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DE RUEHBO #2063 1581716
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 061716Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3083
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8224
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0513
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUN 9481
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 6247
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 1825
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 6919
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 4454

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 002063 

SIPDIS 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2018 
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL ECON PM EC CO
SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE'S JUNE 2 MEETING WITH 
FOREIGN MINISTER OF PANAMA 

Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer 

Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 

SUMMARY 
------- 

¶1. (C) Deputy Secretary Negroponte met with Panamanian 
Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro June 2.  Both the 
Deputy and Navarro noted the U.S.-Panama relationship had 
"never been stronger."  Navarro said the GOP lost its last 
helicopter in an accident, and requested expedited USG 
assistance to assist in restoring Panamanian air mobility to 
conduct counter-drug and counter-insurgency operations near 
the Colombian border.  He thought a solution to the 
Colombian-Ecuadorian conflict was imminent, offered 
Panamanian assistance in this regard, and said normalization 
of relations would require both presidents to 
"de-personalize" the dispute. End summary. 

¶2. (U) Participants: 

U.S.: 
----- 

Deputy Secretary John D. Negroponte 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Craig A. Kelly 
Kelly Hapka Carrillo, note taker 

Panamanian: 
----------- 

Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro 

¶3. (C) Deputy Secretary Negroponte met with Panamanian FM 
Samuel Lewis Navarro June 2 on the margins of the OAS General 
Assembly.  Navarro assured the Deputy that the expansion of 
the Panama Canal--a $5 billion investment--would have no 
negative environmental effects.  Both the Deputy and Navarro 
noted that the U.S.-Panama relationship had "never been 
stronger." 

¶4. (C) Navarro described the recent helicopter accident in 
Panama which left the GOP without any operating helicopters.
He noted how the balloon effect of successful Colombian 
counter-narcotics and counter-insurgency operations had 
pushed the FARC and narco-traffickers over the Panamanian 
border.  The difficult terrain required air mobility to 
prevent the trafficking of drugs, weapons and FARC activity 
in the border area.  He requested U.S. help in expediting 
Panama's request to buy U.S. helicopters, noting that the 
manufacturer is experiencing production delays. 

¶5. (C) Navarro said Panama wanted to help lower 
Ecuador-Colombia tensions without taking sides.  He said the 
Panamanians had participated in meetings where the Ecuadorian 
and Colombian military commanders on the border discussed 
cooperation. Both commanders "hated the FARC" and appeared 
open to bilateral military collaboration.  He said there was 
too much political posturing by the presidents on both sides, 
and to normalize relations the issue needed to be 
"de-personalized." 

¶6. (C) Navarro expressed concern that as FARC units started 
to retreat into neighboring countries due to GOC military 
operations, the FARC would splinter into autonomous fronts. 
To combat multiple autonomous fronts, he said, "greater 
international cooperation would be required."  Although 
Navarro would not agree to publicly condemn countries that 
gave sanctuary to the FARC, he said Panama would continue 
involvement in resolving the Colombian-Ecuador dispute.  He 
recommended that to mobilize international support against 
the FARC, the USG should underscore that the group no longer 
has ideological foundations, but is simply a group of 
"narco-traffickingmafiosos." 

¶7. (U) Cleared by D staff. 
BROWNFIELD 

=======================CABLE ENDS============================