US embassy cable - 04PANAMA2231

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PANAMA 002231 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, MASS, MOPS, SNAR, EAID, EAGR, PREF, PREL, PINS, PTER, PM, ECONOMIC AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY EFFORTS TO PROMOTE SECURITY AND 
DEVELOPMENT IN THE DARIEN REGION 
 
REF: A. 2003 PANAMA 00911 
     B. PANAMA 1534 
 
 
1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Please 
protect accordingly. 
 
 
2. (SBU) Summary.  While Panama's remote and 
economically-underdeveloped Darien Region remains vulnerable 
to incursions by paramilitary groups and drug traffickers 
from Colombia, the region's security under Panama's outgoing 
Moscoso administration has improved.  Over the past two 
years, the GOP increased the Panamanian National Police (PNP) 
presence in the region, especially along the Colombian 
border, improved PNP training, and instituted better 
communication with its Colombian counterparts.  However, few 
measures have been taken to protect the region against 
environmental degradation and to promote sustainable 
development.  Embassy Panama has created a two-pronged 
strategy predicated primarily upon continued USG security 
assistance and sustainable community development programs. 
Our engagement strategy with the Torrijos administration, 
which took office on Sept. 1, will promote this approach to 
developing the Darien Region.  End summary. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
The Darien Region: Ethnically Diverse Yet Isolated 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
 
3. (SBU) The Darien region is approximately three-fourths the 
size of Connecticut (16,671 square miles) and is composed of 
the Darien Province and the Comarca Embera-Wounaan (an 
indigenous reservation).  Its estimated population of nearly 
50,000 is comprised of three ethnic groups: Afro-Darienitas 
and Afro-Chocoanos (16%), Indigenous (34%), and 
Colonos/campesinos that migrated from central and western 
Panama (50%).  The region is densely forested, extremely 
isolated, and sparsely populated.  The region's Pan-American 
highway, constructed in 1972, helped to bring some 
modernization to the region; however, the road ends at 
Yaviza, 30 miles from the Colombian border, and the last 50 
miles are dirt and gravel.  This road is often impassable 
during Panama's rainy season (mid-March to mid-November). 
The Panamanian and Colombian governments continue to discuss 
the feasibility of completing the road link between the two 
countries, although no formal agreement has been reached.  In 
October 2003, Panama and Colombia approved a 250-mile 
electric power interconnection, pending completion of 
feasibility and environmental impact studies.  It is still 
undetermined whether the cable would run under sea or on 
land.  The project is expected to come online in 2007.  The 
region is Panama's main national timber supplier.  Other 
natural resources within the region include biological 
diversity and fishing resources.  However, rapid population 
growth, expanding "slash and burn" agriculture and ranching, 
and illegal logging threaten the future of the region. 
 
 
----------------------- 
USG Security Assistance 
----------------------- 
 
 
4. (SBU) Our security efforts, funded primarily through DOD 
and State programs, have  focused upon providing training and 
equipment to the PNP in order to improve its mobility, 
communications, and small unit tactics.  The Embassy's 
offices of Defense Cooperation (ODC) and Narcotics Affairs 
(NAS) provide the bulk of USG security assistance.  ODC 
trains PNP border units and, in coordination with NAS, 
sponsored police small boat units, improving the GOP's 
ability to patrol inland and coastal waterways.  Between USD 
1.5 and 2 million of NAS's total USD 6.5 million budget for 
FY 2004 will go to programs devoted to the Darien province. 
These programs are aimed at helping enhance border security. 
NAS has provided trucks and boats to help improve GOP 
mobility.  NAS primarily coordinates with the PNP, Panama's 
National Maritime Service (SMN) and National Air Service 
(SAN).  NAS is also working on a communications upgrade 
project to better internal communications within Panama by 
improving interoperability between Panama's Public Forces 
(PPF) and to improve HF and VHF networks of the PNP and the 
SMN.  In addition, NAS recently hired a Personal Services 
Contractor Counter Narcotics Advisor to coordinate NAS 
activities in the region. 
 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Sustainable Community Development Programs 
------------------------------------------ 
5. (U) As the security situation in the region continues to 
improve, our efforts continue to expand into programs aimed 
at improving the productive and social infrastructure of 
Darien communities while conserving local resources and the 
environment.  The USAID Community Development Program in the 
Darien works to improve the organization and access of 
indigenous communities to the forest resources in the Darien 
as well as to implement sustainable forest management and 
trade activities.  Peace Corps Volunteers focus on economic 
development, environmental conservation, and environmental 
health.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) operates a successful 
foot and mouth disease control project and screwworm 
eradication program in the area. 
 
 
6. (U) USAID selected 55 communities, comprised of 28 
indigenous groups (23 Embera, 4 Wounaans, and 1 Kuna group), 
20 campesino groups, and 7 afro groups, to implement its 
Community Development Program for the Darien in 2003.  This 
three-year, USD 6.0 million program benefits 20,599 people, 
or approximately one-third of the Darien's total population 
(7,447 campesinos, 5,782 afros, and 7,370 indigenous).  The 
integrated program includes all themes necessary for 
successful sustainable forest management and trade: technical 
forestry, organizational and business development, 
production, markets and private sector relationships, and 
sales.  Program components include improving social 
infrastructures, strengthening local organizations, and 
developing productive infrastructures.  Social infrastructure 
projects include the construction of community centers with 
libraries, rural water systems using new technologies, 
latrines, transportation centers, and landfill and recycling 
centers. 
 
 
7. (U) USAID also provides technical assistance and training 
to beneficiary communities for the development of "community 
strategies" and planning and implementation of social and 
productive infrastructure projects.  These projects have been 
chosen by the communities and USAID emphasizes local 
management, self-help, and sustainability.  Finally, projects 
aimed at improving productive infrastructure include the 
construction of agricultural storage, processing, and 
packaging facilities, slaughterhouses, plant and tree 
nurseries, rice mills, and transportation centers.  Other 
activities include the promotion of eco-tourism (visitors' 
centers, hiking trails, foot bridges, cultural center-dances, 
and handicrafts) and the rehabilitation of production roads. 
 
 
8. (U) Currently, the USAID Community Development Program for 
the Darien is in the stage of full field implementation. 
Twenty-nine infrastructure projects have been completed and 
delivered to the communities, two are under implementation 
and five are on hold because of the weather (Panama is 
currently in the "rainy" season causing the Pan-American 
highway to be frequently impassable).  Fifty-eight new 
projects have been identified and are in the approval 
process.  By the end of September, USAID Panama expects to 
have completed 40 community strategic plans.  The next step 
is to provide technical assistance to help these communities 
start designing their own projects and looking for alternate 
sources of funding. 
 
 
9. (U) The Peace Corps has significantly increased its 
presence over the past year in the Darien.  Currently, 12 
Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) serve in the region and Peace 
Corps plans to add four additional PCVs to the region in 
September 2004.  Over half of the PCVs work on environmental 
health projects that support the creation or maintenance of 
45 aqueducts in partnership with Panama's Ministry of Health 
(MOH) and small U.S.-based NGOs.  PCVs also work to support 
USAID's Community Development Program for the Darien. 
Presently, security concerns limit the placement of 
volunteers from the Panama Este border to Meteti; however, 
Peace Corps hopes to place PCVs further south and west as the 
security situation improves. 
 
 
------------ 
A Look Ahead 
------------ 
 
 
10. (SBU) Comment. We believe this strategy is appropriate 
for the Darien region as it addresses the current security 
situation and should improve the region's longer term 
capacity for self-sustainability.  As we begin to build a 
partnership with the incoming Torrijos Administration, we 
plan to encourage the GOP to find the Darien's competitive 
advantage and apply a rational use of natural resources to 
help develop the region.  Embassy Panama will also educate 
new GOP leaders of the dangers of environmental abuse and 
encourage the GOP to adopt systems for environmental permits 
and land titling.  We also will continue to promote interest 
in the Darien by international organizations.  End Comment. 
WATT