US embassy cable - 01BOGOTA10584

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 010584 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/11 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, PGOV, CO 
SUBJ: FARC RESISTS RE-STARTING TALKS/SLAMS U.N. 
 
1.  CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR ANNE W. PATTERSON; REASONS 
1.5 B,D. 
 
2.  (C) SUMMARY: DESPITE A SERIES OF ATTEMPTS SINCE MID- 
NOVEMBER BY UNSYG OUTGOING REPRESENTATIVE JAN EGELAND, 
GOC PEACE COMMISSIONER CAMILO GOMEZ, AND AMBASSADORS FROM 
THE "GROUP OF FACILITATORS" COUNTRIES TO RE-START PEACE 
TALKS WITH THE FARC, THE LATTER REMAIN INTRANSIGENT IN 
THEIR DEMANDS.  THE FARC LEADERSHIP HAS STATED REPEATEDLY 
THAT THEY WILL NOT NEGOTIATE UNTIL THE GOC RELAXES ITS 
CONTROLS OVER THE "DESPEJE," ESPECIALLY THE ENTRY OF 
THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS SYMPATHETIC TO THE FARC AND 
COLOMBIAN MILITARY OVERFLIGHTS.  FARC SUPREME COMMANDER 
MARULANDA HAS INVITED COLOMBIAN POLITICAL, JUDICIAL AND 
BUSINESS LEADERS TO A JANUARY 15, 2001 MEETING IN THE 
"DESPEJE" TO CLARIFY WHAT THE COLOMBIAN ESTABLISHMENT IS 
WILLING TO NEGOTIATE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3. (U) ON NOVEMBER 26, FARC SUPREME COMMANDER MANUEL 
MARULANDA SENT A LETTER THROUGH GOC PEACE COMMISSIONER 
CAMILO GOMEZ TO PRESIDENT PASTRANA, IN WHICH HE ARGUES 
THAT THE GOC HAS TAKEN ALL CONCRETE "NEGOTIABLES" OFF THE 
TABLE, INCLUDING PLAN COLOMBIA, AERIAL ERADICATION OF 
ILLICIT CROPS, THE ELECTORAL CALENDAR, PRISONER 
EXCHANGES, AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES SUBSCRIBED BY 
COLOMBIA ON ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, JUDICIAL ISSUES, AND 
EXTRADITION. 
 
4. (U) MARULANDA CONCLUDES THAT THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO 
NEGOTIATE WITH THE GOC, AND CALLS FOR A MEETING ON 
JANUARY 15, 2002 IN THE FARC "DEMILITARIZED ZONE" 
("DESPEJE") WITH THE SENATE AND HOUSE SPEAKERS, THE 
SUPREME AND CONSTITUTIONAL COURT PRESIDENTS, THE CHAMBERS 
OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY PRESIDENTS, AND THE CATHOLIC 
CHURCH HIERARCHY.  HE STATED HE EXPECTS THIS GROUP TO 
EXPLAIN TO HIM "EXACTLY WHAT IS NEGOTIABLE." 
 
5.  (U) MARULANDA'S LETTER FOLLOWS A SERIES OF LARGELY 
UNSUCCESSFUL MEETINGS IN THE "DESPEJE" WITH UNSYG 
COLOMBIA REPRESENTATIVE JAN EGELAND, GOC PEACE 
COMMISSIONER CAMILO GOMEZ, AND EU AND INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS, RESPECTIVELY.  ON NOVEMBER 16, THE 
FARC REFUSED JAN EGELAND'S REQUEST TO MEET IN THE 
DESPEJE.  INSTEAD, FARC SPOKESMAN RAUL REYES SENT EGELAND 
A LETTER STATING THAT EGELAND WOULD NOT BE GIVEN AN 
AUDIENCE UNTIL THE GOC LIFTED AN ORDER PROHIBITING FREE 
ENTRY OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS INTO THE DESPEJE AS WELL 
AS OTHER RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF THE ZONE. 
 
6.  (C) SEVERAL DAYS LATER, THE FARC CHANGED ITS MIND AND 
MET ON NOVEMBER 22 WITH EGELAND AND NEWLY-DESIGNATED 
UNSYG COLOMBIA REPRESENTATIVE JAMES LEMOYNE IN THE 
"DESPEJE."  ALTHOUGH EGELAND TOLD LOCAL PRESS THAT BOTH 
SIDES STILL HAVE THE WILL TO MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD, 
EMBASSY CONTACTS SAID THAT THE MEETING WAS DIFFICULT AT 
BEST, AND THAT FARC INTERLOCUTORS RAUL REYES AND JOAQUIN 
GOMEZ TOLD EGELAND AND LEMOYNE IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT 
TALKS COULD NOT PROCEED SO LONG AS THE GOC MAINTAINS ITS 
NEW, TIGHTER CONTROLS OVER THE "DESPEJE."  ON NOVEMBER 
23, CAMILO GOMEZ MET WITH REYES AND GOMEZ, AND WAS 
REPORTEDLY GIVEN ESSENTIALLY THE SAME MESSAGE -- RELAX 
CONTROL OVER THE ZONE AND THEN WE'LL SEE. 
 
7. (C) ON NOVEMBER 25, A DELEGATION OF "GROUP OF 
FACILITATORS" AMBASSADORS MET WITH REYES AND GOMEZ IN THE 
"DESPEJE."  ON NOVEMBER 26, A FOREIGN DIPLOMAT WHO WAS 
PRESENT AT THE MEETING TOLD POL/ECONCOUNS THAT THE 
ATMOSPHERICS WERE "VERY FORMAL," THAT REYES AND GOMEZ 
HAMMERED AT THE GOC SECURITY CONTROLS OVER THE DESPEJE, 
ESPECIALLY THE OVERFLIGHTS, AND THAT THEY WERE FIRM ON 
THEIR POSITION THAT CONTROLS HAVE TO BE RELAXED. 
 
8. (C) THE DIPLOMAT SAID THE AMBASSADORS, LED BY FRENCH 
AMBASSADOR PARFAIT (FRANCE IS NOW CHAIR OF THE "GROUP OF 
FACILITATORS," UNDER A ROTATING CHAIR SYSTEM), TOLD THE 
FARC THAT THE EU WILL MEET IN DECEMBER TO DISCUSS THE 
ISSUE OF FARC VISAS AND EXPLAINED THAT SOME MEMBERS WERE 
ADVOCATING A HARD LINE BASED ON THE FARC KIDNAPPINGS OF 
FOREIGNERS.  ASKED WHETHER THE GROUP HAD GIVEN THE FARC 
AN "ULTIMATUM" CALLING FOR THE FARC TO CHANGE ITS TACTICS 
OR LOSE THE VISAS, THE DIPLOMATS ANSWERED THAT NEITHER AN 
"ULTIMATUM," NOR A HARD MESSAGE HAD BEEN DELIVERED BY THE 
EU. 
 
9.  (C) THE DIPLOMAT SAID THAT THE GROUP ASKED THE FARC 
TO MAKE SOME TYPE OF "GESTURE" THAT WOULD HELP ADVANCE 
THE PEACE PROCESS.  IN THE END, THE FARC MADE NO PROMISES 
TO EITHER MAKE A "GESTURE" OR TO AGREE TO A BROADER 
MEETING WITH THE GOC NEGOTIATING TEAM AND FACILITATORS. 
INSTEAD, THE FARC COMPLAINED THAT SUCH A MEETING WAS 
UNLIKELY UNTIL/UNLESS THE GOC LIFTS SOME OF ITS SECURITY 
CONTROLS.  THE DIPLOMAT SAID THAT, INSTEAD, REYES AND 
GOMEZ USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAIL AGAINST THE UNITED 
NATIONS, WHICH THEY CHARACTERIZED AS AN UNREPRESENTATIVE 
BODY BECAUSE "SOCIALIST COUNTRIES ARE NOT FAIRLY 
REPRESENTED IN IT." 
 
10.  (C) COMMENT: THE FARC LEADERSHIP CONTINUES TO PLAY 
BRINKMANSHIP WITH THE PEACE PROCESS.  THEY HAVE NOT 
BUDGED AT ALL IN THEIR DEMAND THAT THE GOC RELAX ITS 
CONTROLS OVER THE "DESPEJE," BEFORE TALKS CAN RESUME. 
THE FARC LIKELY FEELS VULNERABLE TO THE COLOMBIAN 
SECURITY FORCES' ADDED SURVEILLANCE OF THE ZONE, WHICH 
THEY BELIEVE ADVERSELY IMPACTS THEIR ABILITY TO USE THE 
ZONE AS A REPOSITORY FOR KIDNAP VICTIMS AND STOLEN CATTLE 
AND VEHICLES; A REST AND RECUPERATION AND TRAINING AREA 
FOR COMBATANTS, AND A COCA GROWING ZONE.  MARULANDA'S 
LATEST OFFER TO DELAY TALKS UNTIL NEXT JANUARY 15 IS 
PROBABLY INTENDED TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE GOC AND THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (ESPECIALLY THE EUROPEANS) TO 
EASE UP ON CONTROLS OVER THE "DESPEJE" AND ON THE EU'S 
POSSIBLE REVOCATION OF VISAS TO LEVERAGE THE FARC. 
 
 
PATTERSON 
 
 
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