US embassy cable - 01BOGOTA5539

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 005539 
 
EMBASSY HANOI FOR PAUL BERG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/19/21 
TAGS: PHUM, PTER, PGOV, PREL, CO 
SUBJECT: FARC ANNOUNCE INTENTION TO RELEASE ADDITIONAL 250 
SOLDIERS AND POLICEMEN/CONTINUE TO KIDNAP AND EXTORT 
 
REF: BOGOTA 5460 
 
1.(U) CLASSIFIED BY CDA BARBARA C. MOORE, REASONS 1.5 (B,D). 
 
2. (C) ON JUNE 18, THE FARC RELEASED AN ADDITIONAL GROUP 
OF COLOMBIAN SOLDIERS AND POLICEMEN, BRINGING THE TOTAL OF 
RELEASED IN THE FIRST HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE TO 55.  GOC 
PEACE COMMISSIONER CAMILO GOMEZ ADMITTED TO THE PRESS THAT 
THE FARC HAD NOT ALLOWED THE ICRC TO GIVE MEDICAL EXAMS TO 
THE CAPTURED SOLDIERS AND POLICEMEN, THUS VIOLATING A KEY 
ASPECT OF THE HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE AGREEMENT.  INSTEAD, 
THE FARC REPORTEDLY CONDUCTED THE MEDICAL EXAMS 
THEMSELVES.  THE PRESS REPORTS THAT THREE OF THE MOST 
SERIOUSLY ILL POLICEMEN/SOLDIERS WERE NOT RELEASED (TWO 
REPORTEDLY SUFFER FROM SERIOUS FORMS OF CANCER), WHILE 
MANY OF THE RELEASED WERE IN GOOD HEALTH.  GOC PEACE 
NEGOTIATOR LUIS GUILLERMO GIRALDO (PROTECT) TOLD POLOFF ON 
JUNE 19 THAT HE AND OTHERS IN THE GOC SUSPECT THAT THE 
FARC IS KEEPING THE THREE SERIOUSLY ILL SOLDIERS/POLICEMEN 
TO INCREASE PUBLIC PRESSURE ON THE GOC TO NEGOTIATE A 
POLICEMEN/SOLDIERS FOR GUERRILLA SWAP, MUCH LIKE THEY HAD 
TRIED TO DO WITH THE CASE OF GRAVELY ILL POLICE COL. 
ACOSTA.  GIRALDO AFFIRMED THAT THE FARC STRATEGY IS TO 
CONVINCE THE GOC TO HAVE SIMULTANEOUS, PERMANENT SWAPS SO 
AS TO (IN THEIR VIEW) RAISE THEIR INTERNATIONAL COMBATANT 
STATUS. 
 
3. (C) ON JUNE 19 THE FARC CENTRAL COMMAND ANNOUNCED THAT 
THEY WILL UNILATERALLY LIBERATE AN ADDITIONAL 250 SOLDIERS 
AND POLICEMEN ON JUNE 28, AND INVITED THE COLOMBIAN POLICE 
AND ARMED FORCES TO BE PRESENT WHEN THE RELEASE TAKES 
PLACE "AS A GESTURE OF SOLIDARITY."  GIRALDO TOLD POLOFF 
THAT THE FARC FEEL A SIMULTANEOUS, PERMANENT EXCHANGE 
AGREEMENT WITH THE GOC WOULD BENEFIT THEM AND UNDERMINE 
THE COLOMBIAN SECURITY FORCES IN THREE WAYS: ONE, SINCE 
THE COLOMBIAN ARMED FORCES HIERARCHY HAS EXPRESSED 
OPPOSITION TO AN EXCHANGE AGREEMENT PUBLICLY, A GOC 
DECISION TO ACQUIESCE TO THE FARC ON THIS ISSUE WOULD 
CREATE FURTHER CIVIL-MILITARY TENSIONS; SECONDLY, SOLDIERS 
AND POLICEMEN WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO SURRENDER IN THE 
BATTLEFIELD RATHER THAN FIGHT IF THEY KNOW THEY WILL BE 
SWAPPED QUICKLY, AND, THIRD, THE FARC WOULD BE ABLE TO 
QUICKLY REPLENISH THEIR DEPLETED MID-LEVEL BATTLEFIELD 
CADRES.  GIRALDO ADDED THAT THE FARC HAS SHOWN NO INTEREST 
IN MOVING FROM THE HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE AGREEMENT TO A 
DISCUSSION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW OR 
NEGOTIATIONS TO DECREASE THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE, MUCH LESS 
A CEASE FIRE. 
 
4. (C) SEPARATELY, ON JUNE 12 LIBERAL PARTY PRESIDENTIAL 
CANDIDATE HORACIO SERPA AND LIBERAL PARTY PRESIDENT LUIS 
GUILLERMO VELEZ TOLD POLOFFS THAT LIBERAL SENATOR LUIS 
ELADIO PEREZ BONILLA HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED THREE DAYS EARLIER 
IN NARINO DEPARTMENT, REPORTEDLY BY THE FARC.  SINCE THAT 
TIME, PEREZ'S KIDNAPPING HAS BEEN CONFIRMED, WITH ALL 
INDICATIONS LEADING TO THE FARC.  IN ADDITION, VELEZ 
STATED ON JUNE 17 THAT HE HAS BEEN WARNED BY THE FARC THAT 
HE MUST EITHER PAY A "WAR TAX" ("VACUNA") OR BE A 
KIDNAPPING TARGET. 
 
5.(C)  COMMENT:  DESPITE THE HOPES RAISED BY THE HUMANITARIAN 
EXCHANGE AND POSSIBLE FOLLOW-UP UNILATERAL RELEASE OF 
SOLDIERS AND POLICEMEN, THE FARC CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT 
THEY ARE NOT YET INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING WITH THE GOC THE 
KINDS OF ISSUES THAT WOULD GENUINELY REDUCE THE LEVEL OF 
VIOLENCE OR MOVE TOWARDS EVENTUAL RESOLUTION OF THE 
CONFLICT.  INSTEAD, THEIR RECENT ACTIONS -- DISREGARD FOR 
HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE GROUND RULES, KIDNAPPING OF SEN. 
PEREZ, AND THE AUDACIOUS THREAT AGAINST THE LIBERAL PARTY 
PRESIDENT -- DEMONSTRATE A LEVEL OF ARROGANCE MOST 
COLOMBIANS ARE ALL TOO USED TO. 
 
 
MOORE 
 
 
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