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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATEc;REV£EW AUTfJORiTY; DAVlD W COX

7 ~CLi\SSrroICATJON: SECRET REASON: l.4(R), lA(D)DECLASSIF\' .:\FTr~R: .t MAR 2024DATE/CASE lD: 21 APR 2009 200604183

ACDA-08CCO-OOEB-OOIM-OlADS-OOOPR-OlSTR-OOIMCC-01MR-OO

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P 0521282 tJ!AR 99FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTATO SECSTATE WASHOC PRIORITYINFO SECDEF WASHDCUSCINCSO MIAMI FLDIRONDCP WASHDCCIA WASHDCDIA 1'1ASHDCAMEMBASSY PANAMA

~~ SECTION 01 OF 04

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BOGOTA 002396r·······_···-··········· ····························· --.---.- -- ---- -- .;APPEALS PANEL ACTION: ADDITIONALi}~~~~~_~TION~~ELEASED1.4(D)

PAGE 02 BOGOTA 02396 01 OF 04 0522092E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6(X6)TAGS: PINS, SNAR, PHUM, PTER, ASEC, MASS, PREL, PGOV, PINR, COSUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE ~~PIRIPAN MASSACRE

(PART V OF A MONTERIA TRIP REPORT)

REFS; A) 98 BOGOTA 13823D) BOGOTA 577

B) 98 BOGOTA 14108E) 98 BOGOTA 7790

C) BOGOTA 341FI 97 BOGOTA 11430

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR CURTIS W. KAMMAN. REASONS 1.5(8&D).

SUMMARY

l............1Z) rio~~~~dFF DURIN-G A TRIP --TO MON'i'ERIA--;-CORDOBAIlr---.1DECEMBER, THAT THE PARft~ILITARIES' MOST INFMIcOUS 1997 MILITARYACTION -- THE JULY 1997 MASSACRE IN THE FARC-DOMINATED, COCA-

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CULTIVATING TOWN OF MAPIRIPAN, t"1ETA DEPARTMENT -- E-Llill BEEN "\·lELL-·COORDINATED IN .WVANCE" NOT ONLY AJvlONC FIVE PARAt--1ILITA..'<.Y GKOUPSFROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF COLOMBIA B~r ALSO WIT~ (UNSPECIFIEDELEMENTS OF) THE COLOMBIAN A~~Y. w.~ILE T~EY ASSERTED THAT THEJOINT PA..RNtIILITARY /ARMY PLANNING INCLUDED "TRAVEL, LOGISTICS,INTELLIGENCE A.."JD SECURITY," THEY BALKED AT PROVIDING FURTHERDETAILS. THEY ALSO CLAIMED THE RAID ~Iill ACHIEVED ITS INTENDEDGOAL: TO DELI VER A Ml\.JOR BLOW AGAINST THE FARC' S LI FELINE, ITSABILITY TO MOVE COCAINE AND NARCO-MONIES IN THE EASTERN PLAINS.(NOTE; SOURCES ~AY HAVE PROVIDED THE INFORM1\TION AS MUCH TOINFLUENCE AS TO INFORM. END NOTE.)

_____.._.. _. . _ __~.. riFONE IS T6BELIEVE~-THEIR--JBLUNT 1\DMISSION OF AUC/ARMY COORDINATION RE ~APIRIPAN, AS WELL ASTHE SEPARATE PRIVATE STATEMENTS BY A SENIOR AUC PAR~ILITARY

LE1\DER INVOLVED IN AUC'S OCTOBER 1997 INCURSION INTO MIRAFLORES(REF F), THEN BOTH OF THE KEY PARA~ILITARY OPER1\TIONS WHICH MOSTDIRECTLY AFFECTED U.S.-ASSISTED COUNTER-NARCOTICS OPERATIONS INTHE GUAVIARE REGION IN 1997 HAD BEEN CONDUCTED WITH THEFOREKNOWLEDGE AND FACILITATION BY MEMBERS OF THE COLOMBIAN A..RMY.INDEED, [~====-=~:.~:::":.~=.=-~===---=~ ._=~ .J TOLD EMBOFFSFEBRUARY 17 THAT THE "FISCALIA" IS SOON TO ISSUE.INDICTMENTSAGAINST SEVERAL ARMY PERSONNEL (IN 1\DDITION TO THE TWO SERGEANTSALRE1\DY DETAINED) FOR HAVING HELPED COORDINATE THE PA..~ILITARY

INCURSIONS INTO BOTH MAPIRIPAN AND MIRAFLORES, AS WELL AS THE MAY1998 INCURSION INTO PUERTO ALVIR1\. END SUMM1\RY.

MAPIRIPAN ~mSSACRE: THE BACKGROL~D

3. ~; THE JULY 15-20, 1997, TAKEOVER OF (AND Jv'ASSACRE IN) THECOCA-GROWING TOWN OF ~~PIRIPAN, META DEPARTMENT, HAS SINCE BEENSEEN AS THE "COMING OUT PARTY" OF THE AUC PARANILITARIES: THEACT BY WHICH THE Pk~1ILITARIES BOYd ANNOUNCED THEIR INTENTION TOEXPA1~D BEYOND THEIR HOME BASES IN NORTHERN COLOMBIA INTO ANATIONAL MOVEMENT ~~D DEMONSTP~TED THEIR FORCE PROJECTIONCAPABILITY ON A NATIONAL SCALE -- RIGHT INTO THE HEARTLAND OFFARC OPERATIONS IN SOUTHERN COLOMBIA. AS THE 1997 HUMAN RIGHTSREPORT NOTED, "DURING THE OPERATION, THE PARAMILITARIES SINGLEDOUT AT LEAST SEVEN TOIVNSPEOPLE AND EXECUTED THEM, REPORTEDLY FORSUPPORTING THE F~~C GUERRILLAS. SOME TWO THOUSAND TOWNSPEOPLESUBSEQUENTLY FLED, CLAIMING THE PARAMILITARY FORCES HAD KILLED AS

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PAGE 04 BOGOTA 02396 01 OF 04 0522092MANY AS TWO DOZEN OTHERS AND ~~ THROWN THEIR BODIES INTO THEGUAVIARE RIVER. IN A SEPTEMBER 1997, INTERVIEW WITH EL TIEMPONEWSPAPER, (AUC/ACCD) PARAMILITARY LEADER CARLOS CASTANO ADMITTEDRESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MAPIRIPAN MASS~_CRE." HE .n.LSO PROt-USED,"THERE vIILL BE MORE MAPIRIPANS."

4. (U) THE EXACT ROLE OF THE COLOMBIM~ SECURITY FORCES IN THISINCIDENT HAS LONG BEEN A ~ATTER OF PUBLIC (AND PRIVATE) DEBATE,AS TWO CHARTERED PLANES CARRYING DOZENS OF THE PARAMILITARIESINTO THE .z\...~EA FLEI'I OUT OF ANTIOQUIA' S U?.ABA REGION (NEAR THEHEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY'S 17TH BRIG~DE) M~D LANDED AT THE SANJOSE DEL GUAVIARE MUNICIPAL AIRFIELD -- A STRIP vlliICH .THECOLOMBIAN ARMY HAD TAKEN CONTROL OF ON THE PRECISE DAY INQUESTION, AND WHICH IS USED BY THE U.s. EMBASSY'S NAS .COUNTER­NARCOTICS SPRAY OPERATIONS (HEADQUARTERED AT AN ADJACENT DANTI,COUNTER-NARCOTICS POLICE, BASE).

5. (U) THE ARMY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OPENED SEPARATE FORMALADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF FOUR ARMYOFFICERS, INCLUDING THE COMMANDER OF THE 7TH BRIGADE, BRIGADIERGENERAL JAIME HUMBERTO USCATEGUI, AND FIVE CIVILIAN OFFICIALS,INCLUDING THE MAYOR OF ~APIRIPAN, IN THE TAKEOVER. THEPROSECUTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE ("FISCALIA") ALSO OPENED A CRIMINALINVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT. THUS FAR, SIX PERSONS HAVE BEENARRESTED BY THE FISCALIA: TWO ARMY SERGEANTS, A LOCALPARAMILITARY .LEADER AND HIS AIDE (ALL IN SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE),AND TWO CHARTER PILOTS.

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INFO SECDEf WASHDeUSCINCSO MIAMI FLDIRONDCP WASHDCCIA WAS HOCDIA ~~ASHDC

AMEMBASSY PANAMA

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(PART V OF A MONTERIA TRIP REPORT)

THE MONTERIA ANGLE

6.

/7.)$) DURING A SUBSEQUENT LENGTHY PRIVATE MEETING, THE TWOENGAGED IN A SURPRISINGLY FP~K, IF SOMEWHAT BOASTFUL,EXPLANATION OF HOW THE LOCAL P~~ILITARY ORGANIZATION (I.E.,CARLOS CASTANO'S ACCU) HAS TRANSFORMED ITSELF INTO THE SPINALCORD OF A V~TURE PARAMILITARY UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION WITH NATIONALPRETENSIONS (I.E., THE AUC). NOW AN AUTONOMOUS FORCE, THEYCLAIMED, THE PARAMILITARY MOVEMENT NO LONGER NEEDS TO RELY ON THECOLOMBIAN ARMY .. FOR ANYTHING. II INDEED, THE PARAMILITARIES CANNOW STRIKE ANYWHERE AND AT ANYTIME OF THEIR OWN CHOOSING, THEYASSERTED. "SUCH AS IN MAPIRIPAN?" OFFERED POLOFF.

MAPIRIPAN: A CASE APART?

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8. P) "l-iELL, NO. THP.T ACTUALLY ~'n\S QuITE DIfFERENT,"INTERJECTED ONE OF THE TWO. "OH, HOIv SO?" ASKED A CONFUSEDPOLOFF. SETTLING INTO HIS SEAT AND WITH A CLEAR "OK" HEAD NODFROM THE OTHER, THE FIRST MAN STATED, "LOOK, 1>lAPIRIPJI.N WAS ASPECIAL CASE. IN REALITY, IT WAS A ~'1ELL-COORDINATED COUNTER­NARCOTICS OPER1\TION." AT LEAST FIVE DIFFERENT PARAMILITARYORGANIZATIONS -- FROM ANTIOQUIA'S URABA REGION, FROM CORDOBA,SANTANDER AND MAGDALENA DEPf'>.RTMENTS, AND FRor1 1>1ETA l\ND ELSEI'iHEREIN THE "LLANOS" (EASTERN PLAINS) -- DIRECTLY PARTICIPATED, THESECOND SAID, BY PROVIDING GROUND TROOPS FOR THE OPERATION.

9. ~) THE GOAL OF THE OPERr,\TION ~vAS TO STRIKE "A COORDINATEDBLOW" AGAINST THE FARC'S E'INANCIAL LIFELINE, BY TARGETING THE KEYMONEY-MOVERS WHO BUY AND SELL COCAINE FOR THE FARC. VAPIRIPN~,

THE FIRST STATED, WAS A KEY FARC "BUSINESS CENTER." THE SECONDMAN CHIMED IN THAT THE OPERATION HAD BEEN A CLEA.~ "SUCCESS" INDAMAGING THE FARC'S ABILITY TO MOVE BOTH MONEY AND COCl\INE IN THEREGION.

ARMY COORDINATION?==================

10. yt) BUT WHAT I>~E THE PARAMILITARY THRUST INTO MAPIRIPANDIFFERENT FROM MOST OTHER OPERATIONS OF THE NEW, "umEPENDENT"ACCU/AUC, THE FIRST CONTIi'.'UED, WAS THAT IT P.AD BEEN "WELL­COORDINATED IN ADVANCE WITH THE (COLOMBIAN) ARMY." CHALLENGED BYPOLOFF, HE STATED THAT THE COLOMBIAJJ ARMY K~D NO DIRECTPARTICIPATION ON THE GROUND IN MAPIRIPAN, BUT THAT "FULLCOORDINATION" HAD BEEN UNDERTAKEN IN ADVl>.NCE WITH "THE ARJ¥'Y" (NOTFURTHER SPECIFIED). THIS JOINT PLANNING, THE TWO LOCALS AGREED,HAD COVERED THE ISSUES OF "T:<AVEL. LOGISTICS, INTELLIGENCE AND

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11. ~ WHEN PRESSED BY POLOFF FOR FURTHER DETAILS, BOTHINTERLOCUTORS DECLINED TO SAY MUCH MORE (PERHAPS REALIZING THEYHAD ALREADY SAID TOO MUCH.) THEY CONCEDED, HOWEVER, TR~T THELEVEL OF COORDINATION WITH ELEMENTS OF THE )\RMY WENT "WELLBEYOND" ("MUCHO 1,IjAS ALLAn) THE TWO ARMY SERGEANTS WHO HAVE BEENARRESTED ON C~qGES OF FACILITATING T~E Pk~ILITARY k~RIVAL ATSAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE. THEY DID NOT CONTRADICT POLOFF'SSUGGESTION THAT, IF THE OPERATION WAS AS "WELL-COORDINATED" ASTHEY WERE ASSERTING, THE PARAMILITARIES DEPkqTURE FROM URABA WASLIKELY TO HAVE BEEN AS COORDINATED WITH SOME ELEMENTS OF THE AID1YAS ALLEGEDLY WAS THEIR LJI~ING IN Sk~ JOSE. THE TWO SMILED, BUTREV~INED MUM ON THE EY~CT EXTENT OR THE COM~D-LEVEL OF ARMYINVOLVEMENT. (NOTE: THEY ALSO PUT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEADDURING THE MAPIRIPAN TAKEOVER AT "TWENTY TO TWENTY-FIVE," THESAME APPROXIMATION USED BY MAPIRIPAN EXILES WITH POLOFF SHORTLY

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AFTER THE KILLINGS. END NOTE.)

A NOTE ON SOURCES=~======~====~===

12. ~ POST HAS DELIBERATELY KEFRAINED FROM DIRECTLYIDENTIFYING HERE EITHER OF THE TWO INTERLOCUTORS -- BOTH PUBLIC1·1EN, ~oJ"ELL - KNOViN r--------------- ---···-----1 WHOM THERE ARE NO KNOWNCRIMINAL WARRANT"S-:---Tfr-TffE-"c6LC5"MBiAN CONTEXT, WE HAVE NO DESIREFOR OUR REPORTING, NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, TO BE USED AS A DEATHSENTENCE AGAINST PERSONS WHO WERE WILLING TO SPEAK TO US.

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13. ytJ BASED ON DISCUSSIONS WITH KULTIPLE SOURCES (COLOMBIMJAND NON-COLOMBIAN; GOVERNMENT N~D NON-GOVERNMENT) QUIETLY SOUNDED

OUT IN "OGaTA SIN7~~O:::' :P~;'~ BE:'~VE~:~TbNE or.T~I:=.JIN FACT, GOES BEYOND THAT, AND HAS PARTICIPATED DIRECTLY IN THEPLANNING OF AVC MILITARY OPERATIONS -- TO INCLUDE, BASED ON HISDISCUSSION WITH POLOFF, MAPIRIPAN.

A POST-SCRIPT

c-:..-.w--!.~1:':-~_~~!3_U_~!3.~2_~1~~'Q!'J~_ O~_.Q:£HE_!3m.I§SUES, \--~~~L~--7-------_._----_.. _- -- .. .. .... .. ,EMBOFFS THAT THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE MAPtRIP~~-CASE

CONTINUES, AND THAT THE "FISCALIA" WAS NOW READY TO ISSUE FORMALINDICTMENTS AGAINST SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE ARMY, INCLUDINGOFFICERS, FOR P~VING FACILITATED THE ENTRY OF PARAMILITARIES NOTONLY INTO MAPIRIPAN BUT MIRAFLORES (OCTOBER 1997) AND PUERTOALVIRA (MAY 1998), AS WELL. HE STATED THAT PROSECUTORS ALREADYHAD ENOUGH TO ORDER THE ~~REST OF SEVERAL OF THOSE IMPLICATED,BUT THAT, AS A COURTESY TYPICALLY EXTENDED TO EMPLOYEES OF THESTATE (ESPECIALLY MILITARY OFFICERS), THEY WILL NOT BE ORDEREDINTO PRE-TRIAL DETENTION AT THIS TIME.

COMMENTS

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PAGE 03 BOGOTA 02396 03 OF 04 0522102 _ _ _ .15. (;1''1" GIVEN: A) \-_. --,~ I f"13T-T}H:;--PROBAHLE-----.JTNVotVEMENT -orrO!,i"E-OF-THE- TWO-MEN-iN-pi:ANiIT"l:TG AUC OPERATIONS,AND, C) THE FISCALIA'S PROGRESS IN INVESTIGATING THE ~APIRIPMl

TAKEOVER,· POST FINDSC=-=-==--=.J VERSION (LIMITED THOUGH ITWAS) OF THE MAPIRIPAN TAKEOVER TO BE MOST CREDIBLE. WE KNOW OFNO REASON FOR THEM TO DEVIATE FROM THEIR BOASTING OF THE AUC'SFULL-FLEDGED INDEPENDENCE IN ORDER TO CORRECT POLO~F'S STATEMENTOTHER THAN THEIR DESIRE FOR THE USG TO UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY WHATHAD TRANSPIRED EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO. (INDEED, WHAT CASTANO MIDCOMPANY MOST WANT NOW IS POLITICAL LEGITI~~CY, IN THEIR VIEW AKEY TO ACHIEVING SOME DEGREE OF RECOGNITION FROM THE USG -- WHICHTHEY HAVE CONSISTENTLY FAILED TO GET. POLOFF'S ~~ISING THEQUESTION ON MAPIRIPAN THUS PUT THE TWO IN A POSITION OF EITHERHAVING TO LIE TO US, OR TO COME CLEAN. AS THE USG'S POSITION ONP~MY/PARAMILITARY COMPLICITY IS KNOWN TO ALL, DROPPING SUCH ABOMBSHELL ON US WAS NOT THE BEST WAY TO CURRY FAVOR WITH THE USG-- BUT THEY EVIDENTLY FELT THEY HAD TO DO IT IN ORDER TO PROTECTSOMETHING EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IN THEIR EYES, THEIR OWNCREDIBILITY WITH US.)

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16.;s1 SOME MIGHT ARGOE THAT THEIR MOTIVATION WAS NOTHISTORICAL ACCURACY OR TO PROTECT THEIR OWN CREDIBILITY, BUTSIMPLY TO BESMIRCH THE HONOR OF THE ARMY -- AN INSTITUTION THEYOTHERWISE HOLD IN LOW ESTEEr~. WE WOULD ONLY NOTE, HOWEVER, T~~T

THEY FREELY ADMITTED THE AUC I S INVOLVEr-lENT IN THE ACTION, TERMEDTHE COORDINATED OPERATION A "SUCCESS," A..."JD SPOKE MATTER-OF-FACTLY

'ABOUT ARMY FACILITATION IN ~~PIRIPAN, AS IF IT WAS ~EALLY NOSURPRISE TO ANYONE (EXCEPT V~YBE TO THE GRINGOS) .

17. ~) IT APPEARS THAT GENERAL BONETT, THEN-COM~ANDING GENERALSECRB'f

PAGE 04 BOGOTA 02396 03 OF 04 052210ZOF THE ARMY, GOT IT CLOSE TO RIGHT IN HIS VERY FIRST PUBLICSTATEMENT ON THE ~ffiPIRIPAN ATTACK (UTTERED EVEN BEFORE GOVE~lENT

INVESTIGATORS ~u~ ~AGED TO GET INTO THE DISTANT JUNGLE HAMLET) :THAT THE MASSACRE HAD BEEN PERPETRATED AS PART OF A FEUD BETWEEN"ILLEGAL DELINQUENT ORGANIZATIONS" (I.E., GUERRILLAS ANDPARAMILITARIES) FIGHTING OVER CONTROL OF NARCO-TRAFFICKINGFINANCES. (WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE, HOWEVER, TO INDICATE BONETT KNEWTHEN, OR EVER, OF ~~Y MILITARY FACILITATING ROLE.)

18. (,Z) WE A.q,E ALSO REMINDED OF PRIVATE STATEMENTS BYJ1---'---''''--l

[--_..--.... .. ----_ _----- - _------

__ fH'ORTLY AFTER THE EXECUTION OF THENEXT ~ffiJOR PARAMILITARY INCURSION IN THE GUAVIARE REGION: TrffiTTHE OCTOBER 1997 INCURSION INTO THE SIMILARLY FARC-DOMINATED,COCA-CULTIVATING VILLAGE OF MIRAFLORES BY HIS OWN PARAMILITARIESHAD BEEN CONDUCTED WITH ARMY FOREKNOWLEDGE AND FACILITATION (REFF). THUS, IF PRIVATE STATEMENTS BY PAP~ILITARIES INVOLVED INTHE ACTIONS ARE TO BELIEVED, IT APPEARS THAT THE TWO PARN~ILITARY

INCURSIONS INTO SOUTHERN COLOMBIA DURING 1997 WITH THE MOSTDIRECT IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S.-ASSISTED COUNTER-NARCOTICSOPERATIONS IN SOUTHERN COLOMBIA -- JULY IN MAPIRIPAN AND OCTOBERIN MIRAFLORES -- WERE BOTH FACILITATED BY ELEMENTS OF THECOLOMBIAN ARMY. T~E PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE NOW GOES EVENFURTHER, AND INCLUDES PUERTO ALVIRA AS ANOTHER SUCH INCURSIONCOORDINATED BY SOME OF THE SAME INDIVIDUALS IMPLICATED IN THEOTHER TWO INCIDENTS, ONE THING, AT LEAST, IS CLEAR: IT LIKELYWENT WELL BEYOND THE TWO ARMY SERGE..~TS NOW STEWING IN ARMYDETENTION.

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