US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA3422

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BOGOTA 003422 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, PGOV, PINR, CO 
SUBJECT: ZAPATERO VISIT AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR URIBE 
 
REF: CARACAS 951 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez 
Zapatero's March 31 visit to Bogota, as well as his 
participation in a March 29 four-party summit in Venezuela, 
produced positive results diplomatically for the GOC. 
Zapatero pledged support on the critical issues of terrorism 
and trade and supported Uribe in both public and private 
sessions in particular in response to Chavez criticisms of 
Uribe's security policy.  His meetings with GOC officials 
were largely ceremonial, however in closed-door discussions, 
Zapatero agreed to bilateral cooperation in a memo of 
understanding and discussed the plight of Colombian hostages. 
 The visit prompted criticism of Colombia's human rights 
record and Spain's proposed defense sales by Amnesty 
International and Colombian politicians respectively.  On 
July 11-12, Colombian President Uribe will make a state visit 
to Spain.  End summary. 
 
Zapatero's Visit Agenda 
----------------------- 
 
2.  (U) On March 31, President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero 
traveled to Colombia after the four-party summit with 
Venezuela, Brazil, and Spain and a bilateral visit to 
Venezuela (reftel).  Zapatero began his visit by hosting a 
30-minute breakfast with Spanish NGO representatives before 
his meetings with the GOC.  President Uribe welcomed him to 
Bogota's Casa Narino with full military honors.  Uribe also 
gave Zapatero the Order of San Carlos award, the highest 
recognition given to any foreigner, for outstanding service 
in advancing the interests of the Colombian people.  Congress 
bestowed him with the Great Cross award, and Mayor Luis 
(Lucho) Eduardo Garzon presented Zapatero with the key to 
Bogota.  Presidents Uribe and Zapatero had a one-hour 
bilateral meeting followed by an extensive joint press 
conference.  The six-hour visit was hailed in the media as 
highly successful. 
 
Low Expectations for Talks 
-------------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) Colombian President Alvaro Uribe emerged from 
Colombia's four-party summit and the subsequent bilateral 
visit with a neutral statement and pledges to augment 
regional cooperation against terrorism.  Zapatero and Lula's 
support for Uribe's anti-terrorism policies helped reinforce 
Uribe domestically and reign in some of Chavez' rhetoric 
against the Colombian government.  The March 29 summit, held 
in Ciudad Guyana, Venezuela, was originally organized to 
enhance regional cooperation and discuss Latin American 
development, according to President Chavez.  The Brazilian 
government recommended that the leaders use the meeting to 
further normalize Colombian-Venezuelan relations unhinged in 
January after FARC leader Rodrigo Granda's arrest.  Spain, a 
defense material supplier to both Colombia and Venezuela, was 
expected to discuss military sales to the region and justify 
their strategy.  Colombian Foreign Ministry contacts told us 
just before the summit that President Uribe had low 
expectations for a positive outcome in light of the other 
leaders' ideological predispositions and views on terrorism 
and poverty.  Prominent daily "El Tiempo" concurred, noting 
that Uribe would be the "odd man out." 
 
4.  (C) Indeed, the original draft declaration of the 
four-party summit had no reference to drugs or terrorism but 
did include an endorsement of Brazil for a permanent seat on 
the UN Security Council and language on the U.S. and Latin 
America the Colombians deemed unhelpful to the U.S and them. 
According to senior GOC officials, Uribe inserted 
counterterrorism and counternarcotics into the text and 
excised language on Brazil and the Security Council, the 
anti-U.S. language, and a line suggesting Colombian terrorism 
was the consequence of poverty. 
 
Anti-Terrorism Solidarity 
------------------------- 
5.  (U) According to GOC officials, both in the summit and in 
the subsequent bilateral meetings, Zapatero was unequivocal 
in his statements supporting the fight against terrorism and 
in enhancing regional cooperation.  He also joined Uribe in 
telling Chavez that he had to change his attitude toward the 
United States.  He pledged Spain's support and assistance in 
the GOC's struggle against terrorism and reaffirmed Spain's 
full backing for the Colombian government.  He specifically 
called on the National Liberation Army (ELN) to "cease and 
desist" its activities as their violent actions only caused 
terror and further violence.  Zapatero recognized Colombia's 
right to peace in his March 31 press conference and declared 
terrorism was never justified.  He stressed that any 
terrorist organization seeking peace had to agree to a 
complete cease-fire before discussions.  All the points 
concurred with President Uribe's demands of the ELN in the 
stalemated peace talks between the GOC and the ELN.  In the 
wake of the summit discussions about the ELN, Spanish, 
Venezuelan, and Brazilian Embassy officials in Bogota 
traveled to Itagui Prison, Antioquia Department on April 8 to 
meet with imprisoned ELN leader Francisco Galan and encourage 
a revitalization of talks. 
 
Betancourt's Mother Meets Zapatero 
----------------------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) Hostage exchange was the focal point of Zapatero's 
twenty-minute closed door meeting with Mayor Garzon, with 
much of the discussion focused on dual Colombian-French 
national Ingrid Betancourt.  Yolanda Pulecio, Betancourt's 
mother, entered the mayor's office out of public view and 
urged Zapatero to press the GOC to reach a hostage exchange 
with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). 
Pulecio has been a vocal proponent of an exchange during the 
three years of her daughter's captivity, but the FARC's 
pre-conditions of a demilitarized zone and the return of 
extradited leaders repeatedly stalled GOC overtures earlier 
this year.  Pulecio left the meeting optimistic that the 
Spanish government would be able to help her advance 
negotiations. 
 
Defense Sales Downplayed 
------------------------ 
 
7.  (U) Spain's defense material sale to Venezuela, which 
Colombian Defense Minister Uribe decried as a poor tactical 
move in February, was downplayed by President Uribe during 
the visit.  (A week after Zapatero's visit, Defense Minister 
Uribe told the media he was "not comfortable" with 
Venezuela's arms build-up.)  President Uribe's comments 
remained upbeat during the visit and in keeping with remarks 
he made last fall after Spain decided to cancel its tank sale 
to Colombia.  Both Rodriguez Zapatero and Uribe asserted that 
the sale of boats to Venezuela was not going to harm 
Colombia.  They added that the sale would actually strengthen 
Venezuelan capabilities to combat narcotics trafficking 
through their national territory.  Zapatero also announced 
plans to donate three C-212 airplanes to Colombia and open 
negotiations for helicopters with Colombia in an attempt to 
"retain regional balance." 
 
Critics Note Disapproval 
------------------------ 
 
8.  (U) The Colombian Congress was not as positive about the 
sale.  Congress President Luis Humberto Gomez Gallo pressed 
Zapatero during his award ceremony remarks before the 
plenary.  He condemned Spain's proposed defense article sales 
to Colombia and Venezuela and declared that Latin America 
needed universities and schools rather than weapons. 
Zapatero responded that security, especially regional 
security, was a burden that all should share.   Senator Pardo 
also denounced Spain's arms deal in an April 2 editorial in 
weekly Medellin newspaper "El Espectador."  He noted that 
Spanish sales representative traveled to Venezuela during the 
height of Colombia-Venezuela bilateral tensions and then 
Zapatero "shamelessly and cynically" sealed the deal in the 
March visit.  Several members of Congress plan to hold 
hearings on the arms sales soon. 
9.  (U) In a separate move, Amnesty International and 
European intellectuals claimed that Zapatero failed to spend 
adequate time on human rights problems.  Although their 
criticism failed to receive local media coverage, it could be 
a foreshadowing of human rights criticism and protests in 
Uribe's July visit. 
 
Closer Ties and State Visit 
--------------------------- 
 
10.  (U) Uribe and Zapatero pledged to enhance commercial and 
cultural ties in a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding 
(MOU) signed during the visit.  Spain is the second largest 
foreign investor after the United States, and the agreement 
outlines the intent to promote bilateral trade in the areas 
of energy, telecommunications, infrastructure projects, 
tourism, and technology.  While the MOU left the specifics to 
future agreements, it flagged Spain's intent to strengthen 
economic ties with Colombia over and above the defense sales. 
 Zapatero also agreed to support Colombia in European Union 
fora, a group that has been critical of the GOC for its human 
rights record.  The EU's increased discriminatory tariffs on 
bananas from Colombia, among other countries, may be an area 
where the Colombians now expect Spain to use its  influence 
for the better. 
 
11.  (U) President Uribe announced plans to make a state 
visit to Spain on July 11-12.  He said he planned to build on 
the two MOUs (to foment trade and combat terrorism) signed 
during Zapatero's visit.  The visit was postponed from the 
February date when President Uribe came down with a serious 
inner-ear infection and was unable to travel. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
12. (C) All reports here indicate adequate chemistry between 
Rodriguez Zapatero and Uribe.  Uribe's state visit in July 
offers an opportunity to deepen counter-drug and 
counter-terror cooperation, and to close on additional 
Spanish security, development, and humanitarian aid to 
Colombia.  For instance, we already hear that Spain is 
considering providing -- in some form -- a Blackhawk 
helicopter simulator that is a high priority for Colombia and 
for us (to reduce pilot failure accidents and accelerate the 
Colombianization of our helo program).  We will track the 
July meeting closely and hope Embassy Madrid will do the same. 
WOOD