Cablegate: Gop Temporarily Halts Eradication After Cocalero

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SENSITIVE
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PE
SUBJECT: GOP TEMPORARILY HALTS ERADICATION AFTER COCALERO
PROVOKED CONFRONTATION

Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly.

1. (SBU) Summary: On 9/11 some 300 cocaleros attacked police
officers protecting coca eradicators in San Martin. Two
police officers were injured in the scuffle, one with shotgun
wounds, as were a number of protesters. A group of doctors,
a prosecutor, and cocalero Congresswoman Nancy Obregon flew
to the scene to investigate. Obregon publicly
(mis)characterized the event as "police brutality." The
Prime Minister, who two weeks ago initiated a dialog with
cocalero leaders including Obregon, called for a temporary
halt to eradication operations. Eradication operations are
expected to resume. NAS will continue to support GOP
eradication operations in less conflictive areas through the
November elections. Programmed eradication is at 9,000
hectares. End Summary.

2. (U) After months of peaceful eradication, on 9/11 300
cocaleros attacked 105 national police (PNP) protecting 199
coca eradicators (CORAH) in Sion, San Martin department. The
police restored control after 30 minutes, and eradication
continued. Protesters slung rocks and fired shotguns at the
eradication team. Cocalero demonstrators injured two police,
one with gunshot wounds; both are now in stable condition.

3. (SBU) Union Por el Peru (UPP) pro-coca congresswoman Nancy
Obregon of San Martin falsely portrayed the cocalero-provoked
confrontation as police brutality and claimed 30 protesters
were injured by the police, including with gunshot wounds.
(Note: Ongoing investigations indicate the police fired
teargas and not rifles. The investigative team reported
bruises and contusions among a few cocaleros. Most media
reports have disseminated Obregon's inflated numbers and
mischaracterizations. End Note.) On 9/12 a delegation that
included Obregon and pro-coca Andean Parliament member Elsa
Malpartida, regional police leaders, a prosecutor, and 3
doctors visited the site. According to CORAH reports, upon
arrival the police commander and Obregon informed the
eradicators that Prime Minister Jorge Del Castillo had
ordered the suspension of eradication, which CORAH respected.
Vice Minister of Interior Dardo Lopez Dolz told NAS Director
that eradication would resume on after weekend consultations
on procedures; subsequent conversations with the GOP confirm
that eradication will resume but with no definite timetable.
(Note: PM del Castillo began a dialogue with cocalero leaders
including Obregon on 9/1. The next meeting is scheduled for
9/17. End Note.)

4. (U) Recently named Executive Director of the national
anti-drug commission (DEVIDA) Romulo Pizarro told press on
9/13 that eradication would continue. Minister of Interior
Pilar Mazzetti was called to the Defense and Counternarcotics
Congressional Committee to answer questions about the
incident. Mazzetti said she would investigate if there were
abuses, but believed police actions were within the law.

5. Comment: The confrontation was not significant in
comparison to past protests, particularly those before June
2005 when a new cadre of police trained in NAS-supported
academies began prtecting eradicators. The GOP decision to
halt eradication underscores the absence of either a clear
coca policy or a strategy to deal with cocaleros. It also
suggests a paramount interest in avoiding social conflict
before the November elections. Obregon knows this and is
stirring up cocalero protests by threatening to pull out of
the dialog unless eradication is stopped. When eradication
resumes next week, we expect to target more remote areas of
San Martin.
STRUBLE

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