US embassy cable - 04BOGOTA12275

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 012275 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/AND, DRL/IRF, DRL/PHD, DS/DSS/ITA, AND 
CA/OSC/ACS/WHA - JNYSTROM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, PGOV, KJUS, CASC, CO 
SUBJECT: FISCALIA INVESTIGATES TAOIST COMMUNITY IN 
SANTANDER DEPARTMENT 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: On November 25, officials from the Office of 
the Prosecutor General ("Fiscalia") raided a Taoist commune 
located in a remote region of Santander Department to 
investigate allegations that the commune's leadership was 
involved in opium production and kidnapping.  The allegations 
were raised by eight former commune members, four of whom 
have been murdered in recent months.  Authorities entered the 
commune with arrest warrants for twelve commune members and 
are investigating possible involvement of commune leaders in 
the murders of the four informants.  Commune leaders have 
denied any wrongdoing and allege the raid was part of a 
larger GOC plot to close down the commune.  International Red 
Cross (ICRC) representatives departed the scene on November 
29 after determining no violation of international 
humanitarian law had been committed.  Although commune 
leaders say many residents are foreigners, post has been 
unable to verify whether any U.S. citizens are present.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. (U) On November 25, a team of Fiscalia prosecutors and 
judicial investigators -- accompanied by approximately 400 
personnel from the Colombian National Police (CNP), Colombian 
Army (COLAR), Department of Administrative Security (DAS), 
and Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) -- raided 
the Templo Vegetal Sakroakuarius, a Taoist commune located in 
rural Taladro municipality, Santander Department.  The raid 
was based on information provided by eight former commune 
members alleging the commune's leadership was engaged in 
illegal activities, including opium production and 
kidnapping.  Some informants alleged the commune holds some 
residents there against their will.  According to media 
reports, four of the eight informants have been murdered by 
hitmen in the past three months.  The remaining four have 
been placed in the Fiscalia's witness protection program. 
 
3. (U) Prosecutors entered the commune compound, located in a 
remote, mountainous area, with arrest warrants for twelve 
commune members charged with possession of illegal arms and 
kidnapping.  (None of the twelve were present when the 
prosecutors arrived.)  Two of the informants -- wearing hoods 
to protect their identities -- accompanied prosecutors. 
According to media reports, the Fiscalia confiscated four 
grenades, ten radios, vehicles with foreign license plates, 
and three motorcycles.  In a press interview, General 
Hipolito Herrera told reporters the police are investigating 
whether the commune's leadership ordered the murders of the 
four informants.  Post has not yet been able to confirm this 
information with the Fiscalia.  The commune's leadership has 
repeatedly denied any involvement in kidnapping, narcotics 
trafficking, or other illegal activities. 
 
4. (C) The commune's leadership claims the Fiscalia's raid is 
part of a larger plot designed to close down the commune and 
has alleged that COLAR personnel have forced more than 200 
families to evacuate the compound.  The community's isolation 
in a region with a significant guerrilla presence makes it 
difficult to gather accurate information.  However, ICRC 
representatives told us their personnel departed the area on 
November 29 after determining the incident was out of ICRC's 
jurisdiction because no violation of international 
humanitarian law had been committed.  The number of commune 
residents is unknown.  According to an urgent action e-mail 
issued by commune leaders, the commune's members are citizens 
of Colombia, the United States, and a number of Western 
European and Latin American countries.  Although ICRC 
verified the presence of British and Salvadoran citizens, 
post has been unable to confirm whether any U.S. citizens are 
residents of the commune. 
 
WOOD