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C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000935 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/11/05 
TAGS: PREL EAID MASS SNAR PTER ASEC EC CO
SUBJECT: Embassies Quito and Bogota Seek to Improve Cross-Border 
Cooperation 
 
REF: QUITO 903; QUITO 887; BOGOTA 3011...


id: 233422
date: 11/5/2009 23:27
refid: 09QUITO935
origin: Embassy Quito
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 09BOGOTA3011|09QUITO887|09QUITO903
header:
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FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0287
INFO RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
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RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC


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C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000935 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/11/05 
TAGS: PREL EAID MASS SNAR PTER ASEC EC CO
SUBJECT: Embassies Quito and Bogota Seek to Improve Cross-Border 
Cooperation 
 
REF: QUITO 903; QUITO 887; BOGOTA 3011 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Heather Hodges, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  An interagency group from Embassy Quito traveled 
to Bogota on September 24-25 to explore possibilities to improve 
regional USG coordination as well as opportunities to improve 
communication and cooperation between the governments of Ecuador 
and Colombia.  The visit yielded a list of potential initiatives, 
and both embassies are currently developing strategies of 
engagement and funding sources.  The timing for the USG to play a 
role in facilitating improved relations between Ecuador and 
Colombia is the best it has been since the breaking of relations in 
March 2008.  This message has been coordinated with Embassy Bogota. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
EMBASSIES QUITO AND BOGOTA JOIN EFFORTS 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On September 24-25, a delegation from Embassy Quito's 
Northern Border Working Group ("NBWG") visited Bogota and met with 
Embassy Bogota counterparts and Government of Colombia (GOC) 
officials.  The goal of the visit was to explore ways to improve 
security, development, and humanitarian conditions in the border 
region. 
 
 
 
¶3.  (C) The visit was timely as Ecuador and Colombia issued a joint 
communique on September 24 on the margins of the UN General 
Assembly in New York, establishing 11 points toward normalizing 
relations between the two countries.  Counterparts in the GOC 
seemed particularly interested in USG support of cross-border 
communication and cooperation.  Embassy Quito cautioned that the 
Government of Ecuador (GOE) would likely be reluctant to expand a 
USG role significantly.  However, the country teams of both 
embassies have subsequently worked to generate ideas to foster 
continued rapprochement between the GOC and GOE. 
 
 
 
-------------------- 
 
TIME TO MOVE FORWARD 
 
-------------------- 
 
 
 
¶4.  (C) Despite the setback of a provincial criminal court judge 
issuing an arrest warrant against Colombian Armed Forces Chief 
Freddy Padilla -- in addition to the warrant previously issued by 
another judge on the same court against former Defense Minister 
Juan Manuel Santos -- both governments still appear committed to 
moving the process of normalizing relations forward (Ref A), as 
reflected in what was reported to be a productive meeting between 
the Ecuadorian and Colombian foreign ministers on November 3 in 
Cotacachi, Ecuador.  The atmosphere was further improved on 
November 4 when the judge who had issued the Padilla arrest warrant 
revoked the warrants against both Padilla and Santos.  Therefore, 
Embassies Quito and Bogota propose moving forward with 
consultations with the GOE and GOC with the objective of 
implementing at least a few enhanced cooperation proposals in the 
short term, while looking for opportunities to implement others 
thereafter. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
 
JOINT INITIATIVES TO FACILITATE IMPROVED RELATIONS 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Country Teams of Quito and Bogota have prioritized a 
list of initiatives that were determined to have the most traction 
with both governments in the short-term, broken into security, 
development, internally displaced persons/refugees, and public 
affairs components.  The lead section and/or agency is identified 
after each initiative. 
 
 
 
SECURITY COMPONENT: 
 
 
 
a) Joint Training:  Send military and police officers from the GOE 
and GOC to the United States, Colombia and/or Ecuador for joint 
training programs.  The goals of joint training are to improve 
military and police cooperation, and to provide a broad range of 
bilateral joint training opportunities on canines, ports, jungle 
training, judicial police, immigration police, etc.  (Lead: 
MILGRP/NAS/ATF) 
 
 
 
b) Counter Improvised Explosive Devices (CIED):  Provide the GOE 
CIED technical assistance to address the growing problem of 
cross-border manufacture, transportation and use of improvised 
explosive devices (IEDs).  (Lead: ATF/LEGAT/MILGRP/NAS/DEA) 
 
 
 
c) Security Briefings:  Non-USG experts could provide briefings to 
GOE on the complexity of the GOC's security concerns and 
challenges.  (Lead: POL/DAO) 
 
 
 
d) Trilateral Cooperation:  Promote trilateral security cooperation 
between the GOE, GOC and the Government of Peru (GOP).  The GOC and 
GOE have worked separately and effectively with the GOP on border 
issues and this success could be constructive to the 
Colombia-Ecuador relationship.  Consider trilateral cooperation 
with the Government of Mexico.  (Lead: POL/DAO/MILGRP) 
 
 
 
DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT: 
 
 
 
a) Bilateral Indigenous Issue:  Increase cooperation in the cross 
border program between the Colombia and Ecuador USAID missions 
related to the Awa and Cofan indigenous populations with ancestral 
lands that span the Colombia-Ecuador border (program implemented by 
the World Wildlife Federation/Colombia and Wildlife Conservation 
Society/Ecuador).  (Lead: USAID) 
 
 
 
b) Local Governance: 
 
-- Strengthening.  USAID Ecuador will soon begin a new local 
governance strengthening program in 30 municipalities, 20 of which 
will be in the northern border area.  Programming will include 
improving financial management, training municipal level 
governments, and alternatives to the illegal economy.  USAID Bogota 
has had similar programs in 15 municipalities over the past four 
years in Narino and Putumayo.  (Lead: USAID) 
 
-- Cross-border visits.  USAID in both countries could fund 
 
 
confidence building visits by mayors and other elected officials in 
the border area (e.g., the mayors of Ipiales and Tumaco and Narino 
Governor Navarro Wolf with their Ecuadorian counterparts) to take 
confidence building tours of the other side of the border and to 
discuss development initiatives.  At least one meeting of local 
officials on the two sides of the border already took place without 
USG support.  The two USAID missions will share experiences and 
coordinate on these programs.  Similar efforts by the Carter Center 
could be leveraged.  (Lead: USAID) 
 
 
 
c) Regional Value Chain Strengthening: USAID Ecuador/Colombia will 
look to collaborate and align programming in key, co-dependent 
agricultural sectors.  (Lead: USAID) 
 
-- USAID Ecuador focuses on key agriculture and horticulture 
sectors that benefit small producers in the region and aims to 
increase income.  Key sectors include cacao and coffee. 
 
-- USAID Colombia works similarly in identical sectors under 
Alternative Development programs.  Much of the economy of Southern 
Narino and Southern Putumayo is dependent on Ecuador for access to 
regional and international markets (e.g., most cacao and artisanal 
fishing output in Tumaco is exported directly to northern Ecuador.) 
 
-- ACDI/VOCA implements specialty coffee programs for both USAID 
missions.  The two missions will work to increase communication 
between the two initiatives to better understand how each work 
strategically in complimentary markets. 
 
 
 
d) Interagency Conflict Assessment Framework (ICAF):  Work with 
USAID counterparts in Washington to conduct an ICAF assessment of 
Ecuador's northern border region.  This could generate 
justification for future funding requests as well as additional 
ideas for interagency programming.  Embassy Quito has already 
initiated the process of an ICAF with S/CRS and USAID Washington. 
(Lead: USAID) 
 
 
 
e) CSDI/NBWG Cooperation:  Promote technical information sharing on 
the GOC's National Consolidation Plan, supported by Embassy 
Bogota's Colombia Strategic Development Initiative (CSDI), focusing 
specifically on the role of central and civilian-led government 
presence, linking security and development programs (quick impact 
confidence building packages) in pre-selected cities and/or areas 
along Ecuador's northern border.  (Lead: USAID/POL) 
 
 
 
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP)/REFUGEES COMPONENT: 
 
 
 
a) Colombian Refugees in Ecuador:  Promote the two governments' 
efforts to address the humanitarian situation for Colombian 
refugees as identified in the joint Colombia-Ecuador 11 point road 
map released on September 24.  Continue support of the recent 
improvements in refugee policy, protection, and assistance in 
Ecuador, while ensuring adequate adherence to international 
conventions, such as observing the exclusion for links to armed 
conflict.  The excellent working relationships UNHCR and IOM 
maintain with the respective governments also could be leveraged in 
this effort, as well as conversations in the U.S.-Ecuador Bilateral 
Dialogue.  (Lead: POL/USAID) 
 
 
 
PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMPONENT: 
 
 
 
a) Exchanges:  Promote an international visitor program and 
 
 
educational exchanges between the two countries.  Establish sister 
cities exchanges between students and residents in the border area. 
(Lead: PAS/MILGRP) 
 
 
 
------------------------- 
 
LONGER TERM POSSIBILITIES 
 
------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Embassies Quito and Bogota will explore the possibility 
of implementing the following initiatives: 
 
 
 
a) Section 1207 Proposal:  Consider a 1207 funding proposal for 
Ecuador focused on improved security capabilities, with emphasis on 
training police and military officials who operate on the border, 
improved interagency cooperation (between security forces and Plan 
Ecuador), and legal reform.  (Lead: POL/MILGRP/USAID) 
 
 
 
b) Immigration Police:  Provide technical assistance to establish 
legal and operational procedures for deporting individuals 
illegally present in Ecuador.  (Lead: DHS) 
 
 
 
c) Strategic Communications:  Develop a combined public 
communications strategy for use along the border area, emphasizing 
the rule of law and the consequences of engaging in illicit 
activity.  Promote a positive image of cooperation between the GOE 
and the GOC.  (Lead: PAS/MILGRP) 
 
 
 
d) Border Immigration Biometric Equipment and Databases:  Consider 
funding biometric equipment and separate database projects in each 
country.  Sharing data between the GOE and the GOC may not be 
realistic for the foreseeable future.  However, even separate 
databases could be used to identify members of illegal armed 
groups.  (Lead: DEA/LEGAT/ICE) 
 
 
 
------- 
 
COMMENT 
 
------- 
 
 
 
¶7.  (C) Embassies Quito and Bogota recognize that implementing each 
initiative will require an effective engagement strategy and 
commitment by each of the governments; this is especially true with 
the GOE.  We welcome Department input on the proposed initiatives 
and, where appropriate, may seek assistance in pursuing funding for 
their implementation. 
 
 
 
¶8.  (U) This cable was co-drafted and cleared by Embassy Bogota. 
HODGES 

=======================CABLE ENDS============================