US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA8696

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BOGOTA 008696 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2020 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, ASEC, CO 
SUBJECT: THE FARC'S INTERNATIONAL TENTACLES 
 
Classified By: Charge Milton K. Drucker, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia 
(FARC) has outgrown its local roots and should now be 
characterized as a regional terrorist group with hemispheric 
reach.  Its tentacles reach into many Latin American 
countries.  International law enforcement cooperation has led 
to the arrest of five key FARC "ambassadors" or operatives in 
four Latin American countries over the past three years, 
dealing a blow to the organization's propaganda and 
fund-raising activities.  The FARC still maintains 
"ambassadors" and other operatives in Latin America, however, 
highlighting its continued international presence and 
ambitions.  End summary. 
 
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LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION DEALS BLOW TO FARC 
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2. (U) Brazilian police arrested the FARC's "ambassador" in 
Brazil, Francisco Antonio Medina Collazos, on an Interpol 
warrant August 24, making Medina the fifth key FARC operative 
arrested in Latin America in the past three years.  His 
extradition to Colombia is pending.  Longtime FARC member 
Medina, aka "El Cura," aka "Pacho," aka "Oliverio Medina," is 
wanted in Colombia for murder for his leadership of the 1991 
attack on a military base in Meta in which a number of people 
died.  According to Colombian press accounts, Medina 
organized from Sao Paulo the FARC's outreach to Argentina, 
Chile, Uruguay, and Bolivia. 
 
3. (U) Aside from Medina, international law enforcement 
cooperation has led to the arrest and extradition of an 
additional four key FARC "ambassadors" in Latin America: 
Eugenio Vargas Perdomo (aka "Carlos Bolas"), arrested in 
Suriname in June 2002; "Simon Trinidad," seized in Ecuador in 
January 2004; Rodrigo Granda, captured in Venezuela in 
December 2004; and Juan Jose Martin Vega (aka "El Chiguiro"), 
detained in Venezuela in February 2005. 
 
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FARC MAINTAINS, REPLENISHES OVERSEAS OPERATIVES 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
4. (SBU) We understand that at least eight FARC "ambassadors" 
continue to have representational and other responsibilities 
in Latin America, some covering more than one country.  They 
are the tip of the iceberg but have the highest profile of 
the FARC's international operatives.  According to weekly 
magazine "Cambio," the individuals are: 
 
Pablo Trejos Freyre: Peru 
 
Nubia Calderon (aka "Esperanza"): Ecuador and Bolivia 
 
Aldo Moscote Fragoso: Venezuela 
 
Luis Alberto Alban Urbano (aka "Marco Leon Calarca"): Cuba 
and Canada 
 
Jairo Alfonso Lesmes: Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile 
 
Ovidio Salinas Perez (aka "Juan A. Rojas"): Panama and 
Venezuela 
 
Miguel Angel Castaneda (aka "Miguel Diaz Pachi"): Costa Rica 
 
Hernando Vanegas: Sweden 
 
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Andean Nation Outreach 
---------------------- 
 
5. (C) Proximity, lax border controls, and government 
inaction make neighboring nations the number one target for 
FARC international missions.  The FARC does business, 
transits and even trains nationals from other countries in 
the Andean region, most often in Venezuela and Ecuador.  One 
of the FARC's goals is to export the "revolution," so some 
members focus on gaining support and establishing a 
revolutionary network in select countries abroad. In 
addition, the FARC reportedly meets and works with leftist 
groups in several Latin American countries. 
 
-- Venezuela: In addition to Granda and "El Chiguiro," the 
GOC has requested the immediate arrest of seven other 
high-profile FARC leaders known to reside in Venezuela. 
Hundreds of members reside in camps across the border from 
Colombia's Cesar and Norte de Santander Departments. 
According to the GOC, the Venezuelan government has provided 
safe-haven (including official Venezuelan identity cards), to 
FARC operatives since 2001 and ignored Colombian requests to 
expel FARC members.  Over the last several years, Venezuela 
has become a major supplier for FARC camps in southern 
Colombia. 
 
-- Ecuador: The FARC historically has enjoyed safehaven and 
medical treatment in Ecuador, although the GOE is working now 
to hinder FARC activity, and arrest and extradite members. 
Since the Ecuadorian border is adjacent to the FARC's 
southern strongholds, many guerrillas cross the border 
freely.  The Ecuadorian Government does not have the 
resources to defend the border, stop routine FARC incursions 
and impede camps from migrating into Ecuador.   Nevertheless, 
the January 2004 arrest of Simon Trinidad and subsequent 
extraditions has put the FARC on the defensive and ensured a 
lower-profile presence.  A February 2005 communique to the 
Ecuadorians called on the president to carry out his 
agreement with the FARC.  Ecuador denied all knowledge of any 
"agreement" and pledged to continue the fight against the 
group. 
 
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Southern Cone Activity 
---------------------- 
 
6. (C) Southern Cone nations have had less contact with the 
FARC, but there is evidence that the group is active in the 
area.  Like the Andean nations, Southern Cone nations have 
weak border controls and the access to weapons that the FARC 
is seeking. 
 
-- Paraguay: The FARC made front-page headlines with evidence 
that they masterminded the kidnapping of former Paraguayan 
President Raul Cubas' daughter, Cecilia Cubas in September 
2004.  According to reports by post and the media, FARC 
leader Rodrigo Granda (subsequently captured in Venezuela in 
December 2004) was behind the crime.  Paraguayan Attorney 
General Latorre accused the FARC of training Paraguayans in 
kidnapping methods in exchange for weapons.  It is clear that 
the FARC uses Paraguay as a significant weapons source and 
logistical base.  As a result, the GOP has created a special 
unit to target the FARC and gather information about FARC 
activity in country. 
 
-- Brazil: Brazil has been less affected by FARC activities 
than other neighboring nations, but there is recent evidence 
of a small presence.  In March, the Brazilian media outlined 
allegations that the FARC had funded the Brazilian PT 
(Worker's Party) during the 2002 elections.  Brazilian weekly 
magazine "Veja" reported that there was some evidence in the 
Brazilian intelligence agency that the FARC gave USD 5 
million to the party and the GOB has opened an investigation 
into the matter.  In a separate incident, Brazilian 
authorities along the Amazon border seized a shipment of 
medicine, guns and munitions destined for the FARC.  The 
medicine was to treat leishmaniasis, a potentially fatal 
parasitic infection, which has been a problem for both GOC 
forces and the FARC in the jungle combat zone.   Brazilian 
press speculated that other medicine shipments for the FARC 
had probably passed that border region undetected. 
 
-- Chile: Chile is another nation used by the FARC as a 
narcotics consumer and occasional safehaven.  In November 
2004, Chilean officials were asked to grant asylum for FARC 
leader Jairo Curan Collazo, who reportedly entered Chile with 
fake identification and eluded Colombian law enforcement. 
 
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Central America and Caribbean Ties 
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7. (C) The FARC has some presence in both Central America and 
the Caribbean, most notably in Cuba and Panama. 
 
-- Cuba: Given ideological sympathies, the FARC and Cuban 
authorities have maintained a cordial relationship.  Cuba 
offers safe haven to FARC international front leader Raul 
Reyes' wife and children among others.  Cuba's ties to the 
FARC seem to have declined since President Uribe took office 
in 2002, but there is evidence that Cuba's doors remain open 
to members. 
 
-- Panama: U.S. law enforcement and intelligence reports 
indicate that Panama has been used as a money-laundering 
destination for the FARC.  While the GOP banking authorities 
attempt to crack down by calling on all banks to follow 
international anti-money laundering guidelines and avoid 
narco-terrorist entities (such as those named by U.S. 
Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control) standards, the 
Colon Free Zone, a booming casino industry, and geography 
leave it open to free movement and ongoing trans-border 
activity. 
 
-- Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua: According to press 
reports, at least two FARC members were arrested in Honduras 
for arms and drug trafficking on March 20.  Honduran Minister 
of Security Alvarez claimed that the weapons being shipped to 
Colombia included AK-47 and M-60 machine-guns and RPG-6 
rocket launchers, as well as ammunition, and grenades. 
Alvarez also claimed that the FARC had made an attempt 
against President Ricardo Maduro's life in March, although 
there was no substantial proof to back the claim.  Some 
intelligence reports claim that in Nicaragua, El Salvador, 
and Guatemala FARC representatives conduct weapons for drugs 
(or cash) deals on occasion.  San Andres Island, a department 
of Colombia off the coast of Nicaragua, is a convenient 
transport point. 
 
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Echoes in Europe, Though Fainter 
-------------------------------- 
 
8. (C) In 2001, Raul Reyes, the FARC's International Front 
Director and 33 other FARC members took a month long tour of 
European capitals as part of the Pastrana peace negotiations. 
 According to the national weekly magazine "Cambio," the FARC 
had placed permanent representatives in Spain and Sweden and 
even established a FM radio station in Stockholm during the 
Pastrana administration.  However, the 2002 kidnapping of 
Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian dual national, prompted 
European nations to declare the FARC a foreign terrorist 
organizations in June 2002 and placed sanctions on the group. 
 The FARC have had a continued presence in several European 
nations, but unofficial interactions between the FARC and 
sympathetic non-governmental groups have become more 
clandestine. 
 
-- Denmark:  In October 2004, Danish police began an 
investigation of the Danish NGO "Rebelion Association" 
members who publicly claimed that they raised and sent (USD 
8,500) to the FARC.  When confronted by police, the group 
claimed that no money was actually transferred, but rather 
the announcement had been to show solidarity with the FARC's 
cause.  In August, Rebelion was charged with supporting and 
attempting to fund the FARC.  The Danish courts agreed to 
partially shut down the website. 
 
-- Sweden: ANNCOL, a website that touts the news for "a new 
Colombia," carries articles from Latin American and European 
journalists.  The group has maintained a website since 1998 
which prints all FARC correspondence and serves as a public 
relations branch and a media outlet for the organization. 
Raul Reyes routinely posts interviews on the website. 
 
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Comment 
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9. (C) The FARC began life in 1964 as a peasant community 
self-defense group whose international activities were 
minimal.  Recent arrests in several Latin American countries 
demonstrate just how far the FARC's reach extends.  FARC 
operatives in Latin America play an important role in raising 
money, forging or buying political support, and securing R&R 
or medical facilities for FARC guerrillas.  The FARC has 
taken significant blows in recent years from the Colombian 
military and Latin American governments, but the fact that 
arrests have been made and FARC activities disrupted 
demonstrates that it is now more accurately characterized at 
a minimum as a regional terrorist organization with 
hemispheric reach.  End comment. 
DRUCKER