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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 LIMA 002111 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP 
STATE FOR WHA/PPC 
ONDCP FOR D. GEDDINGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE
SUBJECT: PERU: NARCOTICS AFFAIRS SECTION, APRIL 2005 
 
REF: A. LIMA 1712 
     ¶B. LIMA 1794 
     ¶C. LIMA 1929 
     ¶D. LIMA 1471 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (SBU) On April 7, CORAH started eradication in the 
hard-core zone of Polvora-Pizana north of Santa Lucia in the 
Huallaga Valley.  The eradicators and their police security 
units encountered stiff resistance by some cocaleros, 
including rock-throwing that damaged 3 INL helicopters in 2 
separate incidents.  On April 12, suspected Sendero Luminoso 
(SL) terrorists ambushed several helicopters that had landed 
on a riverbed sandbar waiting to extract CORAH eradicators. 
Several police were slightly wounded, but no one was killed. 
On April 24, a rural dwelling near the ambush site occupied 
by family of a suspected SL leader was raided resulting in 
nine arrests and seizure of a weapons cache.  The yearly 
eradication total now stands at 1,305 hectares.  The AT-65 
Turbo Thrush aircraft arrived in Peru on April 30 and will 
start searching for opium poppy fields. 
 
¶2.  (U) The GOP has not yet published implementing 
regulations for a precursor chemical law passed by the 
Peruvian Congress almost a year ago.  The long-awaited MOU 
for the Seaport Security Program's Manifest Review Unit in 
Callao was signed by representatives of NAS, the Peruvian 
Police and Peruvian Customs.  The NAS Programs Office 
facilitated an OAS-sponsored trafficking-in-persons seminar 
in Lima.  In addition, NAS has identified 8 NGOs to 
participate in a new demand-reduction strategy that involves 
civil society in building community coalitions.  The USDA is 
proposing research on pesticide use and persistence in the 
coca regions.  (END SUMMARY) 
 
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ERADICATION EFFORTS IGNITE LOCAL OPPOSITION 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶3.  (U) On April 7-8, an airlift of 250 eradicators, 80 
police, and 1 fiscal was conducted as part of the eradication 
operation in the Polvora-Pizana area north of Santa Lucia. 
All available helicopters were used -- 13 UH-1s and UH-2s. 
This was the largest CN air operation conducted to date.  The 
threat level in this area was a major concern because of the 
hostile cocaleros. 
 
¶4.  (U) As anticipated, eradication of the burgeoning new 
coca plantations in Pizana has generated major confrontations 
between the police and cocaleros.  The cocaleros appear to be 
well organized and prepared to launch sling-thrown rocks to 
damage helicopters.  Their strategy is to target the last 
helicopter to leave the area since it is the most vulnerable 
to attack.  A shotgun was fired at the police and rocks were 
thrown at personnel and helicopters.  Two police were 
slightly wounded and 2 helicopter blades were hit by rocks 
(Refs A and B) in this confrontation. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Three UH-1s were ambushed on April 12 in a riverbed 
as they waited to extract eradication personnel.  The 
helicopters were hit 52 times by small arms fire.  Two UH-1s 
suffered extensive damage and one had to be sling-hauled by a 
PNP MI-17 helicopter back to the Santa Lucia base.  No one 
was wounded or killed.  The Sendero Luminoso (SL) is 
suspected of being involved in the attack (Refs C and D). 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The GOP has responded with area sweeps and a few 
seizures of weapons, but the worsening situation has forced 
the Police to reconsider strategy to pushback against the 
violence in the region.  Eradication has slowed dramatically, 
but continues -- a measure of current GOP commitment to 
continue eradication efforts. 
 
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RESPONDING TO HELICOPTER ATTACK 
-------------------------------- 
¶7.  (SBU) Following the ambush of three NAS helicopters in 
the Huamuco area on April 12, NAS asked the Aviation Police 
(DIRAVPOL) General De la Flor verbally and by letter for a 
formal report and investigation of the attack.  The PNP 
informed us they were conducting an inquiry on how the 
incident occurred and agreed to review standard operating and 
safety procedures to improve security.  NAS Aviation 
conducted a safety stand-down for INL helicopters after the 
incident to review procedures.  (See Refs A-C for reporting 
on the helicopter attack and its aftermath.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
POLICE CAPTURE TERRORISTS, DESTROY COCAINE LABS 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
¶8.  (SBU) On April 24, in an area about 1 km away from the 
helicopter ambush, DIRANDRO Special Operations personnel, 
with police intelligence support, raided a suspected SL 
residence of a senior SL leader.  Police arrested nine 
persons, of whom four were directly linked to the terrorist 
organization.  They seized an array of weapons, including 
three high-power rifles, four shotguns, hand grenades, and 
ammunition of different calibers (Ref C).  The police also 
destroyed four active cocaine-base laboratories situated 
nearby. 
 
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COORDINATING ERADICATION EFFORTS 
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¶9.  (U) USAID and DEVIDA are urging the inter-institutional 
committee (members also include CORAH, CADA, and GOP law 
enforcement agencies) to do rapid-strike eradication in the 
VRAE and Huanuco to reinforce voluntary eradication.  The 
committee is coordinating with the GOP to clarify the status 
of "ENACO certificates" being used by cocaleros to avoid 
eradication.  NAS met with the UN to discuss coca estimates 
and a public response to the CNC figures.  NAS also met with 
the OAS/CICAD and ICT to coordinate their activities and to 
discuss the upcoming "Acceso" Cacao Conference on June 2-3. 
 
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POLICE ACADEMIES GRADUATE NEW OFFICERS 
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¶10.  (U) On May 12, nearly 100 new police officers will 
graduate from each of the Santa Lucia and Mazamari Police 
Academies.  The graduates will be immediately assigned to 
DIRANDRO's eradication security and the special operations 
groups as well as the newly created road interdiction group. 
 
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Eradication Numbers and CADA Update 
------------------------------------ 
¶11.  (U) As of April 28, CORAH eradicated 214 hectares and 
2,754 square meters of seedbeds, making a total for the year 
of 1,305 hectares and 18,015 square meters of seedbeds (over 
1,200 hectares if planted.) 
 
¶12.  (U) CADA continues to measure coca fields in support of 
USAID's Alternative Development Program (ADP) and recently 
finished quantification of coca in ADP areas in Ucayali, 
using Chemonics-furnished imagery.  Two CADA engineers will 
participate in the poppy mapping with the AT-65 Turbo Thrush 
surveillance plane. 
 
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AVIATION: TURBO THRUSH ARRIVES IN PERU 
---------------------------------------- 
¶13.  (U) The RARE aircraft (AT-65 Turbo Thrush) arrived in 
Iquitos, Peru from Colombia on April 30 after a month of 
delays; it overnighted in Iquitos because of weather before 
proceeding on to Pucallpa to begin aerial reconnaissance of 
opium poppy fields in the Jaen area. 
 
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PRECURSOR CHEMICAL LAW STILL AWAITS IMPLEMENTATION 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶14.  (SBU) After months of Ministerial wrangling, the Prime 
Minister decided that the Ministry of Production should be 
given the responsibility for maintaining the registry of 
sales and use of chemicals that will be used detect the 
diversion of chemicals to narcotics production.  The Ministry 
of Interior, which had hoped to assume that responsibility, 
has not accepted the decision and is now delaying the 
implementation process. 
 
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FUNDING FOR STUDY AT INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL CROPS (ICT) 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶15.  (U) DEA approved funding of a coca yield study in the 
Cuzco region to complement the five areas previously studied. 
 In early May, a group of USDA scientists will be coming to 
Peru to evaluate the possibility of conducting a five-year 
research program using ICT's facilities in Tarapoto.  The 
research would focus on pesticide use and persistence.  A 
separate study of cacao management is also being proposed. 
 
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SEAPORT SECURITY: SIGNING OF MOU FOR MANIFEST REVIEW UNIT 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
¶16.  (U) On April 1, the bilateral MOU for the Manifest 
Review Unit (MRU) was signed.  The MOU is intended to 
formalize bilateral cooperation of the port and cargo 
security program.  Peru's main seaport of Callao is home to 
this model MRU and K-9 unit.  This bilateral agreement is the 
product of almost a year of negotiations between the Embassy 
and GOP counterparts.  Future plans include the expansion of 
the MRU program to other strategic seaports such as Paita, 
Chimbote, and Matarani.  Attendees at the signing ceremony 
included the Director General of the PNP, the Peruvian 
Customs Commissioner, and the NAS Director. 
 
¶17.  (U) On April 27, the NAS Deputy Director and the 
Maritime and Riverine Program Officer met with Jose Luis 
Noriega Lores, President of Peru's Port Administration Entity 
(ENAPU), to discuss the creation of an MRU at the port of 
Paita. The Paita MRU would be modeled after the Callao MRU. 
Noriega was supportive and said his chief of port security 
would accompany the NAS-sponsored port security delegation 
during their visit to Paita on May 5. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
NAS FACILITATED SUCCESSFUL OAS SEMINAR ON TIP 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶18.  (U) On April 28-29, the OAS and the GOP's Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MFA) hosted a seminar on trafficking in 
persons (TIP).  NAS worked closely with OAS in Washington to 
facilitate the agenda and overall organization of the 
seminar.  The seminar, featuring speakers from Japan, Panama 
(2), Colombia, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, garnered 
high-level GOP participation and significant media interest, 
including good coverage of the Ambassador's remarks. 
Participants came from a variety of GOP ministries, the 
press, four international organizations, and eleven NGOs. 
See septel. 
 
¶19.  (U) The goal of the seminar was to generate a set of 
recommendations for a national action plan on TIP.  With that 
goal in mind, NAS promoted the concept of facilitated working 
groups in an attempt of avoid "talking heads" and no clear 
outcomes.  The reactions of the participants were positive 
and the results constructive. 
 
¶20.  (U) The OAS sparked some controversy with the 
presentation of a rapid assessment study on trafficking from 
Latin America to Japan.  Prior to the seminar the Japanese 
delivered a demarche to the OAS strongly objecting to the 
study and its negative portrayal of Japan's anti-TIP efforts. 
 The author of the study, OAS consultant and Japanese 
professor Kaname Tsutsumi, presented her conclusions publicly 
for the first time at the seminar.  The GOJ brought its TIP 
expert from Japan to challenge the findings of the OAS study. 
 The study can be found at www.oas.org/atip/reports/. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
NEXT STEPS FOR ANTI-DRUG COMMUNITY COALITIONS 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶21.  (U) NAS is moving forward on implementing anti-drug 
community coalitions based on the successful U.S. model. 
Eduardo Hernandez, who is with Community Anti-Drug Coalitions 
of America (CADCA), visited Peru April 25-27 to discuss 
training and implementation of coalitions with eight NGOs 
selected by NAS.  Prior to his visit, NAS Program personnel 
briefed each NGO extensively on what coalition building 
entails, which is quite different from their current 
approach.  A key message to the NGOs was that the concept or 
framework of community coalitions should be valid worldwide, 
but the implementation of the concept is particular to each 
country. 
 
¶22.  (U) CADCA will conduct a two-day training session on 
June 6-7, with two additional days set aside for individual 
consultations.  At the end of the June training, the NGOs 
will be equipped with a blueprint for the initial step in 
developing coalitions.  The NGOs should identify an area to 
work in and the community leaders who could form the 
coalition.  CADCA and NAS will evaluate the NGOs' proposals 
in early August.  On August 15-16, there will be another 
CADCA training session before the NGOs actually begin 
coalition building.  CADCA will work closely with the NGO 
OPCION to organize the training sessions and handle logistics. 
STRUBLE