US embassy cable - 04BOGOTA11864

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 011864 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2014 
TAGS: PTER, PHUM, KJUS, PINR, PREL, CO, ELN Peace Process 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VALENCIA REPORTS ON ELN-GOC 
COMMUNICATIONS 
 
REF: BOGOTA 09991 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 ------ 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (C) Ambassador Valencia, the Mexican facilitator for talks 
between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the GOC, 
briefed the Ambassador on recent communications between the 
two sides on November 16.  On October 8, the ELN offered to 
meet with the GOC in Mexico but demanded the GOC provide a 
helicopter and aircraft for the visit, prevent INTERPOL from 
taking action against them, and release imprisoned commander 
"Francisco Galan" (Gerardo Bermudez) for the talks.  The GOC 
responded by repeating its condition for a unilateral 
cease-fire before any meeting, but with the condition that it 
could be a temporary cease-fire.  It also asked the ELN to 
clarify whether it was asking for a humanitarian accord to be 
followed by a cease-fire, and whether it would be willing to 
meet with the GOC in the Mexican Embassy in Bogota after 
declaring a temporary cease-fire.  Valencia said the ELN 
would respond negatively and expressed frustration that the 
talks could be reaching a breaking point.  As Valencia's 
principle interlocutor was the imprisoned Galan, the 
Ambassador encouraged Valencia to try to gain wider access to 
the ELN leadership.  He said the U.S. was willing to support 
a legitimate peace process, would not press the GOC to 
jeopardize the process with the paramilitaries and eventually 
the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) by making 
too many concessions to the ELN, and urged Valencia to 
publicly blame the ELN if talks were to break down.   End 
Summary. 
 
----------------- 
ELN Makes Demands 
----------------- 
 
2. (C) On November 16, Mexico's Ambassador Valencia, who 
facilitates talks between the ELN and the GOC, briefed the 
Ambassador on recent communications between the two sides. 
On October 8, the ELN Central Command (COCE) proposed a 
meeting with the GOC in Mexico but demanded that the GOC 
provide a helicopter and aircraft for the visit, prevent 
INTERPOL from taking any action against them, and release 
imprisoned ELN commander "Francisco Galan."  Valencia 
explained that the COCE had been upset by government comments 
following the leaked conversations between Peace Commissioner 
Restrepo and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) 
(reftel).  The COCE continues to resist being labeled and 
treated as a terrorist group rather than a "legitimate" rebel 
group, being equated to the AUC, and being subjected to jail 
sentences for major crimes. 
 
---------------- 
The GOC Response 
---------------- 
 
3. (C) Last week, the GOC responded to the ELN, reiterating 
its condition of a unilateral cease-fire before any meeting. 
If the ELN agreed, the GOC would be willing to hold talks and 
consider the ELN's political demands.  The GOC also requested 
two clarifications: (1) Is the ELN asking for a sequence in 
which a humanitarian accord would be followed by a 
cease-fire? and (2) Would the ELN be willing to meet with the 
GOC and Valencia in the Mexican Embassy in Bogota following a 
declaration of a temporary cease-fire? 
 
------------- 
Prospects Dim 
------------- 
 
4. (C) The ELN has not issued a response yet but Valencia 
understands that the ELN will not accept even a temporary 
cease-fire because it fears setting a precedent of requiring 
a cease-fire before any meeting.  Valencia expressed 
frustration at the impasse and predicted that the talks could 
be near a breaking point.  Valencia's abilities are further 
limited because the imprisoned Galan may not accurately 
represent the COCE's mindset.  Without a peace deal, Galan 
remains in jail, making him a willing interlocutor but not 
necessarily a good COCE spokesman.  Valencia admitted that he 
did not know the views of the COCE members. 
 
5. (C) The Ambassador encouraged Valencia to try other 
channels to access the COCE.  Author Gabriel Garcia Marquez 
has been involved in outreach to the ELN and could have 
better access.   The Embassy will not pressure the GOC to 
soften its conditions any more than it already has, 
especially regarding the conditions of a cease-fire, jail 
time, and other elements of importance to the paramilitary 
(and eventual FARC) processes, but was prepared to help a 
legitimate peace process in other ways, including the use of 
the residence for a meeting between the COCE and GOC.  (Note: 
The Ambassador did not/not offer his participation in any way 
in the talks themselves.)  The Ambassador noted that if 
communications were to break down completely, Valencia should 
publicly blame the ELN's intransigence. 
 
6. (C) Comment: The GOC has been flexible and committed to 
starting a peace process with the ELN without standing down 
on the requisite cease-fire.  The ELN, meanwhile, does not 
appear to know what it wants out of talks or if it is even 
serious about negotiating.  End comment. 
WOOD