This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LIMA 001418 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR INL/AMATANO, WHA/JMONSERRATE,JBISCHOFF 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
ONDCP FOR DGEDDINGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SNAR PTER PE
SUBJECT: THIRD NATIONAL COCALERO CONGRESS A BUST 
 
REF: A. LIMA 1062 
 
     ¶B. LIMA 032 
     ¶C. 04 LIMA 1381 
     ¶D. 04 LIMA 947 
     ¶E. 03 LIMA 983 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Third National Congress of the National 
Confederation of Agricultural Producers of the Coca Valleys 
(CONPACCP), held 3/14-18 outside Lima, was largely a bust. 
Cocaleros from the Monzon and parts of the Apurimac-Ene 
Valley (VRAE) did not attend and a group led by Elsa 
Malpartida walked out over leadership issues.  While cocalero 
leaders flirt with extremist groups on the right and left 
(the Ethnocaceristas and the communist-led SUTEP teachers' 
union), these tentative linkages appear to be tactical in 
nature, fueled more by the participants' recognition of their 
own weakness operating separately than by any intent to join 
forces against the government.  CONPACCP National Secretary 
Nancy Obregon presented a draft coca law to Congress calling 
for the suspension of all eradication until a new registry of 
licit growers can be developed, but this is unlikely to go 
anywhere.  Press coverage was scanty and largely negative 
about the cocaleros.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) After earlier attempts at national congresses in 2003 
and 2004 (Refs C and D), cocaleros at what was billed as the 
CONPACCP Third National Congress beginning 3/14 hoped to 
elect a national leader and advance a national agenda. Nancy 
Obregon, leader of the Huallaga Valley cocaleros, played a 
dominant role; she organized a strike (meaning blockade of 
roads around her area) last month (Ref A) based on false 
rumors that the GOP was fumigating coca crops. Elsa 
Malpartida, leader of cocaleros from the Tingo Maria area, 
was the other leader whose group was represented until she 
announced that she was quitting the Congress on 3/18 in a 
dispute over the election of new national leadership. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Representatives of some of the key growing areas for 
illegal coca -the Rio Apurimac and Monzon valleys - did not 
attend.  Also absent were representatives from Cuzco, whose 
growers comprise most of the legally registered coca farmers; 
as the legal growers their interests in maintaining part of 
the status quo have diverged from the purely illegal growers. 
These groups did attend previous attempts at national 
cocalero congresses.  According to GOP drug control agency 
DEVIDA officials, between 250 and 350 people attended the 
congress.  Participants at various times included Bolivian 
Congressman and MAS party official Dionisio Nunez, Colombian 
cocalero Dina Perafan and Peruvian Congressmen Luis Guerrero, 
Aurelio Pastor, Carlos Chavez and Victor Valdez. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Following the congress, Obregon presented President 
of Congress Antero Flores-Araoz and Agriculture Committee 
Chairman Carlos Chavez a draft coca law as well as proposals 
to publicize coca health benefits and "industrialize" coca 
with a host of new products such as coca flour, toothpaste 
and gum.  The proposed law would halt all eradication until 
the GOP register of licit production was updated and trading 
parastatal ENACO was reorganized to grandfather all current 
coca producers as legal growers. Chavez was reported in the 
press as agreeing to  form a congressional working group from 
the Agriculture and Defense Committees to study problems 
affecting coca growers.  (Comment: Congressman Luis Iberico, 
who heads the Defense Committee that handles coca issues, has 
made it clear that the cocaleros' proposals will not advance 
in his committee.  Chavez' committee formed a similar working 
group last year, whose report was quickly filed and 
forgotten. End Comment.) 
 
¶5.  (U) Other than two stories in prominent daily "La 
Republica" of Malpartida's departure, the general failure of 
the congress and Obregon's meeting with Flores-Araoz,  press 
coverage of the cocalero congress was minimal compared to 
previous years.  The efforts of Obregon and others to 
dramatize coca fumigation at the congress were unsuccessful, 
with no new press coverage of the unfounded fumigation 
rumors.  (Note: The Mission has worked extensively with the 
Peruvian media to set the record straight on fumigation and 
other spurious cocalero positions; the efforts are paying 
off. See Ref A. End Note.) 
 
¶6.  (U) The Cocaleros remain fractured into at least three 
factions delineated by geography.  The most radical - meaning 
they want the unfettered ability to grow coca - were the 
growers from the Monzon Valley, part of Rio Apurimac, part of 
the Tingo Maria area and the San Gabon area of Puno 
Department.  The second faction, led by Nancy Obregon of the 
Tocache area (southern San Martin department), espoused more 
of a middle ground with respect to some government limits on 
coca production, although they still advocate an immediate 
moratorium on eradication and the registration of all current 
growers as licit.  The third faction encompasses the Cuzco 
Department areas of traditional coca cultivation; these 
growers have the most to gain from perpetuating established 
legal growing systems; growing evidence indicates that 
substantial illegal coca production is occurring in the areas 
where the licit growers are registered. 
 
¶7.  (U) The incarcerated Nelson Palomino, who before his 
arrest in 2003 had the potential to become a national 
cocalero leader (Ref E), reportedly sent telephonic messages 
to the congress calling for unity among the cocalero groups. 
Commentators interpreted his call as tacit support for Nancy 
Obregon's leadership over the more radical and fractious 
leadership of Elsa Malpartida. Palomino's call was 
ineffective in healing the divisions evident during this 
congress, illustrating his waning influence amongst cocaleros. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Just prior to the congress, Bolivian congressman and 
MAS party official Dionisio Nunez visited Sicuani in Cuzco 
Department to explore creation of a political party along the 
lines of MAS.  According to Mission contractors who are 
monitoring these efforts, the main Cuzco cocolero groups did 
not participate in this meeting.  Nunez then attended the 
latter part of the Lima cocalero congress.  MAS leader Evo 
Morales is reportedly planning to visit both Sicuani and Lima 
in April, when another national cocalero meeting is planned. 
At the congress, Obregon announced that she would meet with 
Morales in Sicuani.  Monzon cocalero leader Ibursio Morales 
(who did not attend the congress) had previously indicated 
that he also would meet with Evo Morales in April. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Cocaleros have sought over the months to establish 
a broader political base without much success. There was 
according to Mission contractors marginal participation by 
national teachers' union SUTEP representatives at this 
cocalero Congress.  The new SUTEP leader, Caridad Montes 
seems more inclined than his predecessor to sympathize with 
cocaleros but there has been little evidence of direct 
support.   Cocaleros have been exploring other organizations 
to give them support, but with little success. The 
Ethnocacerista movement recently broken up by the government 
(Ref B) made a point of trying to ally itself with cocaleros 
but only received the verbal support of Elsa Malpartida.  The 
leftist political party Patria Roja has seemed a likely ally 
for cocaleros, but an effective partnership has failed to 
materialize;  according to a coca expert used by the Mission 
for various coca research projects, Patria Roja has been too 
concerned with organizing its members to stand for municipal 
or provincial government posts to concern itself directly 
with the cocalero platform.  There are reports of Sendero 
Luminoso remnants courting cocaleros but there is little hard 
evidence to support claims of an alliance between the two. 
Congressman Guerrero's Peru Ahora is the only major political 
party that has appeared to court the cocaleros, with few 
positive effects to show for either. 
 
¶10.  (U) Obregon, Malpartida and other cocalero leaders have 
not given up on national organizing.  National meetings are 
planned for April and September.  Small scale strikes 
continue: Rio Apurimac cocaleros began blocking roads  March 
14, Monzon cocaleros announced an indefinite strike beginning 
March 21 and growers in Tingo Maria (led by Luis Gonazales) 
announced a peaceful march starting March 21.  There have 
been no recent calls for a nationwide cocalero strike. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) COMMENT: Despite possible unifying themes such as 
the fumigation hoax and the prospect of a new coca law, the 
latest congress increased divisions between cocaleros.  While 
cocalero leaders will continue to preach unity, personal 
rivalries should continue to dominate the cocalero movement. 
The inherent conflicts between the illegal growers in newer 
coca zones such as the Monzon and those established with 
legal cover in Cuzco also hamper an effective national 
cocalero lobby. 
STRUBLE