Cablegate: Press Breaks Story of Peru Arms to Farc

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PGOV SNAR PE
SUBJECT: PRESS BREAKS STORY OF PERU ARMS TO FARC

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Summary:
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1. Peru daily La Republica ran a front-page story on 4/1 that
detailed how a "Mafia" within Peru's Armed Forces (FAP) and
the Police (PNP) had robbed Peru's arms stocks to sell
weapons to the FARC. The account summarized news reports
since 2005 in an analytical piece detailing a weapons
smuggling network that included contacts in neighboring
Ecuador. It concludes that the arrests undertaken so far
have struck a blow against the arms smuggling mafia, but have
by no means killed it. The piece contained no new
information but should lend urgency to MOD Wagner's reform
efforts. End Summary.

2. Peru daily La Republica (center-left Lima daily,
circulation 22,000) ran a front-page story on 4/1 that
detailed how a "mafia" within Peru's Armed Forces had robbed
Peru's arms stocks to sell weapons to the FARC. Among the
episodes, previously reported separately, that it catalogues
are:

-the June 2006 arrest of Ecuadorian Jose Renteria in his own
country. Renteria was found with 4,600 cartridges of
ammunition that he had acquired from Peru;

-the September 2006 arrest in Lima of PNP Sub Official David
Luz Aquino, who was caught with 3,550 rounds of 7.62
ammunition;

- the September 2006 arrests in Pisco and Callao where the
Police seized a total of over 30,000 rounds of 7.62
ammunition from two different sites.

3. The article states that since 2004, retired Peruvian
Police and Military Officers have been using their contacts
to systematically smuggle weapons to the FARC. The
investigations and arrests that have taken place so far, La
Republica states, have struck a blow against medium and
lower-level operatives, but the "Mafia" responsible for
systematic arms smuggling to the FARC remains in place.

4. Comment: The article provides no new information, but
does pull together in a comprehensive and high-profile way
the problems Peru faces regarding weapons security. Embassy
will use this piece to re-engage the MOD on the need to
follow up on the March DOS/DTRA survey of Peru's arms storage
practices. This high visibility piece should give MOD Wagner
further ammunition for his much-needed proposed reforms.
STRUBLE

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