VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #3903/01 1512159
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 312159Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5787
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7574
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 9038
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 5100
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 0348
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 5721
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 3976
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1464

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003903 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS CO
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS LEADERS DISCUSS LAND, AFRO-COLOMBIAN 
LEADERSHIP, AND GOC RELATIONS 
 
REF: A. A) BOGOTA 3855 
     ¶B. B) BOGOTA 3879 
     ¶C. C) BOGOTA 3778 
 
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SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  Human rights groups, including representatives of 
indigenous and Afro-Colombian groups, addressed human rights, 
Afro-Colombian, and indigenous rights issues at a May 25 
lunch hosted by Polcouns.  Justicia y Paz urged higher-level 
GOC involvement in talks with human rights groups, and 
respect for "humanitarian zones" from all armed actors 
(including the Colombian Armed Forces).  An Afro-Colombian 
participant detailed how leadership problems, corruption, 
racism, and lack of a clear social and political identity 
create challenges for the Afro-Colombian community.  The 
human rights leaders, generally critical of the Uribe 
Administration, admitted Uribe's popularity and attributed it 
to his hard work and tough security policy.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  At a May 25th lunch hosted by Polcouns, human rights 
groups representatives discussed their relations with the 
GOC, and raised specific human rights concerns.  Participants 
included: 
 
--Sister Celia Naranjo of Justicia y Paz 
--Lizardo Donico of Organizacion Nacional Indigena de 
Colombia (ONIC) 
--Gustavo Gallon of Comision Colombiana de Juristas (CCJ) 
--Gustavo Lugo of the Moviemiento Nacional por los Derechos 
Humanos de las Comunidades Afrocolombianas (CIMARRON) 
 
---------------------- 
LAND REMAINS A CONCERN 
---------------------- 
 
¶3.  Donico and Lugo said indigenous and Afro-Colombian 
communities have trouble working with the GOC's land titling 
agency, INCODER, due to corruption and pressure by armed 
groups.  Naranjo cited the delays in returning land to the 
dispossessed Afro-Colombian communities of Curvarado and 
Jiguiamando as an example of the difficulties of working with 
INCODER (reftel A).  She said the paramilitary demobilization 
has led to a drop in violence in Choco and other areas, but 
cautioned that Afro-Colombians and indigenous communities 
continue to be pressured by new criminal groups, 
narcotraffickers and the FARC.  She claimed commercial 
interests, such as African Palm producers, frequently use 
violence to force indigenous or Afro-Colombians to allow them 
to operate on communal lands.  Naranjo is working to get all 
actors (including the Colombian Armed Forces) to respect 
"humanitarian zones" where community members seek to escape 
the violence.  Donico said all armed groups should also agree 
not to enter indigenous resguardos without permission.  All 
agreed illegal groups, as well as the Armed Forces, are 
unlikely to accept such limits. 
 
¶4.  Donico and Lugo agreed good communication between 
indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities is in place, 
especially on land issues.  Donico said it is sometimes 
difficult to coordinate with Afro-Colombians, given the 
numerous and diverseorganizations that represent its 
interests.  While the umbrella group ONIC represents 80 
percent of indigenous organizations, no such equivalent 
umbrella group exists in the Afro-Colombian community, he 
said. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES IN THE AFRO-COLOMBIAN COMMUNITY 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5.  Lugo said the largest challenge facing the Afro-Colombian 
community is building an Afro-Colombian identity in the face 
of racism and economic hardship.  Widespread factionalism and 
weak ethnic identify makes it hard to develop a unified 
social-political agenda.  The process to choose local 
community leaders -- and decision-making on resource 
allocation -- is weak, unorganized, and sometimes corrupt. 
Lugo said racism remains a serious problem in Colombian 
society, and that not enough is done by the GOC for a 
population that represents at least 10.5 percent of Colombia. 
 The recent GOC appointment of Paula Moreno as Minister of 
Culture was political theater, he claimed. 
 
 
---------------------- 
RELATIONS WITH THE GOC 
---------------------- 
 
¶6.  All the participants said they were in regular contact 
with the GOC on human rights issues, but complained their 
contacts lacks decision-making authority.  Gallon said the 
Vice President's Human Rights Office needs to address four 
concerns: 1) the need for more resources from the 
international community; 2) more GOC action to fight 
impunity; 3) greater protection for at risk communities; and 
4) completion of the National Plan for Human Rights.  All 
complained GOC officials at meetings on human rights or land 
issues are too junior to make decisions, leaving the 
communities with vague promises and few answers.  Gallon 
voiced concern over recent accusations by demobilized 
paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso that Vice President 
Santos had urged the paramilitaries to set up a presence in 
Bogota.  He said the accusation needs swift investigation by 
the National Prosecutor's Office (Fiscalia), and suggested 
Santos should recuse himself from human rights issues during 
the investigation. 
 
--------------------- 
URIBE'S FARC PROPOSAL 
--------------------- 
 
¶7.  Lugo said Afro-Colombian communities would accept less 
justice for illegal armed actors and their supporters if such 
benefits were accompanied by programs to address the 
underlying causes of the conflict such as poverty and lack of 
effective political representation.  Still, he voiced 
skepticism that President Uribe's recent proposals to release 
FARC prisoners and provide reduced jail time for paramilitary 
collaborators (refs B-C) would contribute to lasting peace. 
He added that the M-19 demobilization process in 1991 and the 
early stages of the Justice and Peace process did little to 
address poverty and unemployment, which is why some ex-paras 
are returning to crime. 
 
------------------- 
URIBE'S POPULARITY? 
------------------- 
 
¶8.  Gallon, when pressed, admitted President Uribe remains 
enormously popular with the Colombian public. He attributed 
Uribe's popularity to: a  public opinion backlash against the 
FARC and desire for a hard-line security policy after 
President Pastrana's failed FARC peace process; more 
effective delivery of basic services to marginalized 
populations; Uribe's constant outreach efforts; and Uribe's 
public relations savvy.  Gallon claimed Colombia's 
"paramilitarization" had also led to apathy and acceptance of 
Uribe's policies.  Finally, he charged the GOC frequently 
manipulated statistics, which created false perceptions of 
progress. 
Drucker