UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2013-01203 Doc No C17423395 Date 10 05 2017 4 '7 CONFIDENTIAL RELEASE IN FULL PAGE 01 ACTION ARA-01 INFO BOGOTA 08764 112214Z LOG-00 CEA-01 DOEE-00 FRB-03 INSE-00 NRCE-00 P-01 TRSE-00 ACDA-15 AID-01 AMAD-01 A-01 CA-02 SJK-01 CG-00 COME-00 CTME-00 C-01 DS-00 EB-01 EXIM-06 E-01 FAAE- 00 HA-09 H-01 IMMC-01 INM-01 INRE- 00 ITC-01 JUSE-00 LAB-04 L-03 ADS-0 0 NSCE-00 NSAE-00 OIG-01 OIS-01 OPIC- 08 SCT-03 SNP-01 SP-01 SSO-00 SS-01 T-01 USSS-00 096W ------------------3DB6F6 1203342 38 R 112214Z JUN 92 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6180 INFO AMEMBASSY CARACAS AMEMBASSY LA PAZ AMEMBASSY LIMA AMEMBASSY MEXICO AMEMBASSY QUITO USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PM USCINCLANT NORFOLK VA CIA WASHDC DIA WASHDC CCO-00 DEAE-00 FBIE-00 INR-01 M-01 PM-01 STR-20 C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 08764 E O 12356 DECL OADR TAGS PGOV SNAR ECON PIER CO SUBJECT MEDELLIN SENATOR ON MEDELLIN VIOLENCE CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 -- BOGOTA 08764 112214Z GUERRILLA NARCO LINK REF BOGOTA 2234 1 CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT 2 DURING A JUNE 9 BREAKFAST WITH LABATT AND POLOFF LIBERAL MEDELLIN SENATOR ALVARO URIBE SAID OVERALL IMPUNITY IN THE CITY IS LOWER BUT CRIMINAL VIOLENCE IS EXTREMELY HIGH THERE ARE 150 000 UNDER UNEMPLOYED IN MEDELLIN A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO ORGANIZED REVIEW AUTHORITY Marvin Russell Senior Reviewer UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2013-01203 Doc No 017423395 Date 10 05 2017 65 5 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2013-01203 Doc No 017423395 Date 10 05 2017 HE ESTIMATES THE CREATION OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY50 000 NEW JOBS WOULD EASILY DECREASE VIOLENCE BY TWO THIRDS URIBR REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES THE NEED FOR PRIVATE 3 SECTOR INVESTMENT BUT RECOGNIZES BUSINESSMEN'S FEAR HE ALSO BELIEVED OF VIOLENCE HAS KEPT THEM AWAY MEDELLIN'S SOCIAL ATTITUDES HAVE TO CHANGE THAT THE COb NT IN CITY NEEDS TO BE RE-CHRISTIANIZED PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS URIBE EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR JOB CREATION PROGRAMS IN OTHER CITIES AS WELL TO MITIGATE THE SHOCK CAUSED BY ECONOMIC LIBERALIZATION POLICIES URIBE SAID THE LAST TIME HE WAS IN MEDELLIN HE 4 RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM SOMEONE DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MILITIAS POPULARES POPULAR MILITIAS GUERRILLA-LINKED DEATH SQUADS BASED IN MEDELLIN'S SLUMS ASKING WHY HE AND OTHER MEDELLIN SENATORS DID NOT FAVOR SEPARATE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS ON URIBE ASKED WHY THE GROUP DID NOT A REGIONAL BASIS CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL BOGOTA 08764 PAGE 03 112214Z FIRST STOP ITS ATTACKS THE CALLER PROMISED TO CALL AGAIN 5 URIBE PREDICTED THE ELN'S RECENTLY ANNOUNCED ALL OUT WAR AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE THE FORM OF A BOMBING CAMPAIGN AIMED AT TERRORIZING THE GENERAL URIBE BELIEVES THE ARMY PUBLIC AND CREATING CHAOS REMAINS UNABLE TO WIN A MILITARY VICTORY OVER THE GUERRILLAS DESPITE BETTER EQUIPMENT AND MORE MEN THERE ARE TOO MANY RAW RECRUITS AND PROFESSIONALISM IS STILL LACKING THE ARMY NEEDS MORE MOBILE BRIGADES COMPRISED OF WELL-PAID PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS WHO CAN TAKE THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST GUERRILLA STRONGHOLDS 6 URIBE POINTED OUT THAT THE GUERRILLAS ARE WEALTHIER THAN EVER BECAUSE OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE NARCOTICS TRADE HE RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO EDUCATE COLOMBIANS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF THE GROWING DEPENDENCE OF THE GUERRILLAS ON THE DRUG URIBE SUGGESTED AN EXCHANGE OF CONGRESSMEN TRADE WITH THE US AS ONE WAY OF IMPARTING THIS INFORMATION COMMENT URIBE WHO RECENTLY SPENT SIX MONTHS IN 7 HARVARD'S PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM APPEARED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2013-01203 Doc No C17423395 Date 10 05 2017 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2013-01203 Doc No C17423395 Date 10 05 2017 GENUINELY INTERESTED IN GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE HE COMES ACROSS AS A SERIOUS GUERRILLA-NARCO LINK INTERLOCUTOR AND APPEARS TO GENUINELY WANT REGULAR WITH EACH MEETING WE BECOME CONTACT WITH EMBOFFS LESS INCLINED TO BELIEVE THE NARCO TIES ATTRIBUTED TO HIM REFTEL HOBBS CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 BOGOTA 08764 112214Z CONFIDENTIAL NNNN UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2013-01203 Doc No C17423395 Date 10 05 2017 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu