P 121709Z FEB 92
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2598
INFO AMEMBASSY CARACAS
AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
AMEMBASSY LIMA
AMCONSUL MARTINIQUE
AMEMBASSY MEXICO
AMEMBASSY QUITO
AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PM
CIA WASHDC
DIA WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 02165 
 
 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:OADR 
TAGS: PINS PGOV PINR KPRP CO
SUBJECT:  COLOMBIAN COMMUNISTS WANT TO TAKE OVER FARC 
 
REF:  BOGOTA 1956 
 
¶1.  CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
¶2.  SUMMARY:  ROBERTO SAENZ VARGAS, YOUNGER BROTHER OF 
FARC LEADER ALFONSO CANO (NOM DE GUERRE OF GUILLERMO 
LEON SAENZ VARGAS), AND FARC GO-BETWEEN MORRIS 
ACKERMAN SEPARATELY HAVE TOLD POLOFF THAT HARDLINERS 
WHO NOW CONTROL THE COLOMBIAN COMMUNIST PARTY (PCC), 
HAVE DETERMINED TO WORK TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE 
COLOMBIAN REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES (FARC) INSURGENT 
GROUP AS WELL AS GUERRILLA PEACE TALKS WITH THE 
GOVERNMENT.  THE PCC'S FIVE-MEMBER SECRETARIAT WOULD 
REPLACE THE FARC'S, AND AS DID SALVADORAN PARTY CHIEF 
SCHAFIK HANDAL, PCC GENERAL SECRETARY ALVARO VASQUEZ 
DEL REAL WOULD HEAD THE GUERRILLA NEGOTIATING TEAM. 
IN OUR VIEW, FARC HEAD MANUEL MARULANDA VELEZ WOULD 
ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN "ONLY OVER HIS DEAD BODY."  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
COMMUNISM'S COLLAPSE HAS ONLY SERVED TO HARDEN PCC 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶3.  RECENT CHANGES IN COLOMBIA AND THE REST OF THE 
WORLD, INCLUDING THE COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM 
INTERNATIONALLY, ACCORDING TO ACKERMAN, HAVE ONLY 
HARDENED THE ORTHODOX COLOMBIAN PARTY'S RESOLVE IN 
FAVOR OF PROLONGED CAMPESINO-BASED ARMED STRUGGLE 
(THROUGH THE FARC).  SAENZ, WHO QUIT THE PARTY IN 
NOVEMBER, CALLED THE PCC "THE ONLY COMMUNIST PARTY IN 
THE WORLD THAT HASN'T CHANGED."  ACCORDING TO SAENZ 
AND ACKERMAN, THE PCC'S DECISION TO TAKE OVER THE FARC 
STEMS PARTIALLY FROM ITS DISSATISFACTION WITH THE 
GUERRILLAS' CONDUCT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS (NOW RECESSED) 
WITH THE GOVERNMENT.  THE PCC IS NOT HAPPY THAT UNDER 
CANO, THE CHIEF GUERRILLA NEGOTIATOR, THE TALKS WERE 
ALLOWED TO DRIFT INTO NOTHING MORE THAN NEGOTIATIONS 
FOR A CEASE FIRE (IN WHICH THE PCC HAS NO INTEREST), 
AND ACCOMPLISHED FEW OF THE GUERRILLAS' AND THE PCC'S 
POLITICAL OBJECTIVES. 
 
 
REYES AND CHACON:  MR. INSIDE AND MR. OUTSIDE 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶4.  TWO PERSONS EXPECTED TO PLAY KEY ROLES IN THE 
PARTY'S EFFORTS TO TAKE OVER THE INSURGENCY ARE FARC 
SECRETARIAT MEMBER RAUL REYES, LONG "THE PARTY'S MAN" 
IN THE FARC'S FIVE-MEMBER DIRECTORATE, AND PCC 
ORGANIZATION SECRETARY AND SECRETARIAT MEMBER MILLER 
CHACON (NOM DE GUERRE: "MISAEL").  ACKERMAN SAID THAT 
EACH DAY SOMEONE FROM THE PCC'S SECRETARIAT TRAVELS TO 
VISIT THE FARC'S.  THE PCC IS AFRAID TO LEAVE THE 
FARC'S HIERARCHY ALONE FOR EVEN A MINUTE, ACKERMAN SAID. 
 
 
WILL ANYONE IN FARC TOP BRASS STOP THE PARTY? 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶5.  OF THE FARC'S FIVE SECRETARIAT MEMBERS, ACKERMAN 
SAID THE PCC HOPES TO WIN OVER FARC HEAD MANUEL 
MARULANDA VELEZ (AKA "TIROFIJO"); THAT WOULD INSURE 
THE ACQUIESCENCE OF TIMOLEON JIMENEZ, TIROFIJO'S 
PROTEGE.  THE PPC ALSO HOPES TO SET CANO AND IVAN 
MARQUEZ AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, NEUTRALIZING BOTH.  RAUL 
REYES ALREADY IS FIRMLY IN THE PARTY'S CAMP.  WHILE 
ACKERMAN SAW TIROFIJO ("MORE A GUERRILLA THAN A 
COMMUNIST") AS THE MAIN OBSTACLE TO THE REALIZATION OF 
THE PARTY'S GOAL, SAENZ DIDN'T THINK ANYONE INSIDE THE 
FARC SECRETARIAT, ALL PARTY MEMBERS, POSED A PROBLEM. 
SAENZ SAID THAT MORE OF A HINDRANCE WAS THE PCC'S OWN 
SECRETARIAT, NOT ALL OF WHOM AGREE ON TAKING DIRECT 
CONTROL OF THE INSURGENCY. 
 
 
THE FARC IS ALL THE PARTY HAS LEFT 
---------------------------------- 
¶6.  SAENZ AND ACKERMAN AGREED THAT ANOTHER PCC 
MOTIVATION WAS THE DETERIORATION OF ITS INFLUENCE OVER 
OTHER, MOSTLY URBAN SECTORS OF COLOMBIAN SOCIETY, 
INCLUDING TRADE UNION (E.G., CUT, AND THE PETROLEUM 
WORKERS' USO) AND ARTISTIC MOVEMENTS (E.G., THEATER 
AND WRITERS GROUPS).  FOR THE PCC, SAENZ SAID, "ONLY 
THE FARC REMAINS."  SAENZ SAID THE FARC CONTINUES TO 
HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RURAL SUPPORT, SOME THROUGH 
INTIMIDATION. 
 
 
CANO AND OTHER '80S HOPEFULS:  PARTY'S LOST GENERATION 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
¶7.  THE PARTY IN THE 1980S SENT SEVERAL BRIGHT, YOUNG 
ACTIVISTS TO THE FARC OSTENSIBLY TO PROVIDE THE 
CAMPESINO MOVEMENT WITH POLITICAL ADVICE.  THEIR 
ACTUAL OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXTEND THE PARTY'S INFLUENCE 
OVER THE INSURGENCY, AS THE PARTY EARLIER HAD DONE 
WITH JACOBO ARENAS, WHO HEADED THE FARC UNTIL HIS 
AUGUST 1990 DEATH FROM A HEART ATTACK. 
 
¶8.  THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF THE 1980S CROP WAS 
ALFONSO CANO, OVER WHOM THE PCC REALIZES IT HAS LOST 
CONTROL.  HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE.  SAENZ SAID THE 
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF BEING A GUERRILLA CHANGED THE 
YOUNG TURKS.  MANY, ACCORDING TO ACKERMAN, UPON 
STRAPPING A GUN ON THEIR HIP AND GAINING SOME 
INDIVIDUAL POWER, NOT TO MENTION THE MONEY FROM THE 
GUERRILLAS' LUCRATIVE ACTIVITIES, BEGAN TO FEEL THEY 
DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE ORDERS ANYMORE FROM PARTY LEADERS 
IN BOGOTA.  IT IS PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF FAILURE OF THE 
PREVIOUS EFFORTS TO INFLUENCE THE FARC THAT THE PARTY 
NOW WANTS TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF THE GUERRILLA GROUP. 
 
¶9.  ACCORDING TO SAENZ, THE PROBLEM FOR THE PARTY IS 
DEEPER.  ACCUSING PARTY LEADERS WHO HAVE NEVER RUN FOR 
PUBLIC OFFICE OF BEING DETACHED FROM "THE REAL WORLD," 
SAENZ, A FORMER CITY COUNCIL ALTERNATE AND 
UNSUCCESSFUL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CANDIDATE, SAID 
BEING A GUERRILLA LEADER OR AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IS FAR 
DIFFERENT FROM BEING A PCC LEADER.  "YOU BECOME AWARE 
OF REAL PEOPLES' CONCERNS, AND IT CHANGES YOU."  IT 
CHANGED SCHAFIK HANDAL AND THE SALVADORAN PARTY, SAENZ 
SAID, AND IT WOULD CHANGE THE PCC. 
 
 
PARTY TAKEOVER WOULD EXPOSE THE FARC FOR WHAT IT IS 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶10.  FOR THAT REASON, SAENZ, DISAGREEING WITH 
ACKERMAN, THOUGHT IT WOULD BENEFIT THE PEACE PROCESS 
FOR THE PARTY TO TAKE OVER THE FARC AND THE TALKS. 
BESIDES, SAENZ SAID, SUCH A TAKEOVER WOULD REVEAL TO 
THE PUBLIC THE DECADES-LONG LINK BETWEEN THE PCC AND 
FARC, EXPOSING TO THE FARC'S RURAL SUPPORTERS THAT ITS 
AGENDA IS THE SAME COMMUNIST ONE DISCREDITED 
WORLDWIDE.  SAENZ WOULD THEREFORE LIKE THE PCC TO 
COMPETE OPENLY IN ELECTIONS INSTEAD OF THROUGH ITS 
ELECTORAL FRONT, THE PATRIOTIC UNION (UP). 
 
¶11.  COMMENT:  BASED ON WHAT MOST SOURCES HAVE SAID 
ABOUT TIROFIJO, ALTHOUGH A LOYAL PARTY MEMBER, WE 
BELIEVE "ONLY OVER HIS DEAD BODY" WOULD HE LET ANYONE, 
EVEN THE PCC, TAKE OVER "HIS" MOVEMENT.  FOR THAT 
REASON, THE PARTY'S GOAL OF TAKING OVER THE FARC HAS 
TO BE VIEWED AS A LONG-TERM PROJECT, WITH THE 
 
POSSIBILITY OF BEING REALIZED ONLY AFTER TIROFIJO (IN 
HIS 60S) PASSES FROM THE SCENE.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
BUSBY