US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA6681

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006681 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, CO, MOPS, PTER, Human Rts 
SUBJECT: ACCUSATIONS OF COLMIL THIRD BRIGADE FOOD 
CONFISCATIONS AGAINST INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN CAUCA APPEAR 
NOT WARRANTED 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) Patricia Dahl, New York affiliate director of 
Wisconsin-based human rights NGO, Colombia Support Network 
(CSN), met with the Embassy on June 27 to discuss alleged 
food confiscations by the Colombian Military Third Brigade 
against civilian groups in Alta Naya, Cauca Department.  Dahl 
was accompanied by Paez (or \"Nasa\") indigenous governor of 
Alta Naya, Enrique Guetio.  Although the Third Brigade has 
admitted confiscating food from community bodegas and private 
homes, they insist the items in question -- which included 
gasoline and drug precursor chemicals -- have been routinely 
given to the FARC for drug processing.  Guetio admitted to 
Emboffs that the items taken by the Third Brigade were used 
for drug processing by his tribe, and accused Afro-Colombians 
and farmers (or \"campesinos\") in the area of doing the same. 
However, he declined to say whether these items were given to 
the FARC as the Third Brigade alleges.  End Summary. 
 
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CONFISCATIONS 
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2.  (C) Dahl, a vocal critic of U.S. policy, compared Plan 
Colombia to USG efforts in Iraq, calling both \"evidence of 
U.S. human rights violations.\"  She alleged that civilians 
living in Cauca are \"forced\" to grow illicit crops for 
economic reasons, and accused COLMIL of having a \"free pass\" 
to confiscate.  Dahl displayed a letter she received written 
in Spanish and dated February 16, 2005 from Brigadier General 
Perez Molina (Third Brigade Commander) saying that the 
confiscations were done because they believed the materials 
found in private homes and bodegas were given to the FARC for 
drug processing.  Guetio admitted that his people -- as well 
as Afro-Colombian and campesino groups in the area -- are 
directly involved with illicit crop cultivation, were keeping 
food, gasoline, and drug precursor chemicals in private homes 
and bodegas shared by the whole community, but declined to 
say whether there was any connection with indigenous or other 
communities to the FARC.  He said a police report 
(\"denuncio\") was submitted in early February to the local 
Procurador\'s office regarding confiscated items taken on 
January 20, but no investigation had been conducted.  Guetio 
accused the Third Brigade of forcing illicit crop growers to 
\"pay taxes\" on precursor chemicals and gasoline. 
 
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SECURITY 
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3.  (C) Guetio insisted COLMIL was not securing the peace. 
He claimed the COLMIL was attacking indigenous in the area. 
Guetio asserted the April 2005 FARC attack on the population 
in Toribio as orchestrated by COLMIL.  He gave no specific 
information to substantiate this claim.  Guetio mentioned 
that he met with Third Brigade Lt. Col. Bayron Gabriel 
Carvajal about security and food confiscations in April.  He 
said the meeting was cordial but yielded little. 
 
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FUMIGATION 
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4.  (C) Guetio and Dahl asserted fumigation in Cauca has hurt 
children and livestock, as well as destroyed crops.  Neither 
had specifics with the exception of a case from 1993 where 
Guetio claimed 23 children and several animals were killed. 
Guetio said an investigation was never completed by the 
Fiscalia due to pressure by the FARC and GOC who did not want 
details of the case released. 
WOOD