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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 004441 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PINS PE
SUBJECT: COCALEROS INCREASINGLY RADICAL BUT STILL FRACTURED 
AFTER FOURTH COCALERO CONGRESS 
 
REF: A. LIMA 4271 
     ¶B. LIMA 1418 
     ¶C. 04 LIMA 947 
     ¶D. 03 LIMA 983 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified, Please Handle Accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Fifteen hundred cocaleros met in Ayacucho 
at the fourth Congress of the National Confederation of 
Agriculture Producers of the Coca Valleys of Peru (CONPACCP) 
in another failed attempt to create a unified national 
movement.  Supporters of the Humala brothers tried to 
participate in the final day of the Congress but were 
rebuffed.  Despite the lack of participation from Cuzco and 
Monzon cocaleros, the Congress brought existing CONPACCP 
members together with activists from the Apurimac and Ene 
River Valley (VRAE) and the San Gaban area of Puno.  Jailed 
cocalero leader Nelson Palomino was elected Secretary General 
along with other new, more radical leadership from the VRAE. 
Following the Congress, Daniel Apaza, the CONPACCP Secretary 
for Propaganda, said there would be violent mobilizations to 
oppose eradication.  Subsequently, Apaza was detained in San 
Gaban for rock-throwing against the police to protest against 
eradication efforts. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Cocaleros from the primary coca producing valleys 
(excluding the Monzon and Cuzco) met in Pampa de la Quinua, 
Ayacucho from 9/26 to 9/30 for the fourth Congress of the 
National Confederation of Agriculture Producers of the Coca 
Valleys of Peru (CONPACCP).  The unfulfilled objective of the 
meeting was to unify the geographically disperse cocalero 
movements into a national organization, along the lines of 
previous unification attempts (Ref A, C).  Though successful 
in consolidating membership from cocaleros of the Federation 
of Agricultural Producers of the VRAE (FEPAVRAE) and San 
Gaban areas, a national unification attempt failed because 
representatives from Cuzco and Monzon were absent.  The 
Congress Declaration has not yet been released. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Representatives from the Monzon reportedly were not 
invited to the Congress due to past political differences 
between the CONPACCP leadership and Monzon leader Iburcio 
Morales.  Cuzco leaders, though involved in planning for the 
Congress, decided not to attend, continuing attempts to 
distinguish between coca from Cuzco, an area that provides 
the majority of coca for the licit market, and coca from the 
other regions, almost all of which goes to narcotraffickers. 
(NOTE: The National Fund for Financing State Enterprises 
(FONAFE) estimates that Cuzco produces about 33,000 metric 
tons of coca leaf per year, of which only 2,500 metric tons 
goes to the parastatal coca marketing agency/regulator ENACO 
-- the rest goes to "other markets" including 
narcotrafficking. END NOTE.)  Cocalero expert Jaime Antesana 
(who works for a USAID contractor) told Poloff that between 
1500 and 2000 cocaleros attended the Congress with the vast 
majority (as high as 90%) being new members from the VRAE. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Congress reelected jailed cocalero leader Nelson 
Palomino as Secretary General of the CONPACCP (he is serving 
a 10 year jail sentence for involvement in violent acts 
opposing eradication in 2003 (REF D)).  Walter Hacha Romani 
was elected as Undersecretary General, replacing Nancy 
Obregon, and will serve as acting CONPACCP Secretary General 
with Palomino in jail.  Hacha is a leader in FEPAVRAE, an 
organization with a relatively radical base of cocaleros from 
the region that was founded by Palomino.  According to 
Antesana, cocaleros of the FEPAVRAE are vocal supporters of 
the "coca or death" mantra and along with other radical 
cocaleros see Obregon as a traitor, conciliatory on opposing 
eradication.  Daniel Apaza, the CONPACCP Secretary for 
Propaganda and coordinator for the Congress, told the media 
that there will be violent mobilizations to oppose 
eradication.  (NOTE: Apaza was detained on 10/3 by police in 
San Gaban, Puno for throwing rocks at police during protests 
opposing eradication efforts in the area.  He was driven by 
police to Macusani, 8 hours drive away from San Gaban, and 
charged.  Protests to free Apaza and end eradication in San 
Gaban fizzled.  Police are in control of the situation and 
the area is calm. END NOTE.) 
 
¶5. (SBU) Palomino and Hacha's elections dealt a blow to 
Obregon's aspirations to continue as a CONPACCP's de facto 
leader.  FEPAVRAE members significantly outnumbered cocaleros 
from other valleys accounting for the VRAE takeover of 
CONPACCP leadership. Elsa Malpartida, cocalero leader from 
the Upper Huallaga and ally of Obregon did not attend the 
meeting because she was detained in Leoncio Prado under 
charges of disorderly conduct against public and private 
property related to prior cocalero strikes she organized. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Approximately 35 supporters of Antauro and Ollanta 
Humala, led by their father Isaac Humala, arrived on the last 
day of the Congress to organize and seek signatures for 
registration of the ultranationalist Ethno-Cacerista 
political party.  According to Antesana and press reports, 
they were not allowed to participate in the meeting because 
political parties were banned from the Congress, but the 
Humalistas waited outside for the meetings to end to collect 
signatures.  Obregon, however, expressed her support for 
Ollanta Humala referring to him as a natural ally and read a 
greetings letter to the cocaleros from jailed Antauro Humala. 
 (NOTE: Prior to the Congress, Antesana warned Emboffs that 
Obregon was trying to position herself politically with 
Ollanta Humala (Ref A). END NOTE.) 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: The CONPACCP discussions continued the 
strategy of decoupling coca growers from narcotraffickers by 
linking coca with indigenous rights and national identity. 
Though not achieving a national unification of cocaleros, the 
Congress did result in a stronger CONPACCP with wider 
membership and new, more radical leadership.  Given the 
history of political infighting between leadership of the 
Monzon and the FEPAVRAE and the self-imposed segregation of 
Cuzco cocaleros, further unification is unlikely for the 
moment.  The new CONPACCP leadership, dominated by VRAE 
representatives and excluding Obregon and Malpartida, could 
usher in a more radical opposition to eradication.  Obregon 
and Malpartida's exclusion from the organizational leadership 
reflects their waning influence within the cocalero movement. 
 The convergence of increasing violent rhetoric and the 
involvement of the Humala brothers in coca politics is of 
particular concern, although no/no formal link-up has yet 
been made.  END COMMENT. 
STRUBLE