O 192242Z JAN 01
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9301
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PANAMA 
AMEMBASSY CARACAS 
AMEMBASSY QUITO 
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 
AMEMBASSY LIMA 
USCINCSO MIAMI FL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 000500 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/19/11 
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM CO
SUBJECT: LATEST MASSACRE PART OF ON-GOING PARA OFFENSIVE 
AGAINST FARC ON CARIBBEAN COAST 
 
¶1. CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR ANNE W. PATTERSON. REASONS: 
1.5(C,D). 
 
¶2. (C) SUMMARY: ON JANUARY 17, SOME 26 RESIDENTS OF A 
COMMUNITY NEAR THE TOWN OF OVEJAS IN NORTHERN SUCRE 
DEPARTMENT WERE MASSACRED, APPARENTLY BY PARAMILITARIES 
BELONGING TO THE NORTHERN BLOCK OF SELF-DEFENSE GROUPS 
OPERATING ON THE ATLANTIC COAST OF COLOMBIA.  A THIRD OF 
THE COMMUNITY HOUSES WERE BURNED DOWN AND MOST OF ITS 
RESIDENTS FLED TO OVEJAS.  ONE EMBASSY INTERLOCUTOR SAID 
"THE COMMUNITY IS NOW VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT."  ACCORDING 
TO A COLOMBIAN NAVAL INTELLIGENCE CONTACT, THE PARA ATTACK 
IS PART OF AN ON-GOING CAMPAIGN TO DISLODGE THE FARC 37TH 
FRONT FROM THE STRATEGIC MONTES DE MARIA MOUNTAIN RANGE 
AND TO PUSH THE FARC OUT OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC COAST.  THE 
PARA ATTACKS/MASSACRES AGAINST CIVILIAN POPULATIONS ARE 
LIKELY TO CONTINUE, ESPECIALLY IN SUCRE.  THE COLOMBIAN 
NAVY'S MARINE CORPS HAS LAUNCHED A MAJOR OPERATION TO 
SURROUND THE AREA OF THE MASSACRE AND TRY TO CAPTURE THE 
CULPRITS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3. (U) ON JANUARY 17, SOME 26 RESIDENTS OF A SMALL 
COMMUNITY KNOWN AS CHENGUE NEAR THE TOWN OF OVEJAS IN 
NORTHERN SUCRE DEPARTMENT WERE MASSACRED, APPARENTLY BY 
THE CENTAURO (NORTHERN) BLOCK OF SELF-DEFENSE GROUPS 
OPERATING IN AND AROUND THE ATLANTIC COAST OF COLOMBIA. 
THE CENTAURO BLOCK IS REPORTEDLY LED BY RODRIGO ANTONIO 
MERCADO, ALIAS "CADENA," A CLOSE AFFILIATE OF UNITED SELF- 
DEFENSE FORCES OF COLOMBIA (AUC) LEADER CARLOS CASTANO. 
ON JANUARY 19, CASTANO CONDEMNED THE MASSACRE AND DENIED 
HIS INVOLVEMENT, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HIS NORTHERN FRONT 
HAD BEEN RESPONSIBLE AND THAT THEY HAD "GONE OVERBOARD." 
THE MASSACRE FOLLOWS A STRING OF PARAMILITARY MASSACRES 
ON/ALONG ATLANTIC COASTAL AREAS DATING BACK TO THE 
FEBRUARY 16, 1999 MASSACRE OF 28 RESIDENTS OF EL SALADO IN 
NORTHERN BOLIVAR DEPARTMENT. 
 
¶4. (C) POLICE AND NAVAL INTELLIGENCE PUBLICLY ATTRIBUTED 
THE EVER-INCREASING NUMBER OF MASSACRES ALONG THE ATLANTIC 
COAST TO AN ATTEMPT BY THE SELF-DEFENSE FORCES TO: (A) 
"CLEANSE" THE NORTHERN AREAS OF SUCRE, BOLIVAR, ATLANTICO, 
MAGDALENA, AND CESAR DEPARTMENTS OF THE FARC, MUCH AS THEY 
HAVE ALREADY DONE IN CORDOBA DEPARTMENT, (B) CONTROL THE 
NORTH COAST, INCLUDING THE MORROSQUILLO GULF IN SUCRE AND 
OTHER KEY SMALL PORTS, TO EXERCISE A MONOPOLY OVER ENTRY 
OF ARMS AND PRECURSORS AND EXIT OF COCAINE, AND, (C) 
SPECIFICALLY IN AND AROUND SUCRE AND BOLIVAR DEPARTMENTS, 
DISLODGE THE FARC'S 35TH AND 37TH FRONTS FROM THE RICH 
CATTLE AND AGRICULTURAL REGION SURROUNDING THE MONTES DE 
MARIA. 
 
¶5. (C) DURING A JANUARY 18 BRIEFING, A HIGH RANKING 
COLOMBIAN NAVAL INTELLIGENCE CONTACT TOLD POLOFF THAT 
CHENGUE WAS A MILITARY TARGET FOR THE PARAS BECAUSE IT 
SERVED AS AN ENTRY POINT INTO THE MONTES DE MARIA, WHERE 
THE FARC 37TH FRONT OPERATES, AND THAT THE CHENGUE 
COMMUNITY SERVED AS A RESUPPLY AND R AND R POINT FOR THE 
GUERRILLAS.  THE CHENGUE MASSACRE FITS A PATTERN OF PARA 
ATTACKS ON SMALL COMMUNITIES ON THE NORTH COAST WHICH, IN 
THE PARAS' VIEW, SERVE AS CIVILIAN BASES OF SUPPORT FOR 
THE FARC 35 AND 37 FRONTS.  THE CONTACT DREW PARALLELS 
BETWEEN CHENGUE AND EL SALADO, AFFIRMING THAT EL SALADO 
WAS ALSO A FARC STRONGHOLD, AND THAT IT WAS LOCATED ON THE 
FOOTHILLS OF THE MONTES DE MARIA.  HE CONFIDED THAT NAVAL 
INTELLIGENCE HAD INDICATIONS THAT THE PARAS WOULD ATTACK 
ANOTHER NEARBY COMMUNITY, AND WERE CAUGHT OFF-GUARD WHEN 
THE ATTACK TOOK PLACE AT CHENGUE.  HE WAS VERY SURPRISED 
THAT THE PARAS WERE ABLE TO ENTER CHENGUE UNDETECTED 
SINCE, IN HIS VIEW, THE FARC 37TH FRONT COMPLETELY 
CONTROLS THE AREA AROUND CHENGUE. 
 
¶6.  (C) THE CONTACT FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT THESE TYPES OF 
INCIDENTS WILL CONTINUE AS THE PARAS AND FARC FIGHT OVER 
CONTROL OF THE ATLANTIC COAST, AND ESPECIALLY FOR CONTROL 
OF THE MONTES DE MARIA.  HE ADDED THAT THE PARA NORTH 
BLOCK IS BEING HEAVILY FINANCED BY CATTLE RANCHERS FROM 
SUCRE, CORDOBA, AND OTHER ATLANTIC DEPARTMENTS, WHO HAVE 
BEEN HURT BY FARC KIDNAPPINGS, EXTORTIONS, AND CATTLE 
RUSTLING.  THESE RANCHERS ARE HOPING THE PARAS WILL DRIVE 
THE FARC OUT OF THEIR AREAS SO THAT THEY TOO CAN HAVE THE 
"RELATIVE PEACE" THEIR FELLOW RANCHERS ENJOY IN LARGE 
PARTS OF CORDOBA. 
 
¶7. (U) COLOMBIAN NATIONAL JUDICIAL POLICE (DIJIN) FIGURES 
ON MASSACRES DURING 2000, RELEASED ON JANUARY 18, 
CORROBORATE THE FACT THAT THE ATLANTIC COAST IS SEEING THE 
LARGEST INCREASE IN PARA KILLINGS IN THE COUNTRY. 
ACCORDING TO THE FIGURES, AT LEAST HALF OF ALL THE 
EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS IN 2000 TOOK PLACE IN ATLANTIC 
COAST DEPARTMENTS.  OF ALL COLOMBIAN DEPARTMENTS, BOLIVAR 
HAD THE LARGEST NUMBER OF PARA MURDERS, WITH 76.  SUCRE 
DEPARTMENT REGISTERED 46 PARA-ATTRIBUTED KILLINGS. 
ACCORDING TO FIGURES CITED IN A RECENT COLOMBIAN MILITARY 
BRIEFING TO VISITING DOD OFFICIALS, THERE HAVE BEEN 
SEVENTEEN MASSACRES THIS YEAR, NOT INCLUDING CHENGUE.  OF 
THESE, TWO HAVE BEEN COMMITTED BY THE FARC, ONE BY THE 
ELN, TEN BY PARA GROUPS, AND THE REST HAVE NOT YET BEEN 
ATTRIBUTED. 
 
¶8. (C) COMMENT: IF STATISTICAL TRENDS AND COLOMBIAN NAVAL 
INTELLIGENCE ARE CORRECT, PARA MASSACRES OF CIVILIAN 
POPULATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR IN THE ATLANTIC COAST, 
AND MAY EVEN INTENSIFY AS THE PARA NORTH BLOCK AND THE 
FARC'S 35 AND 37 BLOCK FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF THE MONTES DE 
MARIA AND ACCESS TO ATLANTIC PORTS.  THE COLOMBIAN NAVY, 
WHICH HAS SECURITY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE AREAS, SEEMS 
TO HAVE REACTED FAIRLY QUICKLY TO THE MASSACRE, AND HAS 
DEPLOYED MORE THAN 1,000 MARINES AND SPECIAL FORCES IN 
PURSUIT OF THE CULPRITS.  HOWEVER, AS THE NAVY CONTACT 
ACKNOWLEDGED, THE PARAS ALSO HAVE A VERY STRONG BASE OF 
SUPPORT IN THE AREA AND CAN EASILY DISAPPEAR AMONG THE 
CIVILIAN POPULATION. 
 
 
PATTERSON 

 
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