US embassy cable - 04BOGOTA4176

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 004176 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PTER, PINR, PGOV, PINS, PREL, SNAR, CO, AUC 
SUBJECT: CASTANO'S FATE UNKNOWN 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood, reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) Carlos Castano's fate remains unclear after an April 
16 armed confrontation between Castano's personnel and 
unidentified individuals in Antioquia Department.  The most 
often heard scenario is that Castano's brother and fellow 
paramilitary commander Vicente Castano was behind the attack 
in an attempt to remove Castano from negotiations with the 
government and prevent him from turning himself into 
authorities.  Most accounts suggest that Castano survived the 
attack but was taken by Vicente's men.  It is also possible, 
however, that he is dead or escaped.  The GOC views Castano's 
removal from the negotiations as a major setback because it 
has enabled hardline paramilitaries to take over talks.  End 
Summary. 
 
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Divergent Accounts 
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2. (C) On April 16, an armed confrontation occurred between 
United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) commander Carlos 
Castano, his bodyguards, and unidentified armed individuals 
at a ranch regularly used by Castano in northern Antioquia 
Department.  At least two men were wounded, including 
Castano's bodyguard Jairo Vladimir Rojas, aka "La Vaca," who 
is receiving medical treatment in Bogota.  Castano's 
whereabouts are unknown.  Castano's wife Kenia Gomez and baby 
survived the attack and are presently under GOC protection. 
She claims to have no knowledge of Castano's status. 
 
3. (C) Vice President Francisco Santos, Peace Commissioner 
Luis Carlos Restrepo, and other reports indicate that 
Castano's brother, AUC commander Vicente Castano was the 
intellectual author of the attack, possibly with the 
assistance of AUC military chief Salvatore Mancuso and 
"narco-para" Diego Murillo, aka "Don Berna."  They were 
attempting to keep Castano from influencing negotiations and 
from providing evidence about their drug trafficking 
activities to authorities.  Castano, who indicated he would 
be willing to spend time in prison, turn himself in to the 
U.S., and demobilize his troops, had been increasingly 
marginalized within the AUC.  He did not attend the April 15 
talks between Restrepo and the Central Bolivar Bloc (BCB) and 
AUC.  According to Restrepo, Castano had lost his military 
power over the AUC but remained a symbolically important 
figure and a relatively cooperative negotiator. 
 
4. (C) On April 21, Mancuso and Vicente Castano denied 
responsibility for the attack to Restrepo.  They claimed 
their men were in the area in Antioquia where Castano 
regularly visited when they heard gunshots.  According to 
Mancuso and Vicente Castano, their men radioed Carlos 
Castano's personnel, who told them there was no problem.  The 
Mancuso/Vicente men then left the area.  Upon learning from 
the media that Castano had been attacked, Mancuso and Vicente 
sent their men back to the site where they found evidence of 
a firefight and noticed Castano's vehicle was gone.  Mancuso 
also has publicly denied involvement and suggested that 
Castano may have faked the attack. 
 
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Is He Dead or Alive? 
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5. (C) VP Santos, who appears to have access to reliable 
sources, and several press accounts indicate that Castano 
survived the attack and was taken by Vicente Castano's 
personnel.  One of the wounded bodyguards publicly claimed he 
overheard the attackers saying that they had Castano. 
Nevertheless, it is also possible that Castano escaped and is 
under protection from sympathetic paramilitaries.  Castano 
used to exert a great deal of influence over the AUC and had 
many loyal proteges.  The other distinct possibility is, of 
course, that Castano is dead. 
 
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Uribe Moving Cautiously 
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6. (C) The GOC has demanded that the paramilitaries reveal 
what happened to Castano.  President Uribe and Restrepo have 
decided to base their next steps on the results of a 
soon-to-begin investigation by the Prosecutor General's 
Office (Fiscalia).  Mancuso and Vicente have agreed that the 
Fiscalia should conduct an investigation at the confrontation 
site and interview key witnesses.  Restrepo noted to us that 
Mancuso and Vicente claim there are witnesses available, but 
Castano's personnel claim all the witnesses have disappeared. 
 
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Comment 
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7. (C) Restrepo views Castano's removal from negotiations as 
a major setback.  In his absence, the paramilitaries have 
hardened their negotiating position and rejected the 
possibility of spending any time in prison.  Hardliner and 
BCB policital chief Ivan Duque, aka "Ernesto Baez" and 
militarily strong narcotraffickers such as Murillo, BCB 
military chief Javier Montanez, aka "Macaco" and AUC 
Centauros Bloc Miguel Arroyave, dominate talks. 
WOOD