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C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 000897 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PTER PREL CO
SUBJECT: FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER EXPRESSES FRENCH 
COMMITMENT TO FACILITATE GOC-FARC HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood 
Reason: 1.4 (b,d) 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  (C) During an 18-hour visit to Bogota January 26, French 
Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said France was 
committed to facilitating an "humanitarian exchange" of 
imprisoned FARC guerrillas for FARC hostages, but recognized 
that agreement on such an exchange would require direct 
GOC-FARC talks.  The foreign minister emphasized that France 
(and he personally) was committed to the release of all FARC 
hostages, not just dual French-Colombian citizen Ingrid 
Betancourt.  According to a participant in a breakfast 
meeting that Douste-Blazy hosted, the foreign minister 
indirectly criticized President Uribe for announcing in 
December, against France's advice, his immediate acceptance 
of an international commission proposal to establish a 
security zone in Colombia to conduct the talks.  He also 
criticized the FARC for "lies" in its January 1 statement 
rejecting the commission's proposal.  The foreign minister 
met with Uribe and a range of prominent Colombians during his 
short stay in the country.  Representatives of the 
international commission expect to meet FARC operatives in 
the next few weeks.  End summary. 
 
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FRANCE COMMITTED TO HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) In a joint press conference on January 26 with 
Foreign Minister Carolina Barco, Douste-Blazy, who was on an 
18-hour visit to Bogota, said France would continue to work 
with fellow international commission countries Spain and 
Switzerland to secure FARC acceptance of the commission's 
proposal to facilitate an "humanitarian exchange" of 
imprisoned FARC guerrillas for FARC hostages.  (The 
commission proposed December 13 that a "security zone" of 
some 65 square miles be established to facilitate such 
GOC-FARC talks; President Uribe publicly accepted the 
proposal the same day, whereas the FARC rejected it on 
January 1.)  He said France would "do everything possible" to 
ensure the FARC releases the hostages safely.  Douste-Blazy 
emphasized he was talking about all of the hostages, not just 
dual French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt, and 
underscored his personal commitment to the process. 
Douste-Blazy met for an hour with President Uribe and they 
had a five-minute one-on-one.  The foreign minister later 
said that 95 percent of the discussion was about humanitarian 
exchange issues, and told reporters it was important for him 
to hear that Uribe was committed to the process. 
 
¶3.  (C) Douste-Blazy told a breakfast meeting in Bogota 
January 26 that France was committed to serving as mediator 
(he also used the word "facilitator") to improve the chances 
of a successful "humanitarian exchange."  According to Carlos 
Lozano (editor of the communist newspaper la Voz who is 
knowledgeable about FARC thinking), who attended the 
breakfast, Douste-Blazy said direct GOC-FARC conversations 
would be required to ensure the safe release of the hostages. 
 Lozano said Douste-Blazy was indirectly critical of the GOC, 
saying France had asked President Uribe not to announce his 
acceptance of the international commission proposal in 
December until the FARC had time to react.  Douste-Blazy was 
also critical of the FARC, telling his audience the FARC had 
lied in its January 2 message rejecting the commission's 
proposal.  Contrary to the FARC statement, Douste-Blazy said, 
the FARC received the commission proposal in a timely 
fashion.  Other breakfast attendees included Father Dario 
Echeverri, former President Lopez Michelson, former defense 
minister Martha Lucia Ramirez, former foreign minister Maria 
Emma Mejia, and former Inspector General Jaime Bernal 
Cuellar, and representatives of the hostages' families. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
International Commission Should Meet FARC Soon 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4.  (C) Representatives of the international commission 
countries plan to meet FARC operatives within two or three 
weeks, according to Lozano. 
 
WOOD