US embassy cable - 05LIMA2055

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIMA 002055 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2015 
TAGS: SNAR, PE 
SUBJECT: REVAMPING NAS SUPPORTED ERADICATION IN THE 
HUALLAGA VALLEY 
 
REF: A. LIMA 1929 B. LIMA 1794 C. LIMA 0906 
 
Classified By: SUSAN KEOGH, NAS DIRECTOR FOR REASON 1.4(c) 
 
1. (C) Peruvian National Police (PNP), with support from the 
Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) support and encouragement, 
decided to go after illicit coca in conflictive zones of the 
Huallaga Valley in CY 2005.   We planned coordinated 
interdiction and eradication ops for March and April in the 
Yanajanca area south of Santa Lucia and in the Pizana area to 
the north.  These were areas where GOP attempts to eradicate 
coca had been violently repelled by cocaleros involved in 
narco-trafficking and protected by elements of the Sendero 
Luminoso. 
 
2.  (U) The PNP mounted interdiction operations to find and 
destroy cocaine base laboratories in the Pizana area in 
February.  Eradication proceeded in Yanajanca in March. 
These police interventions were begun without incident. 
 
3.  (SBU) Then the cocaleros and narco-traffickers began to 
push back.  In both late February and late March, cocaleros 
protested U.S. and GOP coca eradication efforts by blocking 
major streets and highways with large rocks, wood and other 
debris.  These protests halted most overland vehicular 
traffic in the central jungle regions of the country.  The 
police responded by sending reinforcements to the area to 
clear the road, disperse the protesters and restore order. 
 
4. (C) Coca growers continue to protest against USAID-funded 
alternative development projects in both the Tingo Maria 
(Department of Huanuco) and San Francisco (Department of 
Ayacucho) areas.  Coca growers have written letters demanding 
that USAID and NGOs leave the area or &face the 
consequences.8  Post continues to monitor this activity and 
encourage host country police officials to assist and provide 
security support to the eradication and alternative 
development operations. 
 
5.    (c)   Attacks in the coca growing areas have become 
increasingly violent.  Among the most noteworthy: Three PNP 
officers were killed in a road attack on February 20, their 
weapons and supplies stolen and their vehicles burned. 
Evidence left at the scene led the police to believe this was 
a Sendero Luminoso operation in retaliation to recent police 
interdiction operations against illegal wood, gasoline and 
narcotics trafficking.  Another PNP officer was wounded by 
automatic weapons fire in a March 29 attack near Juanjui, San 
Martin.  SL also raided a number of local towns in the same 
region to obtain weapons, ammunition and supplies. 
 
6. (C) On April 12, 3 NAS helicopters were ambushed by an SL 
patrol on a sandbar in the Huamuco River after they had 
dropped off workers for an eradication mission.  On April 24, 
PNP troops raided a suspected house of an SL leader about 1 
kilometer from the site of the helicopter ambush.  The PNP 
found 3 automatic weapons, munitions and SL propaganda at the 
house and 4 cocaine laboratories nearby.  They detained 9 
people, 4 of whom have subsequently been linked by the Police 
to the helicopter attack.  To the north, the GOP had already 
begun eradicating coca fields in and around Pizana, the 
stronghold of cocalero leader Nancy Obregon.  On April 25, 
cocaleros massed and used slingshots to hurl large stones at 
the remaining helicopters that were extricating the last 
group of PNP security troops.  The tirade of rocks smashed a 
helicopter windshield and damaged a rotor blade (REF A). 
 
7. (C) Despite the cocalero attacks and protests, the PNP 
continues to support coca eradication efforts.  NAS is 
currently reviewing with the PNP our next steps in the 
Huallaga Valley in view of the threat to life and equipment 
posed by violent attacks by the SL and cocaleros.  The 
cocalero attacks on eradication helicopters with heavy stones 
that can be slung from 80 meters indicate a new level of 
organization and discipline in their ranks that will require 
new tactics in response.  We will encourage media and 
political leadership to focus on the Sendero/narco link more 
clearly that ever. 
 
8. (SBU) Eradication will continue but at a slower pace. 
These operations will require additional security and incur 
additional costs.  For the months of March and April in the 
Santa Lucia/Pizana area, costs for NAS aviation/police 
program support for eradication increased sharply because of 
additional security precautions.  The 536.07 hectares 
eradicated by CORAH in March cost a total of $796,454 in 
police and aviation support.  In April, as hostilities 
increased, the total of aviation and police support was 
$655,281 for 214 hectares of coca eradicated ) close to 
twice the cost per hectare eradicated in March. 
STRUBLE