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id: 144921
date: 3/7/2008 21:45
refid: 08MANAGUA281
origin: Embassy Managua
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 000281 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR USOAS 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/FO, WHA/AND 
DEPT FOR INR - EMERSON 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR FPA 
NSC FOR FISK AND ALVARADO 
BOGOTA FOR POL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL CO NU
SUBJECT: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE: DISCUSSION WITH 
COLOMBIA'S PNG'D AMBASSADOR TO NICARAGUA 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul A. Trivelli for reasons 1.4 b,d. 
 
Colombia's Ambassador to Nicaragua (for four more days) 
------------------- 
 
¶1. (C) We met this morning with Colombian Ambassador to 
Nicaragua, Antonio Gonzalez Castano to discuss the events of 
the last 24 hours, including President Ortega's surprise 
announcement to break relations with Colombia.  The 
newly-PNG'd Castano was in good spirits but clearly concerned 
by the unpleasant turn of events.  He said earlier this 
morning FM Santos had passed a letter formally breaking 
relations and attaching three conditions to any 
re-establishment of relations.  These were that Colombia: (1) 
acknowledge the (Nicaraguan interpretation of the) ICJ 
decision in December regarding the maritime border at the 
82nd parallel; (2) promise not to violate the sovereignty of 
another Latin nations; and (3) basically, apologize for 
Colombia's recent arrogant attitude.  Gonzalez said he had 
been instructed to close his Embassy and return to Bogota (he 
will depart next Wednesday).  There is no consulate, so all 
official bilateral functions will stop.  Peru will act as 
protecting power for Colombia in Managua.  (A couple of admin 
personnel will stay on for a short time to bring contracts 
and other affairs to an end.) 
 
This Rupture Could Last a While 
---------------- 
 
¶2. (C)  Gonzalez said there was little short-term political 
cost to Ortega given that Managua currently has only a charge 
in Bogota, having recalled their Ambassador in December after 
the ICJ decision.  His understanding is that the Nicaraguan 
Mission in Bogota will close and Panama will act as 
protecting power for Managua.  (NOTE:  The closures will 
affect some travel as Colombians require visas to enter 
Nicaragua.)  When asked his view of how long the break would 
last, without hesitation, Gonzalez responded that Colombia 
would never concede to Nicaragua's first demand.  He added 
that Bogota was still astounded at NicaraguA=&QQ\ns. 
 
How did we get here? 
-------------- 
 
¶3. (C)  The Ambassador asked Gonzalez for his opinion about 
how we had arrived at the current situation, noting that 
during a face-to-face meeting earlier this week Ortega had 
seemed quite moderate and unemotional about the situation. 
Gonzalez responded that President Correa's vitriolic 
statement early in the week was his first indication that 
things would escalate.  Gonzalez asserted that Ortega had 
been waiting for an excuse to ratchet-up his months-long 
saber-rattling against President Uribe, and recalled that 
Ortega's statements during the Caracas ALBA Summit had 
included a warning to Colombia that "to attack Venezuela (or 
Nicaragua) was to attack all of Latin America."  Gonzalez 
added that his government is very concerned by what they see 
as a calculated, coordinated effort by Chavez and his 
acolytes to "close the circle on Colombia."  He said that 
Chavez has already succeeded in destabilizing the Hemisphere, 
not militarily, but politically. 
 
What Caused such an Allergic Reaction? 
-------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Gonzalez said that the Uribe Administration had been 
taken aback by the intensely negative reaction, but Gonzalez 
wryly observed that both Venezuelan President Chavez and 
Ecuadorian President Correa did not launch their invectives 
until they realized that laptop and other items recovered 
 
MANAGUA 00000281  002 OF 002 
 
 
from the attack might contained damaging evidence that both 
men's contacts with the FARC had been more than "humanitarian 
discussions to release hostages."  Gonzalez said that 
Colombian intelligence entities were examining the laptop and 
other materials, and while he did not have first-hand 
knowledge of the contents, said that early indications seemed 
to reaffirm President Uribe's public statements that Chavez 
had provided financial support to the FARC.  (NOTE: We have 
seen public reports that Chavez has provided at least $300 
million in cash to the FARC, that Correa had substantial 
contacts with the FARC and that there is an, as yet, unclear 
connection between Nicaragua and the Venezuela assistance. 
END NOTE.) 
TRIVELLI 

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