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 002254 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR INL/LP, WHA/AND, DS/IP/WHA, DS/DSS/ITA; DEPT FOR 
ONDCP FOR D GETTINGS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ASEC SNAR EAID PGOV PE
SUBJECT:  GRADUATING COUNTERNARCOTICS CADETS INCREASE PNP 
CAPABILITIES IN DRUG ZONES 
 
REF:  A) LIMA 2158 
 
      B) LIMA 2055 
      C) LIMA 2111 
      D) 04 LIMA 5822 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: On May 12, almost 200 new Peruvian National 
Police (PNP) cadets graduated from two police academies in 
the heart of the coca source zones.  These academies were 
conceived, constructed and fully equipped by Embassy NAS. 
The 200 graduates are the first batch of a planned 2000 more 
counternarcotics police recruited from the Peruvian rain 
forest, with training support and equipment from NAS.  Their 
purpose is to consolidate state presence, combat 
narcotrafficking, and support law-abiding communities in the 
coca-growing regions of Peru.  The Ambassador and top PNP 
brass attended the ceremonies along with impressive support 
from hundreds of local spectators.  The well-choreographed 
demonstrations of police counternarcotics skills and the 
obvious high level of morale and motivation of the graduates 
are positive signs for future PNP CN operations in coca 
growing areas.  Press coverage was prominent and favorable. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Ambassador Curt Struble and Peruvian National Police 
(PNP) Chief Marco Miyashiro, along with top PNP generals, 
attended 2 graduation ceremonies of new police academy 
cadets on 5/12.  The graduations are the culmination of 4 
years of planning and execution by NAS police advisors. 
Ninety-seven graduates were from the Academy at Santa Lucia 
Base, San Martin, where eradication and cocaine-base lab 
interdiction operations have been conducted over the past 
months (Ref B and previous).  The additional 98 graduates 
were from the Academy in Mazamari, Junin, in the hard-core 
Monzon area.  All the graduates had received intense 
training for 18 months, specializing in all aspects of 
counternarcotics operations.  They will be dedicated to CN 
activities in the region for 3 years.  Virtually all of the 
new graduates, after a day off to be with family, will begin 
work in the CN directorate DIRANDRO's eradication security, 
road interdiction or special operations units in the hostile 
Upper Huallaga area. 
 
¶3. (U) The mayors of both communities, as well as the 
provincial Sub-Prefects (National government representatives 
responsible for the security of their provinces) attended 
the ceremonies.  All four recounted the same basic story: in 
addition to the positive effect of locally recruited police 
on community attitudes towards the rule of law, the local 
police academies brought economic benefits to the 
communities - a local survey conducted by the PNP showed a 
40 percent increase in economic growth for the Santa Lucia 
area, for example, as the providers of secondary services 
were able to make a better living. 
 
¶4. (U) Both ceremonies were similar in their scope and 
indication of potential for the future.  Several hundred 
friends and family of the graduates, as well as interested 
community members, attended the ceremonies at each location 
with evident pride.  At each ceremony precise and well- 
orchestrated military-style ceremonies, speeches, award 
presentations and parades involving the cadets were followed 
by operational demonstrations by cadets from the upcoming 
class, due to graduate in 6 months.  NAS anticipates that 
over the next 5 years 2000 CN police will graduate from 
these academies; the graduates will dedicate at least 3 
years to service in the drug zones. 
 
¶5. (U) The level of motivation and esprit de corps evident 
in both classes was remarkable, similar to the exuberance 
and dedication evident in U.S. military basic training 
graduations.  There was great attention to detail in the 
uniforms, marching and ceremonial displays.  The classes had 
their particular chants and unit cheers, and awards were 
given to the honor graduates.  The motivational speeches by 
the Ambassador, General Miyashiro, the chaplains and others 
were well received by the audience. 
 
¶6. (U) At Santa Lucia, the upcoming graduating class 
(possibly in December 2005) put on an impressive display of 
a mock interdiction operation, with a coordinated helicopter 
and riverine pincer movements surrounding a notional cocaine 
lab, followed by a pyrotechnic destruction of the lab that 
was featured on the front page of leading daily "El 
Comercio."  The Mazamari interdiction demonstration 
emphasized a close-up of an interdiction operation, with a 
prominent depiction of the role played by the GOP legal 
representative (Fiscal) in ensuring that the legal rights of 
suspects were respected.  General Nunez explained that in 
addition to the intense CN training, these students received 
training in human rights observance as well as non-lethal 
riot control techniques  - essential in the current climate 
featuring cocaleros armed with rock slings who menace 
eradicators and their heliborne transport. (Note: For the 
vast majority of the community audience, this was their 
first dramatization of what a Fiscal does, in contrast to 
cocalero rumor mills that tout PNP disregard of human 
rights. End Note.) 
 
¶7. (U) A sizeable press contingent accompanied the USG and 
PNP delegations on the trip to both graduations.  Press 
coverage was favorable, with front page photographic and 
print coverage of the ceremonies and the operational 
demonstrations. 
 
¶8. (SBU) General Daniel Nunez Accame, Director of Training 
and Doctrine for the PNP, explained how these ceremonies fit 
into extensive plans for professionalizing the service and 
increasing effectiveness of counter-narcotics operations. 
The 2 NAS-developed satellite police academies for 
"suboficiales" (the equivalent of enlisted troops in a 
military organization or entry-level police officers in the 
U.S. system, represent a well-defined strategy to attract 
and train vetted recruits from the coca source zones.  The 
5/12 graduates were drawn from all over the Departments in 
which the academies are located. 
 
¶9. (U) General Nunez also detailed plans to start 
preparatory schools for each of the academies.  The schools, 
supported with USG funds, would accomplish several 
objectives.  Potentially successful PNP cadets would be 
identified and provided with academic preparation, to allow 
the academies to devote less time for basic subjects.  But 
even the students who either realized they did not want to 
pursue a career in law enforcement, or could not make the 
grade for acceptance into the Academy, would have had a 
solid grounding in the principles of rule of law, the 
dangers of illicit coca cultivation and narcotrafficking, 
and the importance of working with the police force that 
would benefit them and the community whatever trade they 
chose.  The Santa Lucia preparatory school is planned to 
open in August. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Regarding the issue of whether recruiting police 
from the coca regions would be an invitation to corruption, 
General Nunez allowed that there was this potential, in that 
policemen would already know some narcotraffickers in the 
area.  But the countervailing criteria were more important: 
locally recruited police would have greater access to the 
informants who would also come from the area.  More 
important, the community members would respect the policemen 
and have a stake in preventing harm to them during the 
course of operations.  NAS police advisor has ensured that 
extensive vetting of all students and polygraph tests for 
some lessen the chances of future corruption. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Comment:  This first surge of police graduates 
bodes well for upcoming eradication and interdiction plans, 
in an increasingly difficult operating environment.  They 
will be key in boosting police presence and backbone when 
faced with violent cocalero and narcoterrorist reactions. 
The professionalism of the Santa Lucia and Mazamari 
operational demonstrations showed what competent, motivated 
PNP troops can do with the proper training, equipment and 
resources.  Taking the press along proved to be a public 
relations success for the PNP and USG, with reporters seeing 
first hand what a professional police force can accomplish. 
The high level of attendance by local communities is an 
indication of support that should pay dividends for licit 
economic activities and stability in these areas.  In 
August, NAS will support the start of a new police academy 
in Ayacucho - a town through which 70 percent of cocaine 
passes en route to foreign destinations. 
STRUBLE