VZCZCXRO1273
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHBO #1374/01 1181954
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281954Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8508
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8819
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 2101
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 7408
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 3487
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 8145
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY 0027
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNFB/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 001374 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PTER PHUM BR CO
SUBJECT: URIBE SAYS ONLY THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS AND 
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ARE AUTHORIZED TO FACILITATE FURTHER 
FARC HOSTAGE RELEASES 
 
REF: BOGOTA 1338 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor John Creamer 
Reasons 1.4 (b and d) 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1. (C)  President Uribe ruled out any role for Piedad Cordoba 
and her "Colombians for Peace" group in further FARC hostage 
releases at a Town Hall meeting on April 25, saying only the 
ICRC and Catholic Church are authorized to facilitate such 
releases.  Uribe said the GOC would not allow new releases to 
turn into "spectacles" benefiting "persons who should be in 
jail" because of their FARC ties.  Peace Commissioner Frank 
Pearl told us the GOC wants direct, private talks with the 
FARC, not contact through political actors such as Cordoba's 
group.  Cordoba told the media she plans to meet with 
Brazilian President Lula de Silva to discuss a possible 
Brazilian role in new releases, but the Brazilian Political 
Counselor told us Itamaraty is unaware of any Lula-Cordoba 
meeting.  The ICRC's chief in Bogota told us he is frustrated 
by the GOC's and Cordoba's politicization of the hostage 
issue.  End Summary. 
 
ONLY ICRC AND CHURCH IN HOSTAGE RELEASES 
---------------------------------------- 
¶2.  (U) President Alvaro Uribe announced in an April 25 
televised Town Hall meeting near Bogota that only the 
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Catholic 
Church are authorized to assist in new FARC hostage releases. 
 Uribe did not mention Senator Piedad Cordoba or her 
"Colombians for Peace" group by name, but his statements 
effectively ruled out her participation in hostage 
releases--including the possible release of FARC-held hostage 
Pablo Moncayo.  The FARC announced on April 16, it would 
release Moncayo to Colombians for Peace (reftel).  Uribe said 
the GOC is ready to facilitate any FARC hostage release, but 
only through the ICRC or the Church. 
 
URIBE SLAMS "FARC-POLITICIANS" 
------------------------------ 
¶3. (U) Uribe said the GOC would not accept the FARC's hostage 
blackmail, or allow the group to turn hostage releases into a 
"political feast" benefiting "persons who should be in jail 
because of their FARC ties."  Uribe said the GOC had not 
yielded to blackmail from former paramilitaries, and would 
not accept it from the FARC.  He noted that numerous 
congressmen remain in jail in the "para-political" scandal, 
and said the GOC would not permit the FARC to "place smoke 
screens over the FARC-political scandal."  The GOC would not 
allow anyone to "advance their political campaigns based on 
an inhumane humanitarian spectacle" that exploits human 
suffering.  Uribe said the GOC would resist domestic and 
international pressure to accept the FARC's demands. 
 
URIBE COLORED BY DISLIKE OF CORDOBA 
----------------------------------- 
¶4. (C)  New GOC Peace Commissioner Frank Pearl told us on 
April 27 that Uribe's comments reflect the GOC view that 
direct, private talks with the FARC, whether on a 
humanitarian accord or a broader peace process, are 
preferable to contact through intermediaries such as Cordoba. 
 If the FARC is interested in a unilateral humanitarian 
hostage release, humanitarian institutions such as the ICRC 
and the Catholic Church exist to assist.  Cordoba and 
Colombians for Peace are not humanitarian actors; they are 
political actors interested in influencing the 2010 
presidential elections.  Pearl confirmed that Cordoba has not 
tried to meet with him to discuss the possible Moncayo 
release.  Pearl said he tried to speak with Moncayo's peace 
activist father, Gustavo Moncayo, but Moncayo has directed 
all contact back to Cordoba. 
 
¶5. (C) After the FARC hostage releases earlier this year, 
then Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo told us Uribe 
has a visceral negative reaction to the FARC-controlled 
releases, as well as to Cordoba's participation.  The 
releases also generate opposition within Uribe's 
administration and political base, including Defense Minister 
 
BOGOTA 00001374  002 OF 002 
 
 
Juan Manuel Santos and Armed Forces Commander Freddy Padilla. 
 As a result, Uribe's approach to the releases is often 
improvised and unpredictable.  In February, Uribe announced 
his suspension of any further Cordoba role in the FARC 
releases, only to reinstate her hours later. 
 
BRAZILIAN ROLE? 
--------------- 
¶6. (C) Pearl said he has not spoken with the Brazilians about 
a possible role in the Moncayo release.   Brazil provided 
logistical support for the last round of FARC hostage 
releases in January-February, and Cordoba told the media that 
President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva has agreed to meet with 
her to discuss the issue.  Brazilian Political Counselor in 
Bogota Alan Coelho said he checked with Itamaraty on April 
27, which was unaware of any Lula-Cordoba meeting.  Still, he 
said Cordoba maintains some contacts within the Brazilian 
Congress who might try to set up a session.  He added that 
Cordoba has had no contact with the Brazilian Embassy since 
the last round of hostage releases.  Even then, the only 
contact was in multilateral meetings involving the ICRC and 
GOC as well. 
 
ICRC VIEW 
--------- 
¶7. (C) ICRC delegate Christophe Beney voiced frustration with 
both Cordoba and the GOC, noting that both view hostage 
releases through a political lens.  He told Pearl that the 
ICRC is willing to help in another release, but will not act 
as the GOC,s representative--"as Cordoba serves as the 
FARC,s lawyer"--in negotiations.  The ICRC wants the GOC and 
Cordoba to work out the details and will then help with 
implementation.  He stressed that the ICRC wants to keep a 
low media profile, something increasingly difficult because 
both parties often lie about what is happening. 
BROWNFIELD