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### Viewing cable 06BOGOTA1302, PARTY LEADERS ON BOGUS REPORTS LINKING THEIR U.S.

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06BOGOTA1302 | 2006-02-10 20:59 | 2011-02-20 12:30 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Bogota

`

    VZCZCXYZ0000
    OO RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHBO #1302/01 0412059
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 102059Z FEB 06
    FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2157
    INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 6551
    RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 7162
    RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ FEB 7683
    RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 3239
    RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 3843
    RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 3437

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001302

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2016
    TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER CO
    SUBJECT: PARTY LEADERS ON BOGUS REPORTS LINKING THEIR U.S.
    VISA STATUS TO PARAMILITARY LINKS OF CANDIDATES

    Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood
    Reason: 1.4 (b,d)

    -------
    Summary
    -------

    ¶1.  (C) Ambassador Wood met separately with three Colombian
    political party leaders, at their request, to address their
    concerns about a recent Cambio magazine article naming the
    leaders and saying the U.S. would consider revoking their
    U.S. visas if they did not remove from party lists
    prospective candidates with ties to paramilitary
    organizations.  The leaders handled the meetings in starkly
    different manners: Colombia Democratica leader Mario Uribe
    appeared the most concerned, handing the ambassador a list of
    his suspicious candidates and asking which he should remove.
    Conservative leader Carlos Holguin outlined the procedures he
    was following to ensure that his list was clean.  Alas-Equipo
    Colombia leader Luis Alfredo Ramos highlighted his party's
    pro-U.S. stance and ties to the private sector.  The
    Ambassador told all three politicians the U.S. was not
    involved in reviewing candidate lists, which were the
    responsibility of party leaders; was implementing its visa
    issuance procedures normally, with no special process
    associated with Colombian elections; but could not offer
    guarantees about any specific candidates if derogatory
    information appeared that might affect their visa
    eligibility.  End summary.

    --------------------------------------------- -----------
    Mario Uribe: Please Review List of Suspicious Candidates
    --------------------------------------------- -----------

    ¶2.  (C) On February 1, Colombia Democratica leader Mario
    Uribe handed the Ambassador a list of 11 candidates who hoped
    to run for office under his party's banner in the March 12
    elections and asked the Ambassador to tell him which
    candidates he should remove.  Uribe said he would remove all
    candidates to which the U.S. had an objection.  He said he
    was seeking the Ambassador's views because of the Cambio
    article, which said the U.S. was paying careful attention to
    political party lists and would hold leaders accountable for
    any candidates on lists who had paramilitary links.  The
    article said the U.S. "Sword of Damocles" was the withdrawal
    of the leaders' U.S. visas.  (Uribe earlier told D/Polcouns
    that he could not afford to lose his U.S. visa because he had
    three children in the U.S., two studying and one working; he
    anticipated spending "more and more" time in the U.S. in
    coming years.  He added he would give up his Senate seat and
    political career if that was the only way to keep his visa.
    Uribe said he had talked to President Uribe, Interior and
    Justice Minister Pretelt, and Ambassador Pastrana about the
    matter.)  Uribe said he was a friend of the U.S. and
    respected U.S. law.

    ----------------------------------------
    Carlos Holguin: I'm Doing the Best I Can
    ----------------------------------------

    ¶3.  (C) On February 6, Conservative Party leader Carlos
    Holguin told the Ambassador he was "worried" about the Cambio
    article and wanted to inform the U.S. of the steps he was
    taking to ensure his party's list was clean.  He described
    his extensive efforts to modernize the Conservatives and
    ensure the party had a strong constitution and internal
    rules.  Holguin said all prospective Conservative candidates
    had to present their resumes to the party leadership and
    swear that they had no links with illegal armed groups or
    legal accusations pending against them.  Holguin said the
    party had investigated its candidates to the best of its
    ability and had submitted its lists to the Supreme Court and
    Fiscalia (prosecutor general) for review (to date, without
    response).  Holguin reported his concern about one candidate
    whom the media had identified as linked to paramilitaries
    (Hector Alfonso Lopez, the son of Enilse Lopez, AKA "La
    Gata," a Bolivar businesswoman who is widely regarded as
    being in league with paramiltaries) but said he was not able
    to remove candidates from lists because the party had to
    follow certain due process guidelines.  However, Holguin said
    the party would remove any prospective candidate it he
    received "firm evidence" of wrongdoing.

    ¶4.  (C) Holguin said he understood the U.S. position on "no
    interference" in Colombia's election campaigns.  He said he
    has the "greatest respect" for the U.S. and its partnership

    with Colombia.

    --------------------------------
    Luis Alfredo Ramos: I'm pro-U.S.
    --------------------------------

    ¶5.  (C) On February 7, Alas-Equipo Colombia (A-EC) party
    leader Luis Alfredo Ramos (a former Commerce Minister and
    Ambassador to the OAS) stressed to the Ambassador that his
    party was pro-U.S., closely allied with prominent Colombian
    industrialists, and totally free from AUC influence.  Ramos
    noted that A-EC only accepted donations from leading business
    members, and that he had personally taken out a large private
    loan from a major bank to help finance the party's
    Congressional candidates.  He reaffirmed that a press report
    of former General Rito Alejo del Rio joining A-EC was
    unfounded.  (Alejo del Rio's visa was canceled on suspicion
    of drug trafficking activity.)    Ramos stated he would not
    tolerate any individual with questionable ties in the ranks
    of A-EC.  Prior to the meeting, Ramos told poloff he felt
    Mario Uribe had dug himself a deep hole over time by being
    excessively open to receiving any electorally viable
    individual into his Colombia Democratica party.

    --------------------------------------------- -----
    Ambassador States U.S. Position on Candidate Lists
    --------------------------------------------- -----

    ¶6.  (C) Per guidance from the Department, the Ambassador told
    Uribe, Holguin, and Ramos that the U.S. was concerned about
    the possibility of illicit paramilitary involvement in
    electoral campaigns through intimidation, corruption, and
    violence.  However, the U.S. was not involved in reviewing
    party lists (and had declined suggestions from some party
    leaders that it do so).  Selection of candidates was the
    responsibility of party leaders, who know the candidates
    best.  It would be prudent for leaders to act on their own
    suspicions to avoid having to address accusations if
    controversial candidates were elected.  The Ambassador said
    the U.S. visa issuance process remained the same, as set by
    U.S. law; the U.S. had not, and would not, change its visa
    procedures or criteria for any reason associated with the
    Colombian elections.  He noted that U.S. law has provided for
    some time that ties to terrorism or terrorist organizations
    could result in the denial of a visa.  The Ambassador
    emphasized that he could not offer guarantees about specific
    cases; if derogatory information came to light on an
    individual, the U.S. might deny a visa request.  Even in such
    cases, however, the U.S. would not make the matter public,
    but could not guarantee that others might not do so.
    WOOD

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

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