US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA2011

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 002011 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2015 
TAGS: CASC, PGOV, PHUM, CO 
SUBJECT: FARC REPEATS EXCHANGE TERMS AND ATTACKS 
DEMOBILIZATION LAW 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood; reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) On February 25, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of 
Colombia (FARC) released a communique reiterating its 
interest in a humanitarian exchange of prisoners with the 
GOC.  Such an exchange, according to  the FARC leadership, 
would have to include Simon Trinidad (extradited to the U.S. 
in December), Rodrigo Granda Escobar (aka Ricardo Gonzalez), 
and Omaira Rojas Cabrera (aka Sonia, soon to be extradited to 
the U.S.).  The communique condemns the various versions of 
the demobilization law currently before the Congress, and, 
looking to the post-Uribe political landscape, insists that 
any future dialogue with a "new" government be predicated on 
the recognition of the FARC as "an armed revolutionary 
political body" separate from the GOC. 
 
2. (C) The latest FARC communique comes twelve days after the 
second anniversary of its kidnapping of three U.S. 
contractors, and two days after the third anniversary of its 
capture of Colombian-French national Ingrid Betancourt.  The 
French have been particularly vocal in recent days about 
their interest in exchanging Betancourt as soon as possible. 
This is the first time the FARC leadership has explicitly 
demanded in a formal communique that Simon Trinidad, Sonia, 
and Ricardo Gonzalez be part of any prisoner exchange.  This 
is the FARC's first public pronouncement on the 
demobilization law as well. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT: International Committee for the Red Cross 
(ICRC)  representatives (who deal regularly with illegal 
armed groups in Colombia) say coordinating communiques among 
the FARC Secretariat (EMBO) is a lengthy process.  So this 
message may trace back to President Uribe's attempt to link 
Simon Trindad's extradition to a humanitarian release. 
Comments on the demobilization law were probably an after 
thought, following reports of internal GOC dissension over 
the law, Uribe's insistence that the law apply to all illegal 
armed groups, and growing pressure from the international 
community for a strong legal framework.  Chances of the GOC 
responding positively to this latest communique are remote. 
References to dealing with a "new" GOC resurrect FARC 
attempts to manipulate the re-election issue.  End comment. 
 
4. (U) Begin informal translation: 
 
Communique of the FARC 
 
The families of our prisoners of war are increasingly anxious 
and unhappy with the Government of Colombia for freezing any 
possibility of a humanitarian exchange, mediated by important 
people, the Catholic Church or the international community. 
They are also unhappy with the government's subsequent 
attempt to blackmail the FARC with the unfair extradition of 
Simon Trinidad to the United States.  They know that, without 
the return of Simon to Colombia, the possibility of a swap 
agreement remains remote.  The blame for this falls on Alvaro 
Uribe and his government team. 
 
Our prisoner swap proposal, well-known both here and abroad, 
remains unchangeable.  We are disposed to appear with our 
spokesmen in the municipalities of Pradera and Florida 
municipalities in Valle de Cauca Department.  Once those 
locations become demilitarized, our goal to create, sign and 
carry out an agreement to turn over a group of hostages would 
depend on the government's release of all guerrillas held in 
custody, including Simon Trinidad, Ricardo Gonzalez and 
Sonia. 
 
With respect to the grotesque Law of Truth, Justice and 
Reparation, or the Law of Justice and Peace, the government 
is hoping to satisfy the demands of narco-paramilitary gangs 
with their enormous fortunes amassed by blood and fire.  At 
the same time, they conceal crimes against humanity with 
impunity and screen the State's complicity in those crimes, 
as demonstrated convincingly in the case of Mapiripan. 
 
-- The cynical law proposal, presented by the Government 
under the umbrella of the Democratic Security policy, only 
benefits criminals and the terrorist state.  The latter is 
the primary instigator of the massacres, murders, 
disappearances and forced displacement endured daily by 
hundreds of people, humble country folk, the population of 
our Fatherland. 
 
-- Whatever the latest maneuvers of the current paramilitary 
government may be, the state and governing class will pay for 
the political genocide against more than five thousand 
participants of the Patriotic Union, the Communist Party and 
other social and popular organizations. 
 
The revolutionary guerrillas of the FARC have started, 
developed, and now participate in the legitimate fight of the 
people against inequities, be they societal, political, 
economic, or cultural, denied by the State and its rulers 
over the last 40 years.  The attempt to compare the 
insurgency, constructed as an armed political movement 
against the State, with bands of mercenaries serving the 
interests of the oligarchy and its government Reign is an 
outrage perpetuated by the Government as a way to distance 
themselves from the longings of peace, social justice, 
sovereignty, and independence of the national majority. 
 
Future dialogues between the new Government and the FARC 
towards the quest for definitive and lasting peace are 
predicated on the recognition of our identity as an armed 
revolutionary political body of the people, separate from the 
governing regime, where a National Constituent Assembly 
should ratify agreements. 
 
Secretariat of the Central Command of the FARC 
 
SIPDIS 
Mountains of Colombia, February 25, 2005 
 
End text. 
WOOD