US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA10949

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 010949 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREF, CO 
SUBJECT: ARMED CONFRONTATION IN VICINITY OF SAN JOSE DE 
APARTADO 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Milton K. Drucker 
Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) On November 17 the Embassy received reports from the 
NGO Fellowship of Reconciliation that there had been an 
attack by the military on residents of the Peace Community of 
Arenas Altas, in the municipality of Apartado, Antioquia 
Department.  The Arenas Altas Peace Community is near the 
Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado.  Subsequent NGO 
reports concluded that one man was killed and one man 
wounded.  The San Jose de Apartado Peace Community placed a 
statement on its website accusing the military of murdering a 
civilian.  According to Colombian military sources, an army 
unit engaged in a heavy firefight with 8-10 FARC terrorists 
in the Arenas Altas vicinity.  The military claims to have 
killed a female terrorist.  Charge contacted the Vice 
President, the Minister of Defense, and the Director of the 
Colombian National Police to express the Embassy's strong 
interest in clarifying the facts surrounding the armed 
confrontation as quickly as possible.  Fiscalia (Prosecutor 
General) and military investigations are ongoing.  End 
summary. 
 
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Initial Reports Incomplete, Conflicting 
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2. (C) Preliminary reports from the Fellowship of 
Reconciliation (FOR) were somewhat confusing, perhaps 
reflecting the difficulty of piecing together facts from a 
remote area that has sporadic cellular telephone service. 
The initial NGO reports indicated that a grenade was launched 
by a helicopter into a corn field in Arenas Altas where 
resident Arlen Sales David was working, killing him almost 
instantly.  Subsequent reports from FOR, after speaking with 
a Spanish accompanier working for the NGO Acompaz, indicated 
that Colombian soldiers entered the town of Arenas Altas and 
were "shooting indiscriminately" at buildings. 
 
3.  (C) According to Acompaz, witnesses said resident Hernan 
Goez heard the gunshots and fled Arenas Altas.  He was shot 
and wounded in the back.  Witnesses also told FOR 
(confusingly) that a female resident who was cooking on her 
front porch witnessed soldiers passing by and opened fire on 
them.  The witnesses say the soldiers returned fire and shot 
the woman.  FOR told us that residents of San Jose de 
Apartado, after hearing the gunfire, helicopter fire, and a 
rumor that someone had been seriously injured, picked up the 
local human rights ombudsman in San Jose de Apartado, Ruben 
Dario, and went to Arenas Altas.  On the way they met up with 
some soldiers who indicated that both the Voltigeros and 
Velez Battalions of the 17th Brigade were participating in an 
operation against the FARC, and that they could not call it 
off to evacuate injured civilians.  San Jose de Apartado 
residents eventually moved in under Colombian military 
protection and removed the body of David (apparently contrary 
to the wishes of ombudsman Dario).  Residents watched 
soldiers depart with the body of the woman who had been shot. 
 FOR reported that David's body had shrapnel in his neck and 
obvious gunpowder burns from an explosion (this is consistent 
with a subsequent military account).  For its part, the San 
Jose de Apartado Peace Community claimed on its website that 
the military had murdered David. 
 
4. (C) Initial reports from Colombian military sources 
indicated they had intelligence information that a group of 
8-10 FARC guerrillas from either the 5th or 58th Front were 
active in the Arenas Altas region, and were hiding in an 
abandoned farmhouse.  The reports also indicated that the 
Voltigeros Battalion of the 17th Brigade moved in to confront 
the guerrillas.  They allegedly launched an attack on the 
farmhouse, during the course of which one female FARC 
terrorist was killed (allegedly the girlfriend of FARC 58th 
Front leader, alias "Amico").  The Colombian military claims 
it did not launch any grenades by helicopter; the helicopter 
support that was called in only delivered machine gun fire to 
protect the soldiers as they were leaving the scene under 
heavy FARC gunfire.  Colombian military sources also reported 
that soldiers retreated in the direction of San Jose de 
Apartado, and were not aware of any noncombatant casualties, 
although they did not discount the possibility of such 
casualties due to the fierceness of the firefight.  The 
military said it captured 4 FARC weapons and 300 rounds of 
ammunition. 
 
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Embassy Response 
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5. (C) As soon as the Embassy learned about the incident, 
D/PolCouns contacted Carlos Franco, Director of the Vice 
President's Office on Human Rights and International 
Humanitarian Law.  Franco put General Zapata directly in 
contact with the FOR representative who was receiving the 
reports of casualties.  On November 18, the Charge spoke with 
Vice President Francisco Santos and the Director of the 
Colombian National Police General Jorge Daniel Castro Castro 
to express the Embassy's strong interest in clarifying the 
facts surrounding the matter.  Minister of Defense Ospina was 
with Vice President Santos when he spoke with the Charge. 
Polcouns and DATT followed up with calls at the operational 
level.  The DATT confirmed on November 19 that Minister of 
Defense Ospina asked that the case be given priority 
attention after the Charge's call. 
 
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Investigations Launched 
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6. (C) The GOC launched Fiscalia (Prosecutor General) and MOD 
investigations immediately upon hearing of the armed 
confrontation (the Fiscalia had a human rights team on-site, 
which it reassigned to investigate the case).  Forensic 
evidence, such as shell casings, are being collected and 
witness testimony gathered (this matter is complicated 
because apparently NGO and other community representatives 
moved David's body and say they picked up pieces of shrapnel, 
possibly contaminating the scene).  There is no common 
account yet of what happened.  The GOC has custody of David's 
body, as well as of the body of the deceased woman (who has 
not yet been formally identified).  The Embassy will continue 
to press the GOC at the highest levels to reach early and 
firm conclusions based on the evidence. 
DRUCKER