VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #1095/01 0792205
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 192205Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2036
INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0155
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAR 9337
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 6030
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6684
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4355
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJC/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS BOGOTA 001095 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS CO ELAB
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR BROWNFIELD'S MARCH 18 MEETING WITH 
ASSOCIATION FOR ALTERNATIVE SOCIAL POLICY (MINGA) DIRECTOR 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) The Ambassador emphasized the important role human 
rights workers in a democratic society to Gloria Florez, the 
Executive Director of the Association for Alternative Social 
Policy (MINGA) in a March 18 meeting.  MINGA officials 
expressed appreciation for the Ambassador's visit to 
demonstrate USG support for human rights defenders.  They 
expressed concerns over ongoing violence and threats, 
extrajudicial executions, and a lack of judicial capacity to 
fight impunity.  They said fumigation and land issues 
negatively impacted displaced communities and other 
vulnerable groups.  The Ambassador offered to continue to 
work together to formulate concrete solutions to human rights 
concerns.  Florez and the Ambassador held a brief joint press 
encounter following the meeting.  End Summary. 
 
----------------------------- 
MINGA: Human Rights Defenders 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) MINGA Director, Florez, told the Ambassador on 
March 18 that human rights concerns remain a serious problem 
in Colombia.  She depicted current conditions as a "profound 
crisis" of systematic attacks and assassinations. MINGA 
provides legal services, assists victims of human rights 
violations, and demands that the GOC provide more human 
rights guarantees.  She said MINGA works in partnership with 
local organizations, affected communities, and the Catholic 
Church to empower victims.  Their work focuses primarily in 
the areas of Narino, Putumayo, Norte de Santander, Guajira, 
and Cauca with indigenous communities, Afro-Colombians, 
women, and other vulnerable groups. MINGA no longer maintains 
activity in Cesar due to high security concerns. She 
indicated that border areas with Ecuador and Venezuela -- 
with large numbers of internally displaced people (IDPs) -- 
remain particularly worrisome.  Despite these challenges, she 
expressed confidence in her group's continuing efforts and 
thanked the Ambassador for "sending a strong message of USG 
support" by visiting the MINGA office.  Florez thanked the 
Embassy's efforts on the human rights front and our support 
of human rights defenders in Colombia who remain stigmatized 
and threatened. 
 
¶3.  (U) The Ambassador expressed respect for human rights 
NGO's and their important role in a democratic society. He 
emphasized our mutual goals to eliminate violence and promote 
a just society, providing all citizens with the capacity to 
live in dignity and peace. He acknowledged that although we 
may not agree with all of MINGA's analysis and conclusions, 
we welcome communication channels to discuss problems and 
offer pragmatic solutions. In a statement to the press 
following the meeting, the Ambassador underscored the 
critical role of human rights and civil society groups and 
the need for security for them to fulfill this role. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Francisco Bustamante said he and other human rights 
leaders had received threats this month from a group alleging 
to be the Aguilas Negras of Bogota (note: many criminal 
groups loosely use this name to call attention to their 
activity but have no relation to the group, and several other 
individuals report recently receiving similar threats).  He 
said the Ambassador's visit amidst the security threats 
highlights the importance of protecting human rights workers. 
He said civilians often get caught in the middle of fighting 
between the military and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of 
Colombia (FARC) in his hometown of Cauca and other regions. 
He suggested that the Embassy regularly visit other human 
rights organizations to continue demonstrating our support. 
The Ambassador agreed to make such visits. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Fumigation Impact and Judicial Reform 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Amaury Padilla said that aerial fumigation directly 
hurts the Putumayo population, and alternative development 
projects did not sufficiently address community concerns. 
Despite heavy military presence, paramilitaries continued 
threatening civilians in Putumayo.  Extrajudicial killings, 
 
arbitrary detentions, and child recruitment by all armed 
actors were "constant and permanent."  He claimed that 
fumigation caused a humanitarian crisis of displacement and 
hunger, while local officials did nothing to alleviate the 
distress.  Diana Sanchez added that the 15th mobile brigade 
in Catatumbo was guilty of extrajudicial killings and that 
judicial vigilance remains necessary to fight impunity.  She 
said the local prosecutors responded slowly to denouncements, 
and they lacked the personnel and resources to investigate 
all cases in a timely manner. 
 
----------------------------- 
Megaprojects, Land, and Drugs 
----------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Florez said paramilitaries occupied valuable lands 
and inflated their value in Cucuta and Tibu.  Megaprojects 
took over remaining lands, preventing any possibility of 
restitution for IDPs.  She said private companies must 
recognize the impact of their businesses on human rights and 
must engage with local communities.  Drug traffickers, 
criminal bands, and the FARC continue to create a climate of 
violence -- often through anti personnel mines, child soldier 
recruitment, and illicit activities that violate the autonomy 
of indigenous groups and peace communities. 
 
¶7.  (U) The Ambassador said the problem of violence and drugs 
is a decades-old problem that we all recognize; the way 
forward remains working together to develop concrete 
solutions.  He suggested that in addition to short-term 
humanitarian assistance, we need to develop long-term 
economic and social strategies.  The Ambassador offered 
continuing dialogue with MINGA -- and in consultation with 
international and local organizations -- to come up with 
concrete solutions to these problems. 
 
¶8.  (U) In the follow-on press encounter with Florez, the 
Ambassador summarized his comments to MINGA on the importance 
of an energetic human rights community in a democratic 
society.  All questions from the media, however, focused on 
the March 17 OAS ministerial concerning the 
Colombia-Ecuador-Venezuela dispute. 
Brownfield