UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2007-04237 Doc No C06501692 Date 08 02 2018 RELEASE IN FULL s 11111111i'11'1l1'1111 11 11 INCOMING CONFIDEN 6AAc IP TELEGRAM Department of State BOGOTA 03860 2313351 PAGE 01 ACTION ARA-00 SHB0393 INFO LOG 00 ACDA-10 ACDE-00 INLB-01 AID-00 ACQ-00 ILd DEAE-00 OASY-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EUR-00 OIGO-01 FBIE-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 ADS-00 MMP-00 SOT-00 ASDS-01 DSCC-00 026W DRL-09 ------------------B2C7A7 2313351 38 R 2313262 APR 97 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6862 INFO SECDEF WASHDC OCDEPS DIRNSA FT GEORGE G MEADE MD DIA WASHDC CIA WASHDC USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PM NSC WASHDC USIA WASHDC 2127 SECDEF WASHDC REVIEW AUTHORITY Paul DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC Hilburn Senior Reviewer BOGOIN 00 3000 STATE FOR ARA AND DRb EUR RPN MFITZPATRICK MSC FOR JAMES DOBBINS ONDCP FOR JANET CRIST JUSTICE FOR CRIM WARREN RICHARD AND HDDS VAN VLIET USIA FOR AR I GAR BOGOTA 03860 2313352 -P SHB0393 3 PROMINENT COLOMBIAN VIOLENTOLOGIST ALFREDO RANGEL EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE CREATION OF THE AUTODEFENSAS UNIDAS DE COLOMBIA TELLING EL TIEMPD THIS DEVELOPMENT COULD WORSEN THE ONGOING INTERNAL CONFLICT IN RANGEL'S OPINION THE NEW GROUP WAS THE LATEST MANIFESTATION OF THE GROWING PROBLEMATIC PARTICIPATION IN THE CONFLICT BY•CIVILIANS PROMPTED BY THE GOC'S FAILURE TO GUARANTEE SECURITY IN THE COUNTRY HE WARNED THAT THIS EXTRA-LEGAL COUNTER-INSURGENCY MOVEMENT VIOLATES HUMAN RIGHTS NORMS AND CRIMINALIZES THE CIVILIAN POPULATION 4 C COMMENT THE PARAMILITARIES RESPONDED EAGERLY TO MOD ECHEVERRI'S PEACE PROPOSAL IN THE WAKE OF THE GUERRILLAS' EMPHATIC PUBLIC REJECTION ANY PEACE TALKS THAT INCLUDED THE PARAMILITARIES THE LATTER EVIDENTLY DECIDED TO STRENGTHEN THEIR HAND AND JOIN FORCES AT LEAST ON A NATIONAL POLITICAL LEVEL GIVEN THE STRONG EVEN DICTATORIAL PERSONALITIES INVOLVED THE NEW PARAMILITARY COORDINATING GROUP MAY NOT REMAIN UNIFIED FOR LONG THESE LOCAL CAUDILLOS REPRESENT REGIONAL POWER BASES AND SHARE NO COMMON OVERARCHING IDEOLOGY OTHER THAN A PROFESSED HATRED OF GUERRILLAS HOWEVER THE FACT-THAT THEIR DECISION TO WORK TOGETHER ATTRACTED NATIONAL ATTENTION IS A TESTAMENT TO THE UNDENIABLE STRENGTH OF PARAMILITARISM IN COLOMBIA FRECHETTE E O 12958 DECL 04 22 02 TAGS PIER PHUM PINR PINS PGOV SNAR CO SUBJECT PARAMILITARIES FORM NATIONAL COORDINATING GROUP 1 VIA A COMMUNIQUE SENT TO CARACOL RADIO IN MEDELLIN COLOMBIAN PARAMILITARY GROUPS ANNOUNCED APRIL 19 THAT THEY WERE FORMING A NATIONAL UNIFIED COORDINATING GROUP KNOWN AS AUTODEFENSAS UNIDAS DE COLOMBIA THE COMMUNIQUE STATED THAT THIS DECISION WAS TAKEN THE PREVIOUS WEEK IN URABA AT A NATIONAL CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY 150 PARTICIPANTS INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES OF CARLOS CASTAHO'S AUTODEFENSAS CAMPESINAS DE CORDOBA Y URABP AND GROUPS FROM THE EASTERN PLAINS LLAHOS AND THE MAGDALENA MEDIC REGION ACCORDING TO THE COMMUNIQUE PARAMILITARY LEADERS WILL NOT LAY DOWN THEIR WEAPONS UNTIL BILATERAL PEACE NEGOTIATIONS TAKE PLACE IN SPITE OF THE DECISION TO FORM A COORDINATING GROUP THE STATEMENT SAID THAT PARAMILITARY COMMANDERS WILL RETAIN INDEPENDENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE MILITARY ACTIONS NOTE PREVIOUS EFFORTS AT UNITY REPORTEDLY FOUNDERED BECAUSE PARAMILITARIES COULD NOT AGREE TO SUBMIT TO A SINGLE COMMANDER END NOTE THE NEW MOVEMENT DEFINED ITSELF AS AN ORGANIZATION OF ARMED ANTISUBVERSIVE CITIZENS THAT NEITHER THREATENS NOR DEPENDS ON THE GOVERNMENT THE DOCUMENT WAS SIGNED BY CASTANO CESAR MARIN SANTANDER LOZADA JOSE ALFREDO BERRIO AND ANTONIO BOLIVAR OF ACLU CLODOMIRO AGAMEZ FOR THE EASTERN PLAINS PARAMILITARIES AND RAMON ISAZA OF THE MAGDALENA MEDIC 2 LEADING DAILY EL TIEMPO ANALYZED THIS DECISION IN ITS APRIL 22 EDITION CONCLUDING THAT THE PARAMILITARIES DECIDED TO CREATE A FORMAL JOINT COORDINATING GROUP TO GAIN RECOGNITION AS A POLITICAL FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY THE NEWSPAPER WHICH INTERVIEWED AN ANONYMOUS PARTICIPANT IN THE CONFERENCE SURMISED THAT PARAMILITARIES HOPE THAT FORMING A UNITED FRONT MAY INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF INCLUSION IN ANY EVENTUAL PEACE NEGOTIATIONS BY EMPHASIZING THAT THEY DO NOT DEPEND ON THE STATE THE PARAMILITARY GROUP ALSO SENT A CLEAR SIGNAL OF THEIR AUTONOMY FROM THE ARMED FORCES ACCORDING TO EL TIEMPO THE GROUP ALSO DECLARED ITS COMMITMENT TO ADHERING TO INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW AND EL TIEMPO REPORTED THAT SOME PARAMILITARY FACTIONS HAVE EVEN RECEIVED TRAINING FROM THE GOC HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2007-04237 Doc No C06501692 Date 08 02 2018 i i This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu