VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #1305 3522142
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 182142Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1431
INFO RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 1209
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7322
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 8528
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ DEC 8428
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 4589
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 9547
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0362
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 5247
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0133

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 011305 

SIPDIS 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2016 
TAGS: PTER PGOV PHUM MARR CO
SUBJECT: GOC-ELN TALKS TO RESUME IN JANUARY; PARTIES SAID 
TO BE WORKING ON JOINT PEACE PLAN 

REF: BOGOTA 11045 

Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer 
Reason: 1.4 (b,d) 


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

¶1.  (C) GOC-ELN civil society guarantor Moritz Akerman told 
us the peace talks will resume January 15-20 in Havana. 
Akerman and Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo's
advisor, Dario Mejia, told us the parties had agreed on an 
outline of a joint text that would be discussed in January, 
although in Akerman's version the scope of the accord is 
greater.  Mejia said a recent guarantor road map was heavily 
influenced by the ELN, and Restrepo had advised against its 
publication.  Still, the road map may have kept momentum 
going after the ELN's unwillingness to meet in December.  End 
summary. 

----------------------- 
Talks Resume in January 
----------------------- 

¶2.  (C) Akerman told us the next session of GOC-ELN talks 
will take place January 15-20 in Havana.  Akerman said the 
ELN decided to postpone the previously scheduled mid-December 
talks because it wanted to see how weak the GOC would get as 
a result of the "para-politician" controversy.  Mejia claimed 
ELN leaders were focused on resolving internal differences. 
The ELN publicly said it would not be able to make the 
December schedule for administrative and logistical reasons.

------------------------------------------- 
Parties Said to Agree on Outlines of Accord 
------------------------------------------- 

¶3.  (C) Akerman reported that Galan and Restrepo had agreed 
on the outlines of a joint peace accord that both sides hoped 
to flesh out over the next few weeks and present to the 
January 15-20 session.  The tentative accord addressed: 
ceasefire and related technical preparations, displaced 
people, ELN financing, ELN regional political activity, 
release of ELN kidnap victims, and demining.  Mejia told us 
the accord outline was narrower, covering displaced people, 
demining, and a ceasefire. 

---------------------------------- 
Guarantor Proposal May Have Helped 
---------------------------------- 

¶4.  (C) On December 11, the civil society guarantors 
published a road map for the next phase of the negotiations 
(reftel).  Mejia said the GOC saw the guarantor text shortly 
before it was published but did not provide input; the text 
appeared to have a heavy ELN influence.  Mejia contended the 
text made no reference to ELN disarmament or demobilization, 
and provided for ELN prisoners to be released before ELN 
kidnap victims.  Restrepo had advised against its 
publication, preferring to keep talks private.  Separately, 
Akerman disagreed with Mejia, saying Restrepo made 
substantive edits to the text.  Akerman insisted the proposal 
addressed disarmament, demobilization, and simultaneous 
release of prisoners and victims.  The text is vague enough 
to encompass different interpretations.  Still, the 
publication may have helped maintain momentum in the wake of 
the ELN's unwillingness to meet in mid-December. 

------------------------- 
Venezuela's Marginal Role 
------------------------- 

¶5.  (C) Mejia said the GOC regarded as potentially helpful 
Chavez' designation of Tachira Governor Diosdao Cabello as 
the GOV representative to the talks.  Cabello was close to 
Chavez and, as Chavez' personal representative in the talks, 
could play a positive role. Akerman was more critical of 
Cabello, saying he was already being unhelpful. 
WOOD