Viewing cable 07BOGOTA4029, PRESIDENT URIBE EXPLAINS UNILATERAL RELEASE OF \

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110987 2007-06-05 18:03:00 07BOGOTA4029 Embassy Bogota CONFIDENTIAL 07BOGOTA3879 VZCZCXYZ0002\
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 C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 004029 \
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SIPDIS \
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SIPDIS \
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2017 \
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE EXPLAINS UNILATERAL RELEASE OF \
FARC PRISONERS \
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REF: BOGOTA 3879 \
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Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer. \
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) \
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Summary \
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¶1. (C) President Uribe explained in a radio and television \
news conference on June 4 that his unilateral FARC prisoner \
release was a goodwill gesture to gain the freedom of 56 \
political hostages held by the FARC, including the three U.S. \
hostages. XXXXXXXXXXXX told Polcouns \
President Uribe's unilateral initiative was designed to head \
off what Uribe perceived as growing domestic and \
international pressure on the GOC to accept a demilitarized \
zone ("despeje") to jump start humanitarian accord talks. A \
joint statement by Spain, France, and Switzerland welcomed \
Uribe's release of the FARC prisoners and encouraged the FARC \
to respond to the initiative. End summary. \
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Uribe's Explanation to the Nation \
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¶2. (U) In a radio and television news conference on June 4, \
President Uribe explained that his unilateral FARC prisoner \
release was a goodwill gesture to gain the freedom of 56 \
political hostages held by the FARC, including the three U.S. \
hostages. Uribe said the GOC had cleared close to 200 \
prisoners who would be required to renounce their FARC \
membership, commit not to return to the FARC or other \
criminal activity, and to participate in a reinsertion \
program. As for the release of the highest ranking FARC \
inmate, informal FARC "Foreign Minister" Rodrigo Granda, \
Uribe said he had refused to renounce his FARC membership, \
but had agreed to act as a peace facilitator. Granda was \
transferred from La Dorada prison to the Catholic Bishop's \
administrative offices in Bogota. \
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Uribe's Rationale for FARC Prisoner Release \
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¶3. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX told \
Polcouns on June 4 President Uribe's unilateral initiative to \
release some FARC prisoners reflected his perception that \
domestic and international pressure on the GOC to accept a \
demilitarized zone or "despeje" to jump start humanitarian \
accord talks was building. Internal polls showed growing \
numbers of Colombians accepted a despeje, and Colombia felt \
"increasingly alone on the international stage--both in the \
region, Europe, and the U.S." Uribe feared the Europeans \
would support the FARC demand for a despeje and wanted to \
pre-empt European pressure. His decision to release some \
FARC members was designed to relieve the pressure to accede \
to a despeje, highlight the FARC's intransigence, and win \
some support for a military rescue. A joint statement by \
Spain, France, and Switzerland on June 4 welcomed Uribe's \
action and encouraged the FARC to respond to the initiative. \
Sarkozy's office said the French president had "explicitly \
requested" that Uribe release Granda and welcomed his \
Colombian counterpart's "very important and courageous \
decision." \
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International Support for FARC Prisoner Release \
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¶4. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said French President Nicholas Sarkozy had \
asked Uribe to release Granda. Uribe decided to accommodate \
Sarkozy's request, telling XXXXXXXXXXXX and the Colombian High \
Command that Granda's release was "a cheap price to pay" to \
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win Sarkozy's support and to get another advocate for \
Colombia within the G-8. Still, XXXXXXXXXXXX said the GOC \
believed the French do not have an independent channel to the \
FARC. They rely on Swiss official and academic Jean-Pierre \
Gontard to communicate with the group. XXXXXXXXXXXX speculated it \
was the Swiss who had urged Sarkozy to ask for Granda's \
release. He said the FARC's and Granda's negative reaction \
to the initiative indicated the Swiss had misread the FARC's \
position. XXXXXXXXXXXX said the French appear to be talking with \
the FARC through a "broken telephone." \
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GOC Considers No Risk to Security \
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¶5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said the release of 200 lower-ranking FARC \
would pose no risk to GOC security. Armed Forces Commander \
General Padilla and other commanders supported Uribe, with \
Padilla saying it was better to release the prisoners \
unilaterally rather than as part of a despeje or negotiation. \
 XXXXXXXXXXXX said separating those FARC willing to accept the \
release from more committed FARC in jail would also help \
isolate/identify hardliners and weaken their position. He \
said the FARC continued to maintain control over most FARC \
prisoners held by the GOC. \
Drucker \