SECRET E1 SECRET 91 99414 RELEASED IN PART B3 INA a A PAGE 01 BOGOTA 09345 01 OF 02 132228Z ACTION SCT-OO INFO LOG-00 ACDA-OB ACDE-OO AID-00 ARA-01 A-OO CA-02 CCO-00 SRPP-OO DS-OO EB-OO FAAE-OO FBIE-OO TEDE-OO INR-OO IO-OO JUSE-OO ADS-00 M-OO DCP-01 NSAE-OO OCS-03 OIC-02 PM-OO PRS-OO P-OO SP-OO SSO-OO SS-OO STR-OO TRSE-OO USIE-OO PMB-OO DEL-04 G-OO NFAT-OO SAS-OO 1322442 38 0 1322202 AUG 98 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4600 SECDEF WASHDC DIRONDCP WASHDC SECDEF DEA WASHDC DIA WASHDC CIA WASHDC USCINCSO MIAMI NSC WASHDC SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 009345 E O 12958 TAGS MARR PHUM SNAR PTER PINR co SUBJECT GENERAL RAMIREZ LASHES OUT AT STATE TWO MORE GENERALS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR PARAMILITARE LINKS REF A BOGOTA 292141Z MAY 98 B BOGOTA 071647Z APR 98 SECRET PAGE 02 BOGOTA 09345 01 OF 02 132228Z U CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR CURTIS W KAMMAN REASON 1 5 D 1 C COLOMBIAN PRESS REPORTED AUGUST 12 AN ANGRY DENIAL BY APPARENTLY-EX ARMY INSPECTOR GENERAL IVAN RAMIREZ OF CHARGES CONTAINED IN AN AUGUST 11 ARTICLE IN WHICH HE ACCUSED THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF BETRAYAL AND OF MALIGNING HIS IN ADDITION TO REPORTING HIS FOMENTING OF ILLEGAL PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATIONS THE POST ARTICLE CHARGED RAMIREZ WAS A CIA INFORMANT AND LINKED HIM TO HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY NORMAN BOUTON ID 30 APR 2007 200604550 - SECRET SECRET NARCOTRAFFICKING ALSO IN THE NEWS ARE FERNANDO MILLAN PEREZ AND RITO ALEJO DEL RIO ROJAS BOTH OF WHOM ARE SUBJECTS OF FEDERAL OFFICE INVESTIGATIONS INTO ALLEGED LINKS TO ILLEGAL PARAMILITARY GROUPS THESE INVESTIGATIONS WILL SERVE AS A MARKER TO OFFICERS WHO CONTINUE TO ILLEGALLY ASSIST PARAMILITARY GROUPS END SUMMARY GEN RAMIREZ ANGRILY DENIES ALLEGATIONS 2 U BOGOTA PRESS CARRIED AUGUST 12 ANGRY-DENIALS BY MAJOR GENERAL IVAN RAMIREZ QUINTERO OF ACCUSATIONS CONTAINED IN AN AUGUST 10 ARTICLE NOTE ALTHOUGH HE HAS NOT BOGOTA PRESS REPORTS THAT HE ARMY INSPECTOR GENERAL UNTIL AUGUST 10 AND THAT HE IS UP THE BOXES IN HIS END NOTE THE ARTICLE QUOTED AND COLOMBIAN INTELLIGENCE AS SAYING THAT THE USG HAD BEGUN TO OF TIES TO NARCOTRAFFICKERS AND PAGE 03 BOGOTA 09345 01 OF 02 132228Z AS WELL AS COMPLICITY IN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN THE MID-1990's AND THEREFORE ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM IN 1995 TO THE ACCUSATION THAT HE WAS A CIA INFORMANT RAMIREZ RESPONDED THAT HE NATURALLY HAD A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH CIA AS HE WAS DIRECTOR OF ARMY INTELLIGENCE FROM 1991-1994 HOWEVER HE CLAIMED HIS WAS AN OVERT RELATIONSHIP AND THAT HE NEVER RECEIVED ANY PAYMENT FROM CIA 3 U THE INFURIATED RAMIREZ BLASTED THE ARTICLE AS PERSECUTION YELLOW JOURNALISM AND HE PUBLICLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE AND CERTAIN I E LEFTIST ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HIM OF INVOLVEMENT IN NARCOTRAFFICKING AND SUPPORT OF PARAMILITARY GROUPS HE ACCUSED THE USG OF ABANDONING THOSE WITH WHOM IT COOPERATED DURING THE COLD WAR REFERRING TO THE HAVING REVOKED HIS VISA IN MAY ON TERRORISM GROUNDS RAMIREZ SAID HE HAS TO EXPECT ANYTHING FROM THE STATE HE ALSO SAID HE IS IN POSSESSION OF OF HIS BUT DECLINED T0 DIVULGE THAT PROOF I FOLKB3 RAMIREZ WAS HEAD IFROM 1991-1994 AND RETAINED A GREAT DEAL OF INFLUENCE AMONG ARMY INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS AFTER HE LEFT THAT POST TO COMMAND THE BRIGADE DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE ARTICLE CITED ONLY PERSONS FROM THE UNITED STATES AND COLOMBIAN INTELLIGENCE SECRET SECRET CSMMUMITIES RAMIREZ AGAIN PUBLICLY TRACED HIS DIFFICULTIES DIRECTLY TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT AFTER HIS VISA WAS REVOKED IE SECRET PAGE 04 BOGOTA 09345 01 0F 02 132228Z MAY HE SAID ON BOGOTA RADIO THAT HIS PROBLEMS EMANATED DIRECTLY FROM MEMBERS OF THE EMBASSY POLITICAL TWO GENERALS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR TIES TO PARAMILITARIES 5 U BOGOTA PRESS HIGHLIGHTED AUGUST 11 THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS OF TWO GENERAL OFFICERS FOR ALLEGED LINKS TO PARAMILITARY GROUPS FEDERAL PROSECUTOR ALFONSO GOMEZ MENDEZ PUBLICLY CONFIRMED AUGUST 10 WHAT POLOFFS HAD PRIVATELY BEEN TOLD DAYS BEFORE THAT BRIGADIER GENERAL FERNANDO MILLAN PEREZ COMMANDER OF THE FIFTH BRIGADE WAS FORMALLY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR PROVISION OF ARMS AND EQUIPMENT TO A PARAMILITARY GROUP IN LEBRIJA SANTANDER DEPARTMENT THE GROUP IS SUSPECTED OF COMMITTING ELEVEN MURDERS BETWEEN MARCH AND NOVEMBER 1997 THE PARAMILITARY UNIT HAD APPARENTLY APPLIED FOR A LICENSE AS A CONVIVIR COOPERATIVE ARMED GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED COOPERATIVES WHICH ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE INTELLIGENCE T0 GOC SECURITY FORCES AND DETER GUERILLA INCURSIONS ALTHOUGH THE LICENSE WAS DENIED MILLAN IS ALLEGED TO HAVE PROCEEDED AS IF THE LICENSE HAD BEEN GRANTED AND ARMED THE MEMBERS REGARDLESS 6 U THE FEDERAL PROSECUTOR ALSO CONFIRMED THAT A PRELIMINARY SECRET END OF DOCUMENT SECRET PTQ9415 PAGE 01 BOGOTA 09345 02 OF 02 1322282 ACTION SGT-00 INFO LOG-00 ACDA-08 AID-00 ARA-01 A-OO cco-oo DS-OO FBIE-OO H-01 INR-OO Io oo L-01 MMP-OO M-oo NSAE-OO PM-OO P-oo sp-oo sso-oo ss oo STR-OO DEL-04 G-OO 5EF1B8 1322442 38 0 1322202 AUG 98 1 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4601 SECDEF WASHDC SECRET SECRET DERONUCP WASHDC SECDEE DEA WASHDC DIA WASHDC CIA NASHDC - USCINCSO MIAMI NSC WASHDC SECTION 02 OF 02 BOGOTA 009345 E o 12958 TAGS MARR PHUM SNAR PTER PINR co SUBJECT GENERAL RAMIREZ LASHES OUT AT STATE TWO MORE GENERALS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR RARAMILITARX LINKS REF A BOGOTA 292141Z 98 B BOGOTA 0716472 APR 98 SECRET RAGE 02 BOGOTA 09345 02 OF 02 132228Z INVESTIGATION OF GENERAL RITO ALEJO DEL RIO ROJAS COMMANDER OF THE 13TH BRIGADE BOGOTA IS ALSO UNDERWAY ACCORDING TO PRESS THE ALLEGED LINKS TO ACCU PARAMILITARIES IN THE URABA REGION WHILE HE COMMANDED THE 17TH BRIGADE FROM DECEMBER 1995 TO DECEMBER 1997 ARE THE SUBJECT OF THE INVESTIGATION 7 S BIOGRAPHIC NOTE ALTHOUGH BRIGADE COMMANDS ARE GENERALLY EVERY YEAR GENERAL DEL RIO WAS ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN COMMAND OF THE 17TH BRIGADE IN HIGHLY-CONFLICTIVE URABA REGION VFOR TWO YEARS APPARENTLY BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN VERX SUCCESSFUL IN BLOODYING THE NOSE DURING THE PERIOD OF HIS COMMAND -HIS SYSTEMATIC ARMING AND EQUIPPING OF AGGRESSIVE REGIONAL PARAMILITARIES WAS PIVOTAL TO HIS MILITARY SUCCESS AT THE TIME GENERAL DEL RIO HAS LONG BEEN ACCUSED 0F LINKS TO PARAMILITARIES HE WAS INVESTIGATED FOR ALLEGEDLY DELIVERING 100 MP5 SUBMACHINE GUNS IN 1985 TO PARAMILITARIES IN THE MAGDALENA MEDIO REGION HE IS REPUTED TO BE A PROTEGE OF MAJOR GENERAL IVAN RAMIREZ THANKS TO ACCUSATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES LEVELLED BY CINEP RESEARCH AND POPULAR EDUCATION CENTER AND JUSTICIA PAZ PEACE AND JUSTICE DEL RELATIONS WITH THOSE AND OTHER ARE PARTICULARLY STRAINED END NOTE 8 C AS DEMONSTRATED BY HIS INVECTIVE MAJOR GENERAL RAMIREZ TENDS TO SINGLE OUT THE STATE DEPARTMENT AS THE SOURCE OF HIS TROUBLES THE ARTICLE PROVIDED HIM OCCASION TO MAKE A FINAL JAB AT THE DEPARTMENT BEFORE RETIREMENT WE ARE UNSURPRISED THAT HE DECLINED TO DIVULGE THE SECRET w PAGE 03 BOGOTA 09345 02 OF 02 1322282 THE DEPARTMENT FOUND THAT EVIDENCE OF HIS COMPLICITY IN REPEATED GRAVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS WAS SUFFICIENT TO REVOKE HIS HIS APPARENTLY IMMINENT DEPARTURE FROM THE RANKS OF THE COLOMBIAN ARMY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO ITS ONGOING PROFESSIONALIZATION SEPARATELY WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THE FEDERAL APPARENT DILIGENCE BETWEEN SENIOR ARMY OFFICERS AND PARAMILITARIES THESE INVESTIGATIONS WILL SERVE AS A MARKER TO THOSE ARMY OFFICERS WHO CONTINUE TO ILLEGALLY ASSIST OR OTHERWISE WORK WITH PARAMILITARY GROUPS KAMMAN SECRET END OF DOCUMENT 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