US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA10889

UNCLAS BOGOTA 010889 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, MARR, MOPS, PHUM, SNAR, CO 
SUBJECT: NEWS FROM THE FARC FRONT 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (U) On November 20, President Uribe authorized Peace 
Commissioner Restrepo to organize an international commission 
to help facilitate a hostage exchange with the Revolutionary 
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).  Restrepo had earlier called 
on the FARC to commit itself to a cease-fire and peace talks 
on November 16 when he presided over the group demobilization 
of the FARC's "Norma Patricia Galeano" front.  The 
international commission and group demobilization contrast 
with the FARC's two recent messages reaffirming its 
revolutionary goals and enticing Colombian military 
desertions.  (Over 4,000 FARC terrorists have deserted during 
the Uribe Administration.)  The FARC statements highlight the 
organization's intransigence.  End summary. 
 
Uribe Authorizes International Commission 
----------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) In a new initiative to overcome the impasse in 
hostage exchange negotiations, President Uribe directed Peace 
Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo to work with an 
international commission to negotiate a prisoner swap with 
the FARC.  The GOC and FARC have been unable to agree on the 
swap location and the security provisions of those areas. 
Leading daily El Tiempo reported that Restrepo had discussed 
the international commission idea while on his recent trip to 
France and Switzerland.  El Tiempo added that the initiative 
came about as a response to Ingrid Betancourt's mother, 
Yolanda Pulecio's, most recent request that the GOC not use 
military force to free her daughter.  On November 12, Pulecio 
publicly announced that Uribe did not qualify for 
re-election, since her daughter was still captive, contending 
that the GOC had failed to obey necessary procedures to allow 
competitive elections.  Although her contention was largely 
dismissed, the GOC has attempted to revive the humanitarian 
exchange negotiations and show some movement on the issue. 
 
First FARC Group Demobilization 
------------------------------- 
 
3. (U) On November 16, 24 members of the urban FARC "Norma 
Patricia Galeano" front in Ibague, Tolima Department 
demobilized as a group, voluntarily surrendering their arms 
and joining the civil reintegration program.  The front had 
been operational in the Ibague/Espinal areas since 1987. 
Restrepo attended the ceremony and called on the members of 
the FARC Secretariat to agree to a cease-fire and to begin 
peace talks with the GOC.  In exchange for their weapons, the 
members received four radios, antennas, and cell phones to 
facilitate communication with city officials.  Including the 
latest 24 demobilizations, over 4,100 members of the FARC 
have deserted during the Uribe Administration and almost 
1,000 have rejoined society. 
 
FARC Reaffirms Struggle 
----------------------- 
 
4. (U) Despite these initiatives, judging by two recent 
statements, the FARC appears as intransigent as ever.  On 
October 30, the FARC railed against the Constitutional 
Court's reelection decision and vowed to continue to struggle 
against the administration.  The statement addresses a range 
of Colombian political issues and is worth quoting in its 
entirety to demonstrate the organization's mindset. 
 
Begin informal translation: 
 
Communique of the FARC 
 
-- The recent Constitutional Court decision, which clears the 
path for immediate reelection, buries the independence of the 
Colombian government's separate branches of power without 
honor or glory.  The political machinery mocked the 
principles and 1991 constitutional ban against reelection. 
The majority of Congress, and the Courts that changed the 
constitutional provision, aside from some honorable 
exceptions, were bought cheaply with deceitful Uribe 
politicking, contributing to the appearance of cowardly 
evasion like that Mr. Andres Pastrana. 
-- Uribe, the U.S. government, rightist businesses, and 
mafia-like paramilitaries fueled by the press, radio, 
television, and misleading polls, think they have cleared the 
path to advance with their "Democratic Security."  It is a 
policy of armored vehicles, neo-liberal politics, and of war 
and hunger against the citizenry.  This coalition is 
consistent with a civil-military dictatorship led by the 
President.  They do this because they feel their class 
interests are not protected; because it advances the general 
and political crisis; and because they have begun to feel the 
tremors of growing dissatisfaction among the lower classes. 
 
-- Uribe has demonstrated he is not interested in 
Humanitarian Exchange, much less a peace agreement with the 
FARC.  For us, it is clear that as long as Uribe remains, we 
will not be able to reach common ground. 
 
-- The Uribe Government has failed with its war strategy. 
The next four years will be marked by gunpowder and blood; 
neither the poor nor social programs are the government's 
priority.  At a minimum, the democratic forces and the 
revolutionaries will need to agree to a program that includes 
political solutions, Humanitarian Exchange, the end of Plan 
Colombia and Plan Patriota, not signing the Free Trade 
Agreement, Social Investment and Agrarian Reform, thus 
ensuring that this President and his thieving allies do not 
push the country into a situation far worse then the Colombia 
of the 1950s.  They have already attacked liberals who did 
not share their vision. 
 
-- The electoral campaign in progress is painted as a new 
Uribe-centered play, where the State mechanisms, official and 
para-statal, armed with weapons, chainsaws, contractors, and 
bureaucrats with an 105 billion peso national budget and 
millions of dollars from the Ralito (paramilitary) mafia at 
its disposal to perpetuate its reign of tyranny indefinitely. 
 
 
-- We are convinced we are among the majority: those of us 
who oppose these machinations and seek a democracy with 
political solutions, social justice, and sovereignty. 
Consequently, we call for a different choice, to put common 
strategy first and create meeting places where forces can 
come together to reverse the advances of the dictatorship. 
 
Secretariat of the Central Command, FARC 
 
SIPDIS 
Mountains of Colombia, October 30, 2005 
 
End text. 
 
FARC Promotes Colombian Military Desertions 
------------------------------------------- 
 
5. (U) The FARC Secretariat repeated in an October 20 
statement its desertion message directed at the Colombian 
military, this time directing the plea specifically at the 
sergeants "on the front line."  It urges them stop "being 
dogs of the oligarchy."  The message concludes by saying that 
they hope the military and police will help advance a 
humanitarian exchange with the FARC to "free prisoners in the 
midst of conflict." 
 
6. (SBU) The October 20 message uses the same tactics used by 
the GOC to encourage guerrillas to desert the ranks, 
according to Col Jairo Uribe, Director of the Army's civil 
affairs branch.  The GOC primarily uses radio ads or leaflets 
to inform guerrillas about desertion and reinsertion options. 
 In addition to outlining the benefits and incorporating 
patriotic themes, the GOC tapes personalized messages from 
FARC deserters in different areas and broadcasts specialized 
entreaties to different fronts.  Col Uribe reported that the 
Colombian military owned over 45 radio stations across 
Colombia and broadcasted a new message to their area each 
week.  He noted that the messages were more powerful coming 
from former FARC members known to the rank and file. 
DRUCKER