US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA5980

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 005980 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PHUM, KJUS, CO, OAS, AUC 
SUBJECT: AUC'S HEROES OF TOLOVA DEMOBILIZE 
 
REF: A. BOGOTA 005310 
     B. BOGOTA 005567 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood; reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d) 
 
1. (U) Summary: Over 450 members of the "Heroes of Tolova 
Bloc of the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) 
demobilized on June 15.  Both government and paramilitary 
speakers welcomed the move and encouraged demobilizing forces 
to return to a peaceful, civilian life.  Diego Murillo ("Don 
Berna") attended the ceremony under police supervision and 
formally demobilized at the end of the event.  Other 
paramilitary leaders like Salvatore Mancuso and Javier 
Montanez remained quiet during the ceremony.  GOC officials 
have established an organized procedure for processing 
demobilized fighters and are satisfied they have fixed the 
interagency communication problems.  End summary. 
 
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Heroes of Tolova Leave the AUC 
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2. (U) The AUC's Heroes of Tolova Bloc demobilized on June 
15, in the first ceremony since La Mojana Bloc demobilized 
last February.  The group historically had been a protection 
force for AUC leader Diego Murillo, ("Don Berna" or "Adolfo 
Paz") and was the first to demobilize after his surrender on 
May 27 (Ref A).  The Heroes of Tolova disbanded in the hamlet 
of "Altos de la Rusia Ocho", in Valencia municipality, 
central Cordoba Department.  The Bloc was made up of 464 
fighters, many from the immediate area.  The fighters turned 
in 256 weapons during the ceremony.  Young locals accounted 
for the majority of fighters in the Bloc.  Many said they 
planned to find employment by working on area farms.  Since 
2003, 5,284 paramilitaries have demobilized in collective 
processes. 
 
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Restrepo Discusses GOC Security Efforts 
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3. (U) High Commissioner for Peace Luis Carlos Restrepo spoke 
on behalf of the GOC at the ceremony, and local government 
officials also addressed the group.  He welcomed the latest 
demobilization and said the GOC had plans to launch a 
security pilot program in Cordoba.  The program would allow 
enhanced means of communication between the citizens and 
military/police forces in the area.  Restrepo emphasized that 
the government would be able to better defend the area with 
information on threats against Cordoba communities.  He also 
mentioned plans to provide basic education to any fighters 
who did not complete their basic education.  In addition to 
the Heroes of Tolova, Restrepo will be attending four other 
demobilizations over the next couple of months (Ref B). 
 
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Don Berna Leaves the AUC 
------------------------ 
 
4. (C) As part of Murillo's surrender agreement, the GOC 
temporarily named him an active AUC member and gave him 
permission to attend the ceremony under police supervision. 
Murillo arrived by police helicopter from his house arrest 
location and was returned immediately after the ceremony 
ended.  Emboffs passed the site on the way to the 
demobilization ceremony.  The property consists of a small 
house and a stable for horses but was modest in contrast to 
Don Berna's Rialito home, according to the Director for 
National Reintegration, Juan David Angel.  He added that 
Murillo's holding site belonged to a fellow AUC member who 
offered the use of his property with the GOC's concurrence. 
Several locals stopped to take pictures, but the heavy police 
security kept gawkers behind the perimeter. 
 
5. (C) When the ceremony began, Murillo proceeded directly to 
the head table and later addressed troops.  He told the 
Heroes of Tolova Bloc that his journey towards peace started 
over a year ago with the demobilization of the Cacique 
Nutibara Bloc (BCN) in Medellin and would continue.  He 
reassured the troops that they could rely on the government 
to protect them from guerrilla activity and encouraged them 
to return to a peaceful, productive life.  Although the 
troops cheered Murillo's words, they also literally kissed 
their weapons good-bye as they handed them over to OAS 
verification officials.  Some of the more senior paramilitary 
members saluted the AUC commanders as they moved back into 
the ranks.  Murillo signed the renunciation of violence 
document on behalf of the Bloc. 
 
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Baez Tones Down Rhetoric, Other Leaders Remain Quiet 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
6. (U) Bombastic paramilitary commander "Ernesto Baez" 
remained relatively subdued during his speech.  He claimed 
that Restrepo was an "intransigent enemy for illegal armed 
groups," but asserted that both the AUC and government were 
working towards the same ultimate objective of peace in 
Colombia.  He further mentioned that Restrepo had shown AUC 
leaders the connection between institution building and 
national peace.  Baez did not raise the Justice and Peace 
legislation, but he did pledge that the AUC would neither 
coerce nor interfere in the 2006 elections in any way.  "Even 
if the Congress provokes us with leftist legislation, we will 
not interfere," said Baez. 
 
7. (U) Salvatore Mancuso and Javier Montanez also attended 
the ceremony but did not address the crowd.  Mancuso remained 
behind stage throughout the process and then boarded his 
vehicle out of public view.  He told Angel that he did not 
want to cause a stir with his presence.  Other than brief 
conversations with AUC leaders on the margins of the event, 
he did not participate.  Montanez was at the head table but 
also remained quiet.  Vicente Castano, a new player in the 
AUC negotiations, did not attend. 
 
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GOC Officials Pleased with Demobilization Procedures 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
8. (C) Angel and Restrepo both told Embassy attendees they 
were pleased with the process (i.e. registration, 
identification, and legal processing on candidates) and noted 
that demobilization procedures had improved with each group. 
Angel explained the process during a tour as he showed 
Emboffs the rooms used to collect information, process 
identification cards and sign renunciations of violence.  The 
Heroes of Tolova were the first bloc to have an armory where 
fighters could rest their weapons while being processed. 
 
9. (C) Interior Ministry staff commented that registration 
was a particular issue with the Bloc because almost forty 
members lacked identification cards and the local registrar 
refused to process documents on Wednesdays, Saturdays or 
Sundays.  By the day of the official ceremony, ten people 
still awaited their identification.  Nevertheless, the 
interagency cooperation between David's reinsertion staff and 
Restrepo's peace process staff has improved over previous 
demobilizations.  "I think we have finally gotten it right," 
said Restrepo. 
WOOD