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DE RUEHBO #2923/01 2541413
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FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0597
INFO RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 0062
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 0011
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2886
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 0059
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0649
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RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 9132
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UNCLAS BOGOTA 002923 
 
CODEL 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP EAID PGOV PREL SNAR PTER ETRD PHUM CO
SUBJECT: CODEL PRICE: COLOMBIANS EMPHASIZE DEFENSE COOPERATION, FREE 
TRADE AND REELECTION 
 
REF: A)BOGOTA 2563 B)STATE 80752 C)07 BOGOTA 6697 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) The House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) visited 
Colombia from August 20-23.  Led by Chairman David Price, HDAC met 
with President Uribe and Colombian Congressional leadership, 
including the Senate and House Foreign Affairs committees. 
President Uribe highlighted the successes of Plan Colombia and 
explained his recent trip through the region to reduce tensions 
caused by the pending U.S.-Colombia Defense Cooperation Agreement 
(DCA).  Colombian Congressional leaders emphasized the DCA, Free 
Trade Agreement, state of their Congress, and the referendum for 
President Uribe's possible third term.  In Cartagena, the delegation 
visited USAID programs for demobilized child soldiers and income 
generation activities for internally displaced populations.  The 
delegation also met with the Mayor of Cartagena regarding her 
development vision for the city and witnessed the Colombian Maritime 
counter-narcotics interdiction work on the Caribbean Coast.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U)  In addition to HDAC Chairman David Price (D-North Carolina), 
the HDAC delegation included: ranking Republican David Dreier 
(R-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Lucille 
Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Sam Farr (D-CA), Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and Brian 
Bilbray (R-CA).  This visit followed up on HDAC's visit in 2007 (ref 
C) to assess the need for continuing HDAC technical assistance to 
the Colombian Congress. 
 
PRESIDENT URIBE ADVOCATING IN REGION FOR U.S. COOPERATION 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) President Alvaro Uribe recited the achievements of ten years 
of Plan Colombia, a model example of how the United States can help 
others in the region facing similar threats, and profusely thanked 
the United States for being Colombia's only constant friend in the 
fights against drugs and terrorism.  He called the pending Defense 
Cooperation Agreement (DCA) "a new standard" in such cooperation and 
summarized the results of his whirlwind tour to consult with seven 
UNASUR presidents.  His common refrain in those encounters was that 
Plan Colombia has not harmed any country, but rather has been an 
indirect benefit to the region.  Chairman Price thanked President 
Uribe for his hard work in negotiating the agreement and in 
defending it throughout the region. 
 
¶4. (U) Asked about the pending U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement 
(FTA), President Uribe assessed that many businesses are awaiting 
its fate before choosing to invest in Colombia.  He called the FTA 
"the benchmark" for convincing many other countries to sign FTAs 
with Colombia.  Queried by the CODEL about violence against labor 
unionists, Uribe described his government's efforts to solve such 
crimes and to prevent future occurrences of violence, including 
investing 44 million U.S.  dollars in protection programs that 
include 2,000 unionists.  President Uribe told the delegation he was 
confident that President Obama would press for a vote on the FTA 
once he received the right indications from Congress. 
 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEES PRESS FOR 
FTA APPROVAL IN LIGHT OF DCA BACKLASH 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Foreign Affairs committees of the House and Senate 
raised the DCA and the FTA, two key issues of concern in the 
Colombian Congress.  The presidents of those committees emphasized 
that passage of the FTA is more important than ever due to the 
regional backlash from the DCA, tense trade relations with 
Venezuela, and Colombia's fight against guerrillas and 
narcotrafficking.  House Committee President Manuel Jose Vives added 
that Colombia has made improvements with respect to human rights, 
decreasing homicides of labor unionists, and controlling 
extrajudicial killings.  Regarding delays in FTA approval, 
Representative Bilbray expressed concern that USG credibility has 
been affected. 
 
HDAC TRANSITIONS RELATIONSHIP WITH COLOMBIAN 
CONGRESS BEYOND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) The Delegation told Senate President Javier Enrique Caceres 
and House President Edgar Alfonso Gomez in separate meetings that 
 
technical assistance programs might not be well-suited for Colombia 
given that the Colombian Congress already has a good staff 
structure, committee system, and procedural rules.  Caceres and 
Gomez both agreed and the delegation suggested that the relationship 
should transition into a broader dialogue and exchange of views on 
more substantive and thematic issues, perhaps among counterpart 
committees.  In response to a question from Congresswoman Capps, 
Caceres said there was a need to address the lack of adequate female 
representation in the Colombian Congress in order to make it more 
diverse and inclusive.  On the reelection referendum that would 
allow President Uribe to run for a third term, Caceres believed that 
Congress should approve so as to not get in the way of what should 
ultimately be a question for the Colombian people. 
 
HOUSE PRESIDENT NOTES WEAKENED CONGRESS AND 
THE NEED TO CONTINUE URIBE POLICIES AND FTA 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) House President Edgar Alfonso Gomez acknowledged that it has 
been a difficult period for the Colombian Congress due to the 
parapolitical scandal where many members have been investigated, 
some indicted and convicted, for ties to paramilitary groups.  He 
added that Congress needs to rebuild credibility and regain the 
confidence of the Colombian people, becoming more representative and 
inclusive.  Gomez said the re-election referendum has paralyzed 
Congress, stalling important legislation, and ultimately Congress 
needs to move past it and on to other important issues. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Gomez stressed the importance of concluding the FTA.  He 
then stated that the FARC, who have been severely weakened during 
the current administration, hope for a change of government or at 
least a change in government policies.  As such, although 
perpetuating one man in power may have its risks for the country, 
President Uribe's policies must be allowed to continue.  According 
to Gomez, the FARC is no longer an ideological, but rather a 
strictly criminal-terrorist organization.  He thanked the United 
States for its support, which has played a critical role in 
weakening the FARC. 
 
PROSECUTOR GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS SUCCESS 
OF U.S. SUPPORTED LABOR VIOLENCE SUB-UNIT 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Acting Prosecutor General Guillermo Mendoza Diago thanked 
the delegation for ongoing USG support to assist his office's 
efforts to legally and efficiently confront Colombia's major 
judicial challenges.  Chairman Price noted the work of the 
USG-supported special labor violence sub-unit was a particular focus 
of the visit.  Human Rights Unit Head Sandra Castro underscored the 
sub-unit's progress in investigating and prosecuting labor crimes 
since its creation in October 2006.  Out of 207 convictions since 
2000 in labor crimes cases, 76 percent or 156 convictions are the 
result of the work of the sub-unit.  The delegation was impressed 
with Colombia's progress in prosecuting labor crimes, noting that it 
could help the FTA's prospects in the U.S. Congress. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Castro attributed the sub-unit's success to the Fiscalia's 
(Prosecutor General's office) commitment, training, improved 
technical capabilities of prosecutors and investigators, and 
structural changes such as the move to the accusatory system. 
Castro reported that 139 individuals--including intellectual 
authors--are now incarcerated for labor crimes.  She added that 70 
convictions of the above 156 convictions are related to 185 priority 
cases jointly identified by labor unions and the Fiscalia. 
Representatives Price and Farr emphasized the importance of correct, 
universally understood reports that demonstrate the sub-unit's 
progress.  (NOTE: The Fiscalia is working with the Embassy to 
provide such a report based on Castro's presentation to share with 
CODEL.) 
 
MEMBERS EXPERIENCE THE BENEFITS 
OF USAID PROGRAMS IN CARTAGENA 
------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) In Cartagena, the CODEL visited a USAID supported Colombian 
NGO, Granitos de Paz, which provides support to internally displaced 
families and vulnerable populations in a marginalized neighborhood 
on the outskirts of the city.  The delegation met with beneficiaries 
of programs for vocational education; senior citizen health and 
nutrition; and assistance to improve or construct homes and grow 
productive backyard gardens.  One beneficiary hosted members in her 
 
new cement home and showed them a photo of the decrepit shack she 
used to live in for years on the same plot of land before receiving 
assistance.  She cried as she thanked the delegation for its support 
to Granitos de Paz, which she said had been instrumental in giving 
her and her children a new life. 
 
¶12. (U) The delegation also met with youth at risk of recruitment by 
illegal armed groups and former child soldiers who have been 
receiving assistance from Colombia's Escuela Taller, a vocational 
skills training center for underprivileged kids, supported through 
USAID's Child Soldiers Program.  The program provides income 
generation opportunities for participating youth, while 
strengthening their ability to successfully reintegrate socially 
into the community.  Program operators told the delegation that over 
31,000 members of the AUC paramilitaries have collectively 
demobilized and the Ministry of Defense reports that its "Deserter 
Program" has certified over 19,400 individuals who have individually 
demobilized or deserted from different illegal armed groups between 
August 2002 and July 2009.  Furthermore, desertion rates from the 
ranks of the remaining illegal armed groups increased dramatically 
in 2007 (3,192) and 2008 (3,461) and have maintained a rate of over 
200 per month in 2009, primarily from the FARC.  The grateful youth 
said the vocational training courses provide them with sufficient 
knowledge to start their own business and pursue their personal 
goals. 
 
FAST BOATS LEADING TO SUCCESS IN INTERDICTION 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶13. (U) HDAC visited the Colombian Navy Base which leads efforts to 
halt drug traffickers' increasing seaborne shipments.  Members 
experienced a demonstration of the maritime counter-narcotics 
interdiction through Fast Boats, an increasingly vital tool to 
combating drug trafficking.  The Fast Boats have led to unparalleled 
success in 2008, with record seizures of cocaine on the high seas 
complementing a record year in coca eradication. 
 
MAYOR OF CARTAGENA HIGHLIGHTS DIVIDED CITY 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶14. (U) Cartagena's charismatic and dynamic mayor, Judith del Carmen 
Pindeo, shared her message of reuniting the two Cartagena's--rich 
and poor--divided by a social and economic gap that separates the 
city.  She added that the poor are predominantly part of the 
Afro-Colombian population.  Mayor Pinedo addressed the importance of 
international cooperation reaching Cartagena and Colombia. 
 
NATIONAL CONSOLIDATION & CSDI 
----------------------------- 
 
¶15. (U) Members also were briefed through the new Regional 
Coordination Center based in Cartagena on the National Consolidation 
Plan (PNC) and the Embassy's Colombia Strategic Development 
Initiative (CSDI) regions.  The Center provides a single entity to 
coordinate multiple Government of Colombia institutions towards 
guaranteeing a sustainable presence of the Colombian government in 
conflict areas in order to defeat illicit crops, narcotrafficking 
and terrorism. 
 
¶16. (U) CODEL Price cleared this message. 
 
BROWNFIELD