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### Viewing cable 06BOGOTA10596, ARRESTS OF PUBLIC FIGURES WITH ALLEGED

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06BOGOTA10596 | 2006-11-17 21:29 | 2011-02-20 12:30 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Bogota

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    VZCZCXYZ0029
    PP RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHBO #0596/01 3212129
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    P 172129Z NOV 06
    FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0852
    INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7277
    RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 8438
    RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ NOV LIMA 4494
    RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 9755
    RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 5157
    RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 3774
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
    RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
    RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
    RHEHOND/DIRONDCP WASHDC
    RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 010596

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016
    TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
    SUBJECT: ARRESTS OF PUBLIC FIGURES WITH ALLEGED
    PARAMILITARY TIES; URIBE CALLS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION
    AND HARSH PUNISHMENT

    REF: A. A) BOGOTA 8108
         ¶B. B) BOGOTA 9795

    Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood.
    Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d)

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

    ¶1.  (C) On November 17, President Uribe strongly supported
    the recent law enforcement actions against several Colombian
    Congressmen for alleged paramilitary ties, and said the State
    had to proceed with "more severity" when public figures
    violated the law.  The Supreme Court of Justice ordered the
    arrest on November 9 of three members of Congress from Sucre
    Department for allegedly organizing paramilitary groups in
    the region and, in one case, for instigating a massacre that
    took 15 lives.  Two of the three have turned themselves in;
    one remains at large.  We understand the Court has asked the
    Congress to confirm whether an additional 90 individuals are
    or have been members of Congress, apparently because those
    individuals are also the subject of a Court investigation.
    End summary.

    -----------------------------------------
    Uribe Urges Strict Application of the Law
    -----------------------------------------

    ¶2.  (C) At a November 17 event commemorating the 120th
    anniversary of the Supreme Court, President Uribe strongly
    supported recent Supreme Court actions against Colombian
    Congressmen allegedly involved with paramilitaries, murder
    and corruption, and said the State had to proceed with "more
    severity" when public figures were accused of violating the
    law.  He stressed "where there are congressmen, political
    leaders or Executive officials involved in crime, they must
    go to jail."  Uribe said the GOC supported the Justice
    system's ongoing investigations "without hesitation," because
    justice is a "fundamental element" of his democratic security
    policy.  He concluded that Colombia needed to be free of
    guerrilla and paramilitary influence, and democratic
    institutions must govern.

    -------------------------------------------
    Court Issues Arrest Warrants, More Expected
    -------------------------------------------

    ¶3.  (U) On November 9, the Supreme Court of Justice issued
    arrest warrants for three members of Congress from Sucre
    Department who are accused of having ties with paramilitary
    groups.  The three -- Senator Alvaro Garcia, Senator Jairo
    Merlano, and Representative Erik Morris -- are charged with
    aggravated conspiracy to commit criminal activity.  Garcia is
    also charged with aggravated homicide and embezzlement.
    Morris and Garcia have surrendered to authorities, but
    Merlano remains at large.  The Court based its decision in
    part on information the Fiscalia (Prosecutor General's
    office) provided to it.

    ¶4.  (U) The Court is investigating Garcia and Morris for
    organizing, arming, and financing paramilitaries in Sucre
    since 1997.  Garcia is also being questioned about his
    participation in the Macayepo massacre on October 16, 2000,
    in which 15 people died, and in the murder of Georgina
    Marvaez on November 19, 1997.  He is also suspected of
    embezzling COP 17 million (USD 8 million) from a 1998 public
    works in Sucre Municipality.  Garcia allegedly used the money
    to finance a paramilitary group.  Merlano was reportedly
    involved with the Heroes of the Montes de Maria paramilitary
    group.

    ¶5.  (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told us the Supreme Court's Criminal Chamber asked
    Congress on November 16 to certify whether 80 individuals are
    or were members of Congress to determine if they are subject

    to the Court's jurisdiction over sitting members.  House
    Secretary General Angelino Lizcano told us the number was

    SIPDIS
    closer to 90.  XXXXXXXXXXXX said the Supreme
    Court would issue arrest warrants for possibly 12 additional
    members of Congress for alleged paramilitary ties.  She said
    Zulema Jattin from the U Party, Dieb Maloof from Colombia
    Viva, and David Char from Cambio Radical were expected to be
    on the list of 12.

    ¶6.  (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said an arrest warrant has been issued for
    Sergio Araujo, brother of Foreign Minister Maria Consuelo
    Araujo, for money laundering.  Sergio Araujo has also been
    linked with gun-running for the AUC and to Jorge 40.  Senator
    Alvaro Araujo, also a brother of the Foreign Minister,
    confirmed press reports that he had said at a private meeting
    at Casa Narino that "if they come for me, they had better
    come for Conchi (the Foreign Minister), the president, and
    the procurador (Inspector General Edgardo Maya, formerly
    married to an Araujo)."  He admitted attending meetings at
    which Jorge 40 was present prior to his demobilization, but
    denied being associated with paramilitary political projects.
     Araujo said his comments were not a threat, but were
    intended to warn the Uribe administration about the political
    fallout from arrests and investigations.

    --------------------------
    Other GOC Institutions Act
    --------------------------

    ¶7.  (C) The Fiscalia recently opened cases against prominent
    former public figures and businessmen for alleged
    paramilitary ties.  The Fiscalia arrested former
    Congresswoman from Sucre, Muriel Benito, for failure to
    appear for questioning about her alleged links to
    paramilitary groups.  The Supreme Court asked the Fiscalia to
    investigate five individual for alleged ties to
    paramilitaries, including former Sucre governor and Colombian
    Ambassador to Chile Salvador Arana, Sucre assembly deputy
    Angel Daniel Villarreal, businessman Jose Joaquin Garcia,
    cattle rancher Miguel Nule, and engineering contractor
    Octavio Otero.  The Inspector General's office (Procuraduria)
    announced it would investigate former Administrative
    Department of Security (DAS ) FBI equivalent) Director Jorge
    Noguera for several alleged crimes, including collaboration
    with paramilitaries.

    --------
    Why Now?
    --------

    ¶8.  (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said Uribe's policy of disarming and demobilizing the
    paramilitaries had undermined the groups' military capacity
    and opened new spaces for public pressure to uncover the
    truth about paramilitary activities.  XXXXXXXXXXXX told
    us the Sucre cases have come to light because the murder of
    Sucre paramilitary leader Rodrigo Mercado (AKA "Cadena") by
    other paramilitary leaders who feared Mercado would confess
    para crimes had created room for people to speak out.  In
    addition, XXXXXXXXXXXX said the departures of former Supreme Court
    President Carlos Isaac Nader, who had blocked previous
    investigations to protect Sucre politicians, had also helped.
     Lastly, XXXXXXXXXXXX said stories about Jorge 40's computer
    sparked prosecutor interest in pursuing cases.

    ¶9.  (U)  See septel for the political implications of the
    congressional investigations.
    WOOD

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

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