US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA6669

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BOGOTA 006669 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, SNAR, MASS, PREF, EAID, KJUS, CO 
SUBJECT: PLAN COLOMBIA IMPLEMENTATION ROUND-UP, JUNE, 2005 
 
1. (U) The following is an update of Plan Colombia activities 
reported during June, 2005. 
 
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DOJ/JSRP 
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2. (U) The results of Justice Department and USAID efforts in 
Bogota to assist Colombia in the conversion to an oral 
accusatory justice system are continuing to bear fruit.  The 
conversion has gone better than we had expected.  Details of 
success in this regard have been reported via septels. 
 
3. (U)  The Judicial Sector Reform Program (JSRP) provided 
training to police officers, judges and prosecutors in the 
following general courses: 
 
-- The "Investigator as a Witness" course was offered in 
Bogota, Bucaramanga, Cali, Ibague, Medellin, Tunja, 
Villavicencio and Yopal to approximately 400 judicial police 
from the Cuerpo Tecnico de Investigaciones (CTI), the 
Department of Administrative Security (DAS) and the Colombian 
National Police (CNP).  This two-week course is designed to 
prepare the police for the implementation of the new Criminal 
Procedure Code and the new role of the police investigator, 
covering topics such as preserving evidence, report writing 
and testimony in court.  This course combines classroom 
instruction with practical exercises including mock court 
proceedings. 
 
-- The "Police Instructor" course was offered to 60 police 
officers in Medellin.  The two-week course is designed to 
prepare them as instructors in training patrol officers in 
the accusatory system and the new Criminal Procedure Code. 
 
-- The "Patrol Officer" course was offered to 60 patrol 
officers in Bucaramanga.  The one-week course is designed to 
prepare them as instructors for fellow patrol officers in the 
new accusatory system and the new Criminal Procedure Code. 
 
-- The "Leadership for Judicial Police" course was offered to 
25 police unit chiefs, commanders, and office heads from the 
CNP, DAS and CTI in Cartagena.  The course focused on 
developing effective communication techniques, teamwork and 
group dynamics, leadership styles, and the accusatory system. 
 
-- The "Post Blast and Crime Scene Explosives" course was 
offered to 30 investigators, bomb technicians and forensic 
experts from the CNP, DAS, CTI and the Institute for Legal 
Medicine and Forensic Science (ILMFS).  The course focused on 
explosives theory, investigative techniques, evidence 
handling, chain of custody, live fire explosive 
demonstrations, and post-blast crime scene reconstruction. 
The course combined classroom instruction with practical 
crime scene scenarios.  DOJ and ATF combined to organize and 
provide instruction, including 5 ATF explosives instructors 
from the U.S. 
 
4. (U) The JSRP also offered the following courses in 
forensic training: 
 
-- The "Advanced Digital Photography" course was offered in 
Bogota to 25 crime scene experts from ILMFS, CNP, DAS and 
CTI.  The course taught techniques in photographing crime 
scenes and preparing for testimony in court. 
 
-- The "Expert Witness" course was offered in Bogota to 50 
forensic crime lab experts from ILMFS, CNP, DAS and CTI.  The 
course taught techniques in delivering effective testimony as 
experts in an accusatory system, including the testimony 
involving complex scientific evidence.  Forensic experts from 
the U.S. assisted Colombian and Embassy DOJ staff in 
organizing and presenting the course. 
 
-- The "Intellectual Property Theft" course was offered in 
Cali to 30 police investigators and forensic experts from the 
CNP and CTI in techniques and methods in the investigation of 
intellectual property crimes. 
 
5. (U) The JSRP also offered the following courses for 
prosecutors: 
-- The "Financial Analysis and Data Base Management" course 
was offered in Bogota to 50 prosecutors and investigators 
from the national and local Anti-Corruption units and the 
National Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit.  The 
course focused on how to analyze and understand financial 
information and databases to assist in the investigation and 
prosecution of public corruption, money laundering and asset 
forfeiture cases.  The course combined classroom instruction 
with practical exercises, including testimony and 
presentation of evidence in court. 
 
-- The "Criminal Trial Advocacy" course was offered in 
Medellin and Bogota to 120 prosecutors and 60 police 
investigators on the new Criminal Procedure Code and the 
accusatory system.  The course focused on the role of the 
prosecutor, police/prosecutor cooperation, evidence, 
presenting a prosecution, decisions about charging for 
crimes, plea bargaining, preparation for trial, and trial 
techniques.  This course combined classroom instruction with 
practical exercises including mock court proceedings and mock 
trials.  Five Assistant United States Attorneys assisted 
Colombian instructors and Embassy DOJ attorneys in providing 
instruction. 
 
6. (U) The JSRP also offered the "Criminal Trials" course to 
50 judges from Bogota, Santa Rosa and Tunja.  The course 
focused on the new Criminal Procedure Code and the accusatory 
system.  Topics included the role of the judge, the role of 
the litigating parties, preliminary hearings, evidence, 
making decisions in court, and presiding over trials.  This 
course combined classroom instruction with practical 
exercises including mock court proceedings and mock trials. 
 
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MILGROUP 
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7. (U) The helicopters for the Infrastructure Security 
Strategy (ISS) are on the ground in Saravena and the first 
two-week Air Assault Training began on June 2.  The U.S. 
Special Forces working with the 18th Brigade (BDE) 
Headquarters will begin Air Assault Staff Planning with the 
goal of having the 18th BDE produce an Air Assault order for 
the unit receiving training in Saravena in order to support 
the final field training.  The last four Huey IIs designated 
for the ISS mission arrived in Colombia on June 22. 
 
8. (U) Recently our intelligence-gathering effort has been 
reduced dramatically.  Relevant details will be reported in 
classified channels septel. 
 
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NAS 
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9. (U) The CNP, the Fiscalia, and the National Directorate of 
Dangerous Drugs (DNE) took a decisive step forward on June 9 
when they applied asset seizure and forfeiture laws for the 
first time to property being used to grow illicit crops (a 
violation of Colombia's counter-narcotics Law 30).  Under the 
protection of 150 mobile Carabinero policemen, specialized 
Fiscalia and DNE units deployed to Pensilvania, Caldas to 
notify the landowners that their property was now state 
property, and to serve notice that property owners can appeal 
the GOC's decision through a court process in Bogota. 
 
10. (U) The asset seizure and forfeiture program still has 
many obstacles to work though.  Of the 22 eligible properties 
in two neighboring Caldas municipalities, the GOC was able to 
identify and process the paperwork for just three properties 
in two days.  Helicopter support and extensive security was 
required to protect civilian representatives of the Fiscalia 
and DNE.  Last October, when the GME tried to enter the area 
to manually eradicate coca and gather evidence, a two-hour 
firefight began with a FARC front active in the area. 
Returning to the plot eight months later was difficult in the 
rugged terrain.  It is not clear whether the DNE could exert 
control over this land in the future.  The paperwork 
requirements for the process are onerous.  Landowners are not 
actually evicted, nor does the state take immediate control, 
as the term "occupy" might imply.  Fiscalia representatives 
explained that there is no defined time limit for appeal, and 
resolving the first cases could take up to two years, even 
though they are processed in a specially designated asset 
forfeiture court.  Perhaps most importantly, the GOC does not 
yet have a clear vision for how and where property seizures 
will be applied, nor does it have a public affairs campaign 
to garner maximum impact from the application of the rule of 
law. 
 
11. (U) Nevertheless, expanding the GOC's law enforcement 
presence so that cases can be processed against illicit crop 
growers who have never been sanctioned is a crucial first 
step.  This program may be the greatest benefit of manual 
eradication.  If this law is applied broadly throughout coca 
and opium poppy growing areas, it will be a powerful 
deterrent to illicit cultivation and should reduce high 
replant rates. 
 
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RSO 
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12. (SBU) The Presidential Security Program recently 
completed three advanced personal protective security courses 
this past month.  Twelve veteran agents of President Uribe's 
protective detail attended an advanced course on surveillance 
detection.  Twenty agents from the details of the president, 
vice-president, and Minister of Defense attended two 
advanced, anti-terrorist driving courses. 
 
13. (SBU) Anti-Kidnapping Initiative (AKI): Crisis Response 
Training (CRT) Course Number 9 officially began on June 6 and 
is scheduled to end on July 15.  The course is being 
presented to 24 members of the anti-kidnapping GAULA Army 
forces (Grupo de Accion Unificada para la Libertad Personal, 
or GAULA) in Santander.  In conjunction with DOJ 
representatives in the embassy, Colombian judicial personnel 
gave the first of three presentations on Colombian justice 
sector reforms to CRT Course number 9 on June 10.  This will 
be a permanent block of instruction for all GAULAs being 
trained at Sibate.  On June 1 RSO proposed to Vice Minister 
of Defense Andres Penate that CRT 10 begin on July 25 and be 
offered to GAULA Navy forces from Sucre.  As of June 20, the 
Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) Program will have five 
American instructors working with the 10 previously trained 
Colombian assistant instructors.  It is expected that these 
instructors will form the core of the future Colombian AKI 
training staff when the ATA Program transitions to the GOC. 
 
14. (SBU) The much awaited equipment donation for GAULA 
classes four through seven arrived in one large shipment on 
June 14.  On June 15 the shipment was transferred to the 
Fondo Rotatorio under armed security escort provided by the 
GOC to begin the process of legal transfer from the USG to 
the GOC ("nationalization").  The shipment has an approximate 
value of US $900,000.  The turnover of the donated equipment 
will depend on how long the nationalization process takes. 
On June 16, DS/ATA informed RSO that the Export Control 
License for the donation of equipment to GAULA eight had been 
signed.  This equipment should be ready for donation in late 
June or early July, after the nationalization process has 
been completed. 
 
15. (SBU) Sistema Integrado de Informacion Extorsion y 
Secuestro (SIIES):  The much-awaited initiation of the 
Cundinamarca Pilot Project began on June 15.  This is the 
first real test of the SIIES Program.  It is anticipated that 
the pilot will continue through the end of July as the bugs 
are ironed out.  If all goes well, there will be a gradual 
phase-in of the 31 remaining GAULAs.  This phase-in should be 
completed by September 30, 2005.  To date, the approximate 
value of equipment donated to the GOC in support of SIIES is 
US $84,300.  This equipment is composed of hardware, 
software, computers and servers. 
 
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USAID 
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16. (U) On June 4, President Uribe inaugurated USAID's 39th 
Justice House (Casa de Justicia) in Buenaventura (Valle). 
Justice Houses are multi-agency, one-stop centers that 
provide formal and informal dispute resolution services.  The 
centers operate in marginal areas of large cities and rural 
municipalities serving those who would otherwise not have 
access to formal justice services.  The Justice Houses 
Program is a nationwide effort to promote a more responsive, 
participatory and accountable democracy in Colombia.  To 
date, over 3.1 million cases have been handled through the 38 
Justice Houses.  By the end of FY2005, a total of 42 Justice 
Houses are anticipated to be in place. 
 
17. (U) On June 11, First Lady Uribe inaugurated USAID's 
ninth Co-existence Center in Sonson (Antioquia). 
Co-existence Centers are public spaces that provide access to 
formal justice and an opportunity for the community to 
promote citizen values and dispute resolution.  The center 
was co-financed by USAID (US $350,000), the Ministry of the 
Interior and Justice, and the Mayor of Sonson (US $150,000). 
It will provide services to roughly 40,000 citizens.  Through 
the International Organization for Migration, USAID's Peace 
Initiatives Program has established eight Co-existence 
Centers in the most conflictive and vulnerable municipalities 
in the country.  The GOC would like to establish 14 centers. 
 
18. (U) On June 14 USAID launched the "Promocion de Jovenes 
Empresarios en Situacion de Vulnerabilidad en la Zona de 
Influencia de Metrocable" Project in Medellin (Antioquia). 
The project will provide business skills training to roughly 
100 adolescents from the "Metrocable" area (Northeast of 
Medellin).  Adolescents in this area are extremely vulnerable 
to recruitment by illegal armed groups and other forms of 
urban delinquency.  The initiative is co-financed by USAID, 
the Pan American Foundation for Development, the Mayor of 
Medellin, the Caja de Compensacion Familiar de Antioquia, and 
Philip Morris Colombia S.A.  PADF's contribution to the 
project was raised during a gala-dinner for President Uribe 
held in Washington, D.C. in March, 2004. 
 
19. (U) Some 897 beneficiaries in ten different cities 
graduated from USAID's Program for Economic Assistance to 
IDPs, implemented by USAID partner CHF International.  The 
program generates new employment and promotes sustainable 
economic growth through activities such as technical 
training, job placement, and support to micro-enterprises. 
The majority of the beneficiaries who graduated this month 
received financial and technical support for their small and 
microbusinesses.  These beneficiaries are now averaging the 
income of two minimum salaries per month -- double their 
earnings at the start of the program.  To date, the program 
has benefited roughly 9,270 families nationwide.  In 
addition, the initiative has received nearly US $6 million in 
matching contributions from more than 35 organizations 
nationwide. 
WOOD