VZCZCXRO3417
RR RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHRL #0991 2041522
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 221522Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1728
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0244
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0129
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 0103
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0037

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000991 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2018 
TAGS: COL VE HR EUR PTER AF SNAR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY ON 
FARC 
 
REF: SECSTATE 77205 
 
Classified By: DEPUTY MINISTER COUNSELOR STAN OTTO FOR REASONS 1.4 (b), 
 (c), AND (d) 
 
¶1. (C) On 22 July 2008, POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to 
Verana Frick, desk officer responsible for Venezuela, 
Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia at the German Foreign Office. 
Frick said that the German Government will continue to 
support dialogue and a peaceful solution between the 
Government of Columbia and the FARC.  Frick remained hopeful 
that a diplomatic solution could be achieved where FARC 
members could be reintegrated into society, although she does 
not believe complete amnesty should be given to all members. 
She expressed the view that the FARC is weakened and no 
longer has a political or ideological agenda, but is now 
mostly concerned with ensuring its own survival and earning 
money through drug trafficking.  She said that most of the 
prisoners being held by the FARC were not for political 
reasons, but rather simple ransom, making the FARC more of a 
criminal syndicate than international terrorist organization. 
 Frick speculated that the FARC will inevitably collapse 
internally and branch into small, albeit more dangerous and 
unpredictable, splinter groups. 
 
¶2.  (C) Frick said the German Government took Venezuelan 
President Hugo Chavez at his word when he denounced the 
FARC's armed struggle, and does not believe he has anything 
further to gain politically by publicly or privately 
supporting the group.  She believes Chavez knows his 
political limitations and now realizes his revolutionary 
message is no longer being accepted in Latin America.  She 
cited the recent tension between Venezuela and Ecuador and 
Columbia, and the cooling of relations with Brazil and 
Bolivia, as evidence that Chavez's revolutionary zeal had 
lost its appeal and that he is becoming increasingly isolated 
in the region.  She added that despite Chavez's 
alleged past support for the FARC, Germany does not believe 
there is ample evidence or reason to add Venezuela to the 
list of states that sponsor terrorism.  Frick expressed the 
view that doing so would empower Chavez and provide him 
reason to withhold or restrict oil exports to the United 
States and Europe. 
KOENIG