresses Concerns About Goc-Auc Peace

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DE RUEHBO #5805/01 1791718
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P 281718Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6439
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 6939
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 7899
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUN LIMA 3970
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 9301
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 4618
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 3597
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHOND/DIRONDCP WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 005805

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2016
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: CARAMAGNA EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT GOC-AUC PEACE
PROCESS

Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d)

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) Sergio Caramagna, Director of the Mission to Support
the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP/OAS), told the Ambassador
on 23 June that nothing had united AUC leaders more than the
Constitutional Court's mid-May press release that previewed
the Court's views on the Justice and Peace Law. Caramagna
said Minister of Interior and Justice SabasPretelt said in a
recent meeting with AUC leaders that the GOC would seek to
preserve the "core principles" of the Justice and Peace Law
in the event of an "adverse" Court ruling. Caramagna warned
AUC leaders were concerned that over 200 middle ranking
demobilized paramilitaries were "waiting for the process to
fail." Moreover, paramilitaries were watching closely for
any additional benefits the GOC is willing to offer to the
ELN and the FARC, in the expectation they would benefit from
the same terms. End summary.

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GOC ATTEMPTS TO ALLEVIATE AUC LEADERS' CONCERNS
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2. (C) Caramagna told the Ambassador he was surprised that
all the AUC leaders and their legal advisers, including
paramilitary leader "Aleman" who had negotiated separately
from the other AUC leaders, had attended a meeting with the
GOC on June 17 (see septel for a read out of a follow up
meeting AUC leaders had with the National Reconciliation and
Reparations Commission). Nothing had united AUC leaders more
than the Constitutional Court's mid-May press release that
previewed the Court's views on the Justice and Peace Law.
Caramagna said it was irresponsible for the Court to make
public its preliminary observations on the law, since it hit
on several sensitive subjects. Caramagna insisted, however,
that no official accords were made between the GOC and AUC
leaders on such things as prison terms, reparations, and
political status.

3. (C) Caramagna said Peace Commissioner Restrepo never said
a word during the seven-hour meeting, instead acting as if he
were a subordinate to Pretelt. The relationship between
Restrepo and Preteltwas progressively getting worse.
According to Carmagna, Pretelt blamed Restrepo for inundating
the system with over 12,000 more demobilized paramilitaries
than the GOC had originally estimated, and Restrepo blamed
Pretelt for making promises to the paramilitaries that the
GOC could not deliver.

4. (C) Caramagna said Pretelt defended the core principles
of the J&P Law, saying the GOC would seek to preserve them in
the event of an "adverse" Court ruling. On extradition,
Pretelt insisted that demobilized paramilitaries must abide
completely by the principles of the J&P Law to avoid
extradition. According to Caramagna, it is unclear if the
AUC leaders left satisfied with Pretelt's assurances, "but at
least they did not leave the negotiating table."

5. (C) Caramagna said the AUC's military structure has been
dismantled. This was confirmed by several AUC leaders, who
privately told Caramagna their men no longer report or even
respond to them. Caramagna said that Vicente Castano was
concerned that over 200 middle ranking demobilized
paramilitaries were "waiting for the process to fail."
Castano warned that these individuals are threatening to
attack the State and return to kidnapping to achieve
political recognition from the government. Castano, however,
said this could still be prevented.

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DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF ELN TROUBLESOME
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6. (C) According to Caramagna, paramilitaries are watching
closely for any additional benefits the GOC is willing to
offer to the ELN and the FARC, in the expectation they would
also benefit from the more generous peace terms. Any such
benefits could endanger the paramilitary peace process. He
described President Uribe's comment in May that the GOC would
consider another judicial framework with the ELN as a "bomb"
to theta4D$Q

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