Cablegate: President Uribe's November 30 Meeting With
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBO #0960/01 3352310
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 012310Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 7294
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS IMMEDIATE 8486
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ DEC 8399
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA IMMEDIATE 4532
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO IMMEDIATE 0354
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO IMMEDIATE 5190
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE IMMEDIATE 4262
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO IMMEDIATE 2213
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 1412
RUEHBO/USMILGP BOGOTA CO IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 010960
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2016
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL PTER CO EC
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE'S NOVEMBER 30 MEETING WITH
AMBASSADOR WOOD
BOGOTA 00010960 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary: President Uribe told the Ambassador November
30 that he strongly supported judicial investigations of
paramilitary-political ties, and was committed to defending
Colombia,s institutions. He voiced concern about the
possible involvement of paramilitary leaders detained in La
Ceja in on-going criminal activities, and asked the U.S to
expedite any extradition requests to enhance his leverage on
them. He said the GOC was increasing its military efforts
against new narcotraffickers, as well as the FARC, and
reiterated his request for precision-guided munitions. He
said Colombia would resume spraying illegal coca on the
Ecuadorian border after consulting with Ecuadorian President
Palacios, and showed interest in proposing a political reform
package aimed at introducing greater transparency and
accountability in the Colombian Congress. End Summary
Paramilitary-Political Scandal
------------------------------
2. (C) Uribe said the current paramilitary-political scandal
was the result of his democratic security policy and the
paramilitary peace process. He strongly supported the
Supreme Court's and the National Prosecutor's (Fiscal)
investigation of paramilitary-congressional ties. Uribe said
he had told Fiscal Mario Iguaran that he should vigorously
pursue all leads and should prosecute any public official
involved in paramilitary crimes. He stressed that the
investigations reflected the strength of Colombia's public
institutions. Uribe rejected opposition calls to close the
Congress (the opposition has since withdrawn the idea).
3. (C) Uribe contrasted his record in prosecuting the
paramilitaries with that of his predecessors. He said
previous Colombian governments had been &too indulgent8
with terrorist groups, and noted that former President Cesar
Gaviria and former Defense Minister Rafael Pardo*both of
whom have sharply criticized Uribe,s handling of the
paramilitary process*did little to halt the growth of these
groups while in office. Uribe added that many current
legislators had never revealed their roles in crimes
committed by the leftwing terrorist group M-19 and other
criminal organizations.
Paramilitaries in La Ceja
-------------------------
4. (C) Uribe voiced concern that paramilitary leaders
detained in La Ceja were continuing their criminal
activities. Uribe said he had publicly announced earlier in
the day that if the GOC determined that the La Ceja detainees
had ordered the murders, he would remove their Justice and
Peace Law benefits, transfer them to maximum security
prisons, and approve their extraditions. Uribe said the La
Ceja paramilitaries had responded by asking that Peace
Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo meet with them. He had
ordered Restrepo not to do so.
5. (C) Uribe asked the Ambassador to expedite any extradition
requests the U.S. might have against paramilitary leaders in
La Ceja. This would give him another tool to pressure the
paramilitaries to meet their peace process obligations; it
would also enable the GOC to move quickly to extradite those
who did not comply. Uribe also requested any information
that the U.S. had regarding the La Ceja paramilitaries,
involvement in the recent Medellin murders or other criminal
activities.
FARC and Narcotraffickers
-------------------------
6. (C) Uribe said he had ordered the military to step up
efforts to capture Daniel &El Loco8 Barrera, a major buyer
of coca from the FARC who operates in Meta, as well as other
key narcotraffickers. He said the GOC continued its
counternarcotics efforts, but noted the narcotraffickers and
BOGOTA 00010960 002.2 OF 002
the FARC still have substantial economic resources. Uribe
asked the Ambassador for his assessment of the economic
situation of the FARC and other narcotraffickers.
7. (C) The Ambassador said GOC and U.S. counternarcotics
efforts were paying off. The U.S. would spray 160,000
hectares of illegal coca in 2006; Colombia had already
manually eradicated an additional 40,000 hectares. The
200,000 total hectares eradicated in 2006 would be a new
record. The Ambassador also praised the Colombia National
Police and Armed Forces for their excellent work in combating
poppy cultivation.
Precision Guided Munitions
--------------------------
8. (C) Uribe reiterated the GOC,s request for precision
guided munitions, saying this would be key in fighting the
FARC. The Ambassador said we had provided the GOC with a
limited number of such weapons, but were working to obtain
more.
Ecuador and Coca Spraying on the Border
---------------------------------------
9. (C) Uribe voiced concern about Rafael Correa,s victory in
the second round of Ecuador,s presidential elections, but
said he had already invited him to visit Bogota. He conceded
the GOC,s decision to suspend spraying of illegal coca along
the Ecuadorian border had been a mistake*noting it had led
to massive planting in the protected area while gaining
Colombia no political points in Ecuador. He said his Foreign
Minister would provide him with a report on December 4 on the
implications of resuming spraying; he would then call
Ecuadorian President Palacios to inform him that the GOC
would restart fumigation in the area.
Andean Trade Preferences Act
----------------------------
10. (C) Uribe said he had spoken with of Speaker of the House
Hastert on November 29 and urged him to support ATPA
extension. He had also tried to contact Senator Grassley.
The Ambassador reiterated our support for extension, and said
the Administration was working on this.1. (C) Summary:
President Uribe told the Ambassador November 30 that he
strongly supported judicial investigations of
paramilitary-political ties, and was committed to defending
Colombia,s institutions. He voiced concern about the
possible involvement of paramilitary leaders detained in La
Ceja in on-going criminal activities, and asked the U.S to
expedite any extradition requests to enhance his leverage on
them. He said the GOC was increasing its military efforts
against new narcotraffickers, as well as the FARC, and
reiterated his request for precision-guided munitions. He
said Colombia would resume spraying illegal coca on the
Ecuadorian border after consulting with Ecuadorian President
Palacios, and showed interest in proposing a political reform
package aimed at introducing greater transparency and
accountability in the Colombian Congress. End Summary
WOOD
=======================CABLE ENDS============================