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DE RUEHBO #7359/01 2851425
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121425Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9466
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7797
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 9411
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ OCT 8967
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 5504
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 0715
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6101
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4111
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS BOGOTA 007359 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREF PREL PTER
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE: QUESTIONS ARISE WITH SUPREME 
COURT OVER PARAMILITARY ALLEGATIONS 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) On October 8, President Uribe released a statement 
saying he had received a letter from a jailed paramilitary 
accusing Supreme Court Magistrate Ivan Velasquez of offering 
the paramilitary legal benefits to implicate Uribe in a plot 
to murder a jailed paramilitary leader. Uribe called 
Velasquez to discuss the case and later asked the Prosecutor 
General to investigate.  The Supreme Court issued a statement 
supporting Velasquez--who is a lead investigator in the 
para-political scandal--and accusing Uribe of obstructing the 
para-political investigations.  Uribe has supported the 
Court's investigations--including increasing its 
investigative capacity--but will continue to criticize it 
when he believes it is wrong. END SUMMARY. 
 
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URIBE'S STATEMENT 
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¶2. (SBU) On October 8, President Uribe released a statement 
saying he had received a letter from jailed paramilitary Jose 
Orlando Moncada (a.k.a. "Tasmania") accusing Supreme Court 
Magistrate Ivan Velasquez of offering him legal benefits to 
implicate Uribe in a plot to murder jailed paramilitary 
Alcides de Jesus Durango (a.k.a. "Rene.") In the statement, 
Uribe asked the Prosecutor General (Fiscalia) to investigate 
the allegations.  Uribe said "all Colombians are subject to 
investigation, starting with the President of the Republic." 
He added that it is imperative to determine whether he is a 
killer, Tasmania is a liar, or a Supreme Court official is 
attempting to falsely incriminate him. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The next day, Uribe released the text of the letter 
and admitted to calling Velasquez to inquire about the 
matter.  Uribe publicly claimed the Supreme Court may be 
plotting against him, possibly in retaliation for Uribe's 
numerous criticisms of the Court.  Uribe and the Supreme 
Court sparred in July over a court ruling impacting the legal 
status of demobilized paramilitaries. 
 
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THE SUPREME COURT'S RESPONSE 
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¶4. (SBU) Supreme Court President Cesar Julio Valencia issued 
a statement supporting Velasquez and accusing President Uribe 
of obstructing the court's investigations.  Velasquez 
appeared on television admitting that he visited "Tasmania" 
in Itagui prison, and claiming the visit was motivated by the 
belief that "Tasmania" might have valuable information 
relating to the "para-political" investigations. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Velasquez leads the unit investigating the 
para-political scandal.  So far, the Court has jailed 14 
members of congress for para-ties (reftel).  Another 22 are 
under investigation, including the president's cousin and 
former Senator, Mario Uribe.  Velasquez also claimed he is 
under Administrative Department of Security (DAS) 
surveillance, and that the DAS is investigating his exchanges 
with "Tasmania."  DAS Director Maria del Pilar Hurtado 
denied these claims, but said the DAS would investigate to 
determine if any DAS personnel were conducting such 
activities on their own. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Court investigators in the para-scandal claimed they 
received threats.  In early October, Supreme Court President 
Valencia said the daughter of an investigator received an 
anonymous death threat forcing the evacuation of her school 
in Bogota. It was the second reported threat this year 
against those involved with "para-political" investigations. 
 
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REACTION 
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¶7. (SBU) The media, still critical of Uribe's comments 
regarding Gonzalo Guillen (correspondent for Miami's El Nuevo 
Herald, who left Colombia after Uribe accused him of helping 
former Pablo Escobar girlfriend Virgina Vallejo write "Loving 
Pablo, Hating Escobar,"), questioned Uribe's tactics in 
calling Velasquez, but defended the president's right to seek 
 
an investigation of the allegations.  Human Rights Watch 
denounced President Uribe's actions as a "threat to judicial 
independence." Uribe has publicly supported the Court's 
para-political investigations, and provided the court the 
additional resources needed to set up its own investigative 
unit.  Still, as evidenced by his remarks, he reserves the 
right to publicly criticize the court, as well as other 
institutions, when he believes they are wrong. 
 
Brownfield