VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #0366 1262244
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 062244Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3359
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2800
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 2012
RHMFISS/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DIRJIATF SOUTH
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000366 
 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA: FARC MEMBER DEMOBILIZES IN DARIEN: SIXTH 
THIS YEAR 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Barbara J. Stephenson for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
----------------------------- 
FARC Demobilizations Continue 
----------------------------- 
 
¶1.  (U)  Reports indicate that a member of the FARC's 57th 
FRONT surrendered to members of Panama's National Frontier 
Service (SENAFRONT) on May 2. The event took place at the 
newly established SENAFRONT position in the village of Sobia 
Quiro, near the Colombian boarder. The temporary position was 
established two weeks ago. La Prensa, Panama's newspaper of 
record, quoted Minister of Government and Justice Dilio 
Arcias on May 6 as saying that the alleged guerrilla, named 
XXXXXXXXXXXX, had crossed the border to surrender and 
arrived without a weapon or uniform. He reportedly asked to 
be placed in the Government of Colombia's demobilization 
program. Chiman is the sixth member of the FARC to demobilize 
in Panama this year, and SENAFRONT is implementing a small 
scale information campaign to encourage more members of the 
FARC to demobilize. 
 
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Comment 
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¶2.  (C)  Members of the FARC's 57th Front are demobilizing in 
Panama despite their belief that SENAFRONT mistreats FARC 
members they capture, as revealed in the debriefs of 
previously demobilized FARC members. This is a clear 
indication that morale is not high in the 57th. Combined with 
the small size of the 57th, which we believe number at most 
180, there would seem to be a real possibility of weakening 
the 57th by encouraging demobilizations. To this end, Post 
has invited a Military Information Support Team (MIST) from 
SOCSOUTH to Panama to develop an effective information 
campaign aimed at the FARC. President Torrijos has given 
permission for the team to work with SENAFRONT in the Darien 
to encourage demobilization and return to Colombia, where the 
GOC has promised the GOP that all FARC members turned over to 
them will be allowed into the demobilization program. This is 
another indication that the GOP is serious about weakening 
the FARC in Panama, and is taking bold and creative moves to 
make it happen. 
STEPHENSON