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### Viewing cable 05BOGOTA1775, ELN PEACE TALK'S ADVANCES AND RETREATS

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
05BOGOTA1775 | 2005-02-24 16:09 | 2011-02-12 12:00 | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | Embassy Bogota
Appears in these articles: http://wikileaks.jornada.com.mx/notas/mexico-fallido-facilitador

`

    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

` `

    27613,2/24/2005 16:09,05BOGOTA1775,"Embassy Bogota",CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN,05BOGOTA1081,"This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

    ","C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 001775

    SIPDIS

    NOFORN

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2015
    TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER CO MX ELN
    SUBJECT: ELN PEACE TALK'S ADVANCES AND RETREATS

    REF: A. BOGOTA 1081

         ¶B. BOGOTA 863

    Classified By: Charge Milton K. Drucker, reasons 1.4
    (b) and (d)

    Summary
    -------

    ¶1. (C):  Mexican facilitator for the peace process with the
    National Liberation Army (ELN) Andres Valencia met with the
    Ambassador on February 18 to report on progress this year.
    Although January saw positive commitments by both the ELN and
    GOC on negotiation pre-requisites (ref a), the process
    stalled in early February.  Valencia said the negotiations
    shifted from a discussion of word choice for a communique in
    January to an introspection by the ELN on whether it was
    ready to talk at all.  Valencia is taking a ""wait and see""
    approach towards the latest setbacks and told the Ambassador
    he appreciated the ongoing support from the United States.
    End summary.

    You say ""cease-fire""; I say ""military action freeze""
    --------------------------------------------- ------

    ¶2. (C) Valencia reported to the Ambassador on the excellent
    progress made in January toward reaching an agreement on a
    face-to-face meeting between the ELN's Central Command (COCE)
    and Valencia in Mexico.  Valencia read out twenty-three pages
    of details he compiled on his efforts to bring the GOC and
    ELN towards compromise: the GOC softened its demand for a
    temporary cease-fire and accepted the ELN's offer to refrain
    from military actions other than acts of self-defense during
    talks in Mexico.  The GOC agreed to suspend arrest warrants
    and allow the Red Cross and Valencia to provide safe transit
    for ELN negotiators.  By January 24, after seven months of
    written haggling, it appeared that the two sides were
    approaching the face-to-face negotiation stage.

    Let's call the whole thing off
    ------------------------------

    ¶3.  (C) However, the ELN again retreated from talks by
    issuing a February 4 ""clarification"" communique to Valencia,
    attacking his facilitation efforts and demanding that their
    concerns be addressed.  ELN leadership's message (1) claimed
    Valencia was acting on behalf of the Mexican Government
    rather than serving as a neutral facilitator; (2) complained
    that Valencia was hard to contact (since the ELN is
    underground); (3) asserted he had made no progress on talks;
    and (4) accused him of going public with negotiation details.
     Valencia did not respond.  On February 8, the ELN wrote
    another message asking why they had not received a reply and
    insisting on an apology from Valencia.

    ¶4. (C) Later that week, the GOC responded by attacking the
    ELN for endangering the prospects for talks.  President
    Uribe's speech to the International Symposium of Restorative
    Justice in Cali on February 12 accused ELN leader Antonio
    Garcia of repeatedly sabotaging negotiations and called on
    the ELN to take the necessary steps to begin face-to-face
    talks soon.  Uribe reiterated the GOC's willingness to
    negotiate in either Colombia or Mexico after the ELN began a
    cease-fire.  On February 19, Peace Commissioner Restrepo
    added his commentary in an op-ed printed in leading daily ""El
    Tiempo.""  He stressed that the GOC remained willing and open
    to negotiations with the guerrilla group, but acknowledged
    that, in its own way, the ELN process was as complicated as
    creating a process with the FARC would be.  Restrepo
    reiterated the call on the ELN leadership to end the
    never-ending cycle of communiques and agree to talks.

    ¶5. (C) Valencia told the Ambassador that Uribe's comments,
    although accurate, further damaged negotiations and returned
    both sides to their original positions.  Valencia added that
    he would not end the negotiation process without the ELN
    officially ending Mexico's facilitation role.  According to
    Valencia, the ELN's vacillating communiques proved that the
    group lacked internal consensus on its readiness to
    negotiate.  He juxtaposed the words of imprisoned ELN leader
    Francisco Galan, who played the ""good cop"" during talks, with
    leader Antonio Garcia's hostile ""bad cop"" comments.  Valencia
    said such contradictory messages made it difficult to gauge
    the ELN's true position.

    ¶6. (C) Valencia speculated that psychological barriers or
    third party actors could be responsible for the latest ELN
    retreat.  The ELN has spent decades outside the democratic
    system and could see talks in Mexico as marking the end of
    their struggle.  He said the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
    Colombia (FARC) or the Cuban Government also could have
    scuttled the talks, the latter in an attempt to win back the
    role facilitator.  In either case, Valencia said the GOC
    emerged appearing flexible and willing to negotiate as the
    ELN attacked the process.

    ¶7. (C) The Ambassador commented that the ELN's internal
    indecision was not sustainable -- ELN's military weakness
    would guarantee that, if talks failed, it would have to align
    itself with FARC forces and lose its autonomy and identity.
    The Ambassador asked Valencia to solicit the Catholic
    Church's good offices to return the ELN to talks.  Valencia
    said he planned to meet with several Church leaders before
    returning to Mexico on February 23.

    Comment
    -------

    ¶8. (C) Valencia has maintained a balanced, facilitating role
    and kept communication open despite the ELN's personal
    attacks.  Mexico, with U.S. support, will keep the door open
    to the ELN for awhile, leaving room for COCE to come to terms
    with itself.  If the ELN is unable to do so, Valencia may be
    inclined to publicize the recent train of events, exposing
    the ELN as responsible for the setback.  End comment.
    DRUCKER

`