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INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 8812
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2092
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ APR LIMA 7399
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0049
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 3480
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RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS BOGOTA 001359 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR H AND WHA/AND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ETRD OREP PGOV ECON CO
SUBJECT: CODEL HOYER FOCUSES ON FTA AND PLAN COLOMBIA IN 
CARTAGENA AND MEDELLIN (APRIL 6-8) 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer led a 
Congressional Delegation to Cartagena and Medellin, Colombia, 
from April 6-8, 2009.  President Uribe outlined to the 
delegation the progress Colombia has made, with U.S. support, 
on counternarcotics efforts and the fact that much remains to 
be done.  He also addressed human rights, emerging criminal 
groups and violence against labor unions.  Uribe asked the 
CODEL to tell President Obama that he was open to suggestions 
to find a way forward on the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion 
Agreement (CTPA).  In a separate meeting, Attorney General 
Mario Iguaran addressed Members' concerns on human rights as 
well as cases of labor violence, in addition to describing 
Colombia's transition to an accusatory system.  Members 
received a briefing from the Colombian Navy on interdiction 
and international cooperation.  They also spoke with labor 
unionists both in support of and opposed to the FTA. 
Finally, Members had the opportunity to speak with internally 
displaced and demobilized persons as well as local political 
and business leaders.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Members of the CODEL were: Steny Hoyer (D-MD); Roy 
Blunt (R-MO); Norman Dicks (D-WA); Lucille Roybal-Allard 
(D-CA); Elijah Cummings (D-MD); Gregory Meeks (D-NY); Debbie 
Wasserman Schultz (D-FL); Adrian Smith (R-NE); Gerry Connolly 
(D-VA); and Aaron Schock (R-IL). 
 
PRESIDENT URIBE POINTS TO RESULTS, EMPHASIZES PERSEVERANCE 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) At the official Presidential Residence in Cartagena, 
President Alvaro Uribe hosted the delegation for a breakfast 
at which he was joined by his Ministers of Defense, Foreign 
Relations, and Trade, as well as the directors of the GOC's 
human rights program and social action agency.  Uribe 
expressed his gratitude for the USG's "essential and enduring 
support."  He underlined that, with U.S. support, the state 
has recovered its monopoly to fight criminals and administer 
justice, has built confidence in democratic institutions, and 
has provided assistance and reparations to the victims of 
conflict.  He noted that the GOC had accomplished all of this 
without having to resort to a state of emergency or martial 
law.  With regard to the fight against narco-activities, he 
said, "We haven't won this battle yet, but we're winning." 
He recognized the constraints of the current economic crisis 
and the need for adjustments in U.S. support for Colombia, 
but requested perseverance to consolidate gains and make them 
sustainable.  He acknowledged the importance of human rights, 
calling them an essential part of democratic security which, 
if neglected, could undermine the important progress that has 
been made.  He highlighted social investments in education, 
health, and housing, especially through the GOC's "Families 
in Action" program. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Regarding the FARC, Uribe said their numbers had 
been reduced from 30,000 to 7,000-8,000 through military 
action, demobilizations, and desertions.  He said he supports 
a peace process with the guerrillas but first needs them to 
act in good faith.  The President cited a series of recent 
terrorist acts (bombings, murders, and kidnappings) 
attributed to the FARC.  In response to a question from Mr. 
Hoyer about recidivism among demobilized paramilitaries, 
Uribe said that of the 35,000 paramilitaries who have been 
demobilized, about 3,000 had returned to criminal but not 
paramilitary activity.  Of these, approximately 2,000 have 
been apprehended, making recidivism a real, but limited 
issue.  On extraditions, he said the GOC had addressed 
concerns raised by the Colombian judiciary and would continue 
to use this tool as appropriate. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Blunt praised the GOC for the 
counter-narcotics assistance it provides to Mexico and 
Panama.  Uribe said the support would continue but cautioned 
that losing the battle in Colombia would impact Mexico as 
well.  He remarked that the Merida Initiative is important, 
but "the battle in Colombia can be won sooner," and without 
continued support, there could be a backslide. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Responding to a question form Mr. Blunt on changing 
the mix of funding for Plan Colombia, Defense Minister Santos 
insisted that continued military assistance is needed to 
 
 
support development activities, stating, "The hard side is 
essential to enable the soft side."  Santos added that Plan 
Colombia has helped the GOC to nearly reach a critical point 
of irreversibility.  He asked, "Please prolong this for a 
couple more years," until all the Plan Colombia efforts are 
more fully nationalized. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Responding to Mr. Dicks' question about violence 
against organized labor, Uribe acknowledged that 
paramilitaries and guerillas had systematically attacked 
labor leaders, but he insisted that the GOC is committed to 
providing effective protection.  He highlighted the sharp 
drop in homicides of labor leaders and increased 
investigations and prosecutions.  Defense Minister Santos 
added that many union members had been attacked for reasons 
having nothing to do with labor issues. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Trade Minister Plata brought up the CTPA, saying 
that delaying the Agreement with Colombia while enacting and 
continuing with other FTAs in the Hemisphere was tantamount 
to applying trade sanctions against Colombia.  He emphasized 
that the increased investment that the CTPA would likely 
generate would support the gains achieved through Plan 
Colombia.  Uribe added that the CTPA has symbolic importance, 
and while it would bolster foreign direct investment in 
Colombia, Colombian exports to the U.S. would be unlikely to 
increase significantly in the near term.  Uribe concluded by 
insisting that the GOC is ready to make adjustments in 
response to U.S. concerns.  He said, "We are receptive to 
your suggestions.  Tell President Obama we need his support." 
 
¶9. (U) In a brief press conference following the breakfast, 
Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Blunt confirmed their support for the FTA 
and said they would work with the Obama Administration to 
advance the issue.  Mr. Hoyer expressed his appreciation of 
the GOC,s progress on human rights issues and said that Plan 
Colombia "has worked, is working, and needs to continue." 
 
ATTORNEY GENERAL IGUARAN EMPHASIZES COMMITMENT TO 
INVESTIGATING LABOR VIOLENCE CASES 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶10. (SBU) In Medellin, Attorney General Mario Iguaran thanked 
the delegation for its interest in seeing progress on human 
rights and labor-related cases and reiterated his commitment 
to the same.  Iguaran described the steps that the Fiscalia 
has taken to end impunity for crimes against labor and human 
rights leaders, including implementation of an accusatory 
justice system; creation of a special sub-unit to investigate 
human rights and labor-related violence; and prioritization 
of 187 cases against labor union leaders and affiliates.  He 
also said that the results -- 133 sentences convicting 269 
people -- prove their efforts.  Mr. Smith asked for an update 
on the status of arrests and convictions in the 
"parapolitical" scandal.  Iguaran said they had obtained over 
600 related court decisions, including cases against six 
Colombia Members of Congress.  Representative Connolly said 
the apparent link between attacks against unionist organizers 
of a March 6, 2008 anti-GOC demonstration and a series of 
public accusations against the organizers by presidential 
advisor Jose Obdulio Gaviria lends itself to accusations of 
direct government involvement in violence against unionists. 
Iguaran responded that while the Fiscalia has not ruled out a 
connection, its investigations to date have not uncovered any 
evidence to that effect.  Iguaran added that no cases, past 
or present, suggest that violence against unionists is state 
policy.  Representative Wasserman Schultz asked why judges 
who adjudicate labor-related cases are not given longer or 
even permanent terms, which would increase their 
effectiveness.  She also cited accusations by NGOs that the 
government removed the judges precisely for being too 
effective.  Iguaran said the Fiscalia supports longer terms, 
but that the authority rests with the Superior Council of the 
Judiciary, and is therefore outside of his competency.  He 
also pointed out that often the replacement judges' 
effectiveness has been equal to or better than their 
predecessors. 
 
NAVY COMMANDANT HIGHLIGHTS RESULTS OF INTERNATIONAL 
COOPERATION 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶11. (U) At the Cartagena Naval Club, Navy Commandant Admiral 
Guillermo Barrera expressed his gratitude for the "essential 
partnership of the U.S." and briefed the delegation on the 
record number of cocaine seizures achieved by international 
cooperation, improved intelligence sharing, and the 
deployment of aerial surveillance and high-speed interdiction 
boats.  He claimed that, on aggregate, $31 in cocaine had 
been seized for every dollar invested in resources since the 
U.S. ) Colombia Maritime Interdiction Agreement was signed 
in 1997.  Barrera highlighted the central role that human 
rights plays in the Colombian Navy and noted that as security 
gains have been achieved, public trust in the armed forces 
has risen dramatically.  He added that the following week the 
Colombian Navy would be welcoming the first international 
class in its School for Maritime Interdiction, which will 
include 25 international students from 11 countries in the 
region.  The Majority leader noted that a child saved by 
Colombian Naval interdiction could just as easily be from one 
of the Members' district as from Colombia. 
 
UNIONIST OPPONENTS OF CTPA OFFER ARGUMENTS FOR PROTECTIONISM 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶12. (SBU) The delegation discussed the CTPA with leaders from 
Colombia's largest labor confederations and unions.  The 
unionists, largely representing the public sector, outlined 
their opposition to the CTPA, arguing it would: stifle 
Colombian industry; leave Colombian farmers unable to compete 
with heavily-subsidized American farmers, compromising 
Colombian food security; promote the entry into Colombia of 
multi-national companies, which would exploit Colombia's 
people and resources; and cause Colombia to lose $500 million 
in import duties it currently enjoys.  The unionists said 
they support the position held by U.S. labor that Colombia 
needs to improve its human rights situation before entering 
into a trade treaty.  They said unionists in Colombia are 
excluded from the political process and threatened, attacked, 
and murdered for their legal union activities, and that the 
perpetrators of these crimes enjoy impunity under the current 
administration.  Mr. Hoyer emphasized that the Members of the 
CODEL believed workers should be protected in exercising 
their rights and that they want the CTPA to have a positive 
effect on workers.  Representative Connolly questioned how 
both U.S. industry and Colombian industry could both 
experience a net-loss in economic terms under the CTPA. 
Representative Roybal-Allard said it is important to put a 
human face on the statistics, and that both governments would 
need to find a way to compensate and/or retrain the economic 
losers under the CTPA. 
 
PRO-CTPA UNIONISTS EMPHASIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME WITH 
CTPA 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶13. (SBU) The delegation discussed the CTPA with a second 
group of unionists, largely representing sectors that would 
benefit from the Agreement, including textiles and packaging. 
 Gerardo Sanchez, President of the Union of Textile Workers, 
argued that the CTPA would not directly affect the majority 
of union members in Colombia, who tend to come from the 
public sector (including teachers).  He argued that the 
minority that constitutes union federation leadership 
generally oppose the Agreement on ideological grounds.  Luis 
Fernando Cadavid, President of the Union of Clothing and 
Textile Workers of Antioquia pointed out that only about 
800,000 out of 18 million workers are unionized, and that the 
vast majority of the workforce would benefit from increased 
trade under the CTPA.  The group also said they felt the 
current administration is taking appropriate steps to control 
violence against unionists: dismantling paramilitary groups, 
improving public safety, and offering protection to 
vulnerable and/or threatened groups.  They also said that 
most of the violence against unionists was not due to their 
union affiliation, but rather a result of common crime or 
personal disputes.  Each member said that despite their 
average of more than 20 years as union leaders, they have not 
felt threatened because of their union activities. 
 
USAID-SUPPORTED JOB TRAINING CENTER BENEFITS DISPLACED AND 
DEMOBILIZED 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶14. (U) The delegation visited the job training center of the 
Fundacion Indufrial.  Indufrial is a large Colombian 
manufacturer of commercial refrigerators with a long history 
of corporate social responsibility.  With the support of 
USAID since 2003, the Foundation has supported the 
socio-economic reintegration of thousands of internally 
displaced persons and demobilized guerillas and 
paramilitaries through vocational training and counseling. 
The delegation toured the Indufrial plant and met in small 
groups with beneficiaries to discuss the demobilization 
process and the danger of recidivism as well as the 
displacement and resettlement of vulnerable communities. 
 
¶15. (U) Cartagena Mayor Judith Pinedo also met with the 
delegation at Indufrial and briefed them on the city's focus 
on social justice and poverty reduction, especially with 
respect to Cartagena's large Afro-Colombian population. 
 
DEFENSE VICE MINISTER JARAMILLO SHOWCASES GOC INTERAGENCY 
CONSOLIDATION STRATEGY 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶16. (U) At the Montes de Maria Fusion Center in Cartagena, 
Vice Minister of Defense Sergio Jaramillo briefed the 
delegation on the Center for Coordinated and Integrated 
Action (CCAI), part of the GOC's National Consolidation 
Strategy.  The GOC recently created the Montes de Maria 
center following the success of the La Macarena fusion center 
which has been operating for the past year in the historical 
heartland of the FARC.  The CCAI model is an integrated 
approach designed to consolidate security gains in vulnerable 
areas and establish a permanent presence of government 
agencies and services to support local communities.  The 
program includes effective police presence, rule of law, coca 
eradication, and socio-economic development.  Jaramillo 
explained that the goal is to create permanent, irreversible 
results using a Clear - Hold - Build approach.  Each fusion 
center is led by three co-coordinators from the military, 
police, and civilian government. 
 
¶17. (U) The CODEL cleared this cable. 
BROWNFIELD