Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Message Text SECRET PAGE 01 BOGOTA 01387 132223Z ACTION ARA-14 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SNM-05 SSO-00 SS-15 035 W ------------------007315 132234Z 66 O R 132135Z FEB 78 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6320 INFO DEA HQS WASHDC WHITE HOUSE WASHDC S E C R E T BOGOTA 1387 STATE FOR S NM AND ARA DEA FOR BENSINGER WHITE HOUSE FOR BOURNE E O 11652 GDS TAGS SNAR CO REF BOGOTA 6252 1 VICE ADMIRAL MELENDEZ THE PROCURATOR GENERAL OF THE ARMED FORCES CALLED ON DCM FRIDAY FEB 10 AND EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT RECENT ARTICLES IN THE FOREIGN AND COLOMBIAN PRESS ALLEGING THAT DEFENSE MINISTER GENERAL VARON WAS CONNECTED WITH NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING MELENDEZ SAID THAT VARON HAD THOUGHT OF RAISING THIS MATTER DIRECTLY WITH AMBASSADOR ASENCIO BUT HAD DECIDED INSTEAD TO HAVE MELENDEZ CONTACT THE DCM ON AN INFORMAL BASIS FIRST SINCE THE TWO WERE OLD FRIENDS AND SINCE DCM HAD BEEN IN CHARGE OF THE EMBASSY WHEN MRS CARTER DELIVERED HER LIST OF OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING TO PRESIDENT LOPEZ MELENDEZ STRESSED THAT GENERAL VARON WAS OBVIOUSLY INNOCENT THIS WAS DEMONSTRATED BY HIS RECORD OF COOPERATION AS DEFENSE MINISTER IN MEASURES AGAINST NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING NONETHELESS HE WANTED TO GET AT THE BOTTOM OF THESE ALLEGATIONS AND CLEAR HIS NAME OFFICIALLY SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 BOGOTA 01387 132223Z OTHERWISE COLOMBIA'S IMAGE ABROAD WOULD REMAIN TARNISHED 2 MELENDEZ SAID THAT AFTER THE FIRST LE MONDE ARTICLE HAD APPEARED GENERAL VARON QUERIED THE PRESIDENT ABOUT IT AND LOPEZ INDICATED THAT THE ARTICLE HAD ITS ORIGIN IN THE CODEL WOLFF REPORT LATER LOPEZ MADE A COPY OF THAT REPORT AVAILABLE TO VARON POINTING OUT THAT IT CONTAINED NO CHARGES Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 AGAINST SPECIFICALLY NAMED OFFICIALS ACCORDING TO MELENDEZ VARON WAS STILL UNEASY AND WANTED THE PRESIDENT TO EXONERATE HIM PUBLICALLY BUT EVENTUALLY HE BECAME RESIGNED TO WAITING FOR THE MATTER TO BLOW OVER AND DROP FROM THE PRESS THEN CAME THE JAN 23 LE MONDE ARTICLE WITH ITS INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A SECOND USG REPORT PLUS OTHER ITEMS IN THE COLOMBIAN AND US PRESS TO THE EFFECT THAT MRS CARTER HAD GIVEN PRESIDENT LOPEZ A LIST OF COLOMBIAN OFFICIALS BELIEVED IMPLICATED IN TRAFFICKING VARON WENT TO SEE THE PRESIDENT AGAIN LOPEZ ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE USG HAD GIVEN HIM FURTHER INFORMATION IN ADDITION TO THE WOLFF REPORT MELENDEZ SUSPECTS LOPEZ SHOWED VARON THE SECOND REPORT HOWEVER VARON TOLD MELENDEZ ONLY THAT LOPEZ SAID IT INCLUDED A STATEMENT THAT VARON HAD PROVIDED A CHARACTER REFERENCE FOR A COLOMBIAN CHARGED WITH NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING IN POPAYAN LOPEZ TOLD VARON THAT HE DID NOT TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND THAT VARON SHOULD NOT WORRY ABOUT IT 3 MELENDEZ ADDED THAT VARON NONETHELESS REMAINED CONCERNED ABOUT HIS REPUTATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY SENT MELENDEZ TO POPAYAN TO LOOK INTO THE TRIAL RECORDS OF THE COLOMBIAN TRAFFICKER HE FOUND NO REFERENCE TO VARON IN THE TRIAL TESTIMONY AND ONLY CAME UPON A LETTER FROM A COLONEL IN THE DEFENSE MINISTRY WHO HAD PROVIDED A CHARACTER REFERENCE FOR THE TRAFFICKER MELENDEZ SAID THAT THIS LETTER SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SENT SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 BOGOTA 01387 132223Z BUT THAT EVEN SO IT WAS NOT GROUNDS FOR ACCUSING THE MINISTER HIMSELF MOREOVER MELENDEZ SAID HE HIMSELF WAS WONDERING HOW THE USG HAD LEARNED OF THE LETTER DCM EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DETAILS OF THE POPAYAN CASE AND COULD NOT RECALL WHETHER THE USG KNEW OF THAT LETTER OR NOT 4 MELENDEZ SAID THAT GOC ATTORNEY GENERAL SERRANO WAS ALSO LOOKING INTO THIS CASE AND HAD PHONED THE PRESIDENT WHEN THE FIRST LE MONDE ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED HERE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL APPARENTLY PRESSED LOPEZ FOR INFORMATION THAT HE COULD USE IN AN INVESTIGATION BUT MELENDEZ WAS NOT SURE WHAT IF ANYTHING LOPEZ HAD PROVIDED IN ANY CASE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAD NOW HAD TO LEAVE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NARCOTICS IN GENEVA HE APPARENTLY INDICATED TO MELENDEZ BEFORE LEAVING THAT THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST VARON WERE GOING TO BE AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR THE GOC DELEGATION AT THE CONFERENCE 5 MELENDEZ WENT ON TO SAY THAT SINCE THE DCM HAD BEEN IN CHARGE OF THE EMBASSY DURING THE TIME OF THE CARTER VISIT HE MUST BE WELL AWARE OF WHAT SORT OF INFORMATION Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 WE HAD PROVIDED ABOUT VARON MELENDEZ SUGGESTED THAT THE USG COULD PERHAPS AUTHORIZE LOPEZ TO MAKE IT PUBLIC SO THAT THE FLIMSINESS OF THE CHARGES AGAINST VARON WOULD BE REVEALED MELENDEZ ADDED THAT VARON SUSPECTED THAT ONE OR MORE USG OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON HAD LEAKED THE INFORMATION TO LE MONDE THOUGH VARON DID NOT FEEL THAT THE EMBASSY ITSELF HAD HAD ANY HAND IN THIS DCM TOLD MELENDEZ THAT OVER THE PAST YEAR WE HAD HAD MANY EXCHANGES AND CONSULTATIONS WITH GOC AUTHORITIES ON NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING COOPERATIVELY POOLING INTELLIGENCE THAT WE HAD DEVELOPED THE QUALITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE DATA NATURALLY VARIED AND IT HAD TO BE HELD CLOSELY TO PROTECT INNOCENT PEOPLE TO SAFEGUARD SENSITIVE SOURCES AND ALSO TO AVOID COMPROMISING ONGOING OR FUTURE INVESTIGATIONS AND SECRET SECRET PAGE 04 BOGOTA 01387 132223Z PROSECUTIONS THESE BILATERAL EXCHANGES AND CONSULTATIONS HAD TAKEN PLACE AT VARIOUS LEVELS FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL ON DOWN OBVIOUSLY IT WAS UP TO PRESIDENT LOPEZ HIMSELF TO DECIDE HOW TO HANDLE ANY INFORMATION AND REPORTS THAT WE HAD PROVIDED HIM PERSONALLY THIS PARTICULARLY APPLIED TO THEIR DISSEMINATION TO OTHER COLOMBIAN OFFICIALS DCM ADDED THAT WE TOO HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEWSPAPER REPORTS AND THAT AFTER CHECKING WITH WASHINGTON THE AMBASSADOR HAD ASSURED PRESIDENT LOPEZ THAT THE USG WAS NOT BEHIND THESE ARTICLES OR OTHERWISE LEAKING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION MELENDEZ SAID HE WAS VERY GLAD TO HEAR THIS AND WOULD UNDERLINE IT IN HIS NEXT CONVERSATION WITH VARON ON THE SUBJECT THE MEETING THEN ENDED WITH BOTH MELENDEZ AND DCM AGREEING TO KEEP IN TOUCH ON THIS PROBLEM 6 COMMENT WE DOUBT THAT THE DEFENSE MINISTER WILL BE CONTENT TO LEAVE MATTERS AS THEY NOW STAND MOREOVER THERE MAY WELL BE FURTHER ARTICLES ON THE SUBJECT IN THE FOREIGN AND COLOMBIAN PRESS MEANWHILE AMBASSADOR NEEDS TO CONSULT VARON ON SEVERAL ISSUES INCLUDING THE TROUBLESOME SHORTFALL IN FMS CREDITS AND COLOMBIAN MILITARY COOPERATION IN BILATERAL NARCOTICS CONTROL EFFORTS VARON HIMSELF MAY DECIDE TO BE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL AND COOPERATIVE IN THESE MATTERS IN ORDER TO HELP DISPROVE THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM HOWEVER WE DO NOT BELIEVE THIS WILL DETER HIM FROM PRESSING FOR STEPS THAT WILL HELP HIM CLEAR HIS NAME THE AMBASSADOR WILL SHORTLY DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM WITH PRESIDENT LOPEZ AND TO SOME EXTENT WE WILL HAVE TO BE GUIDED BY LOPEZ' OWN CHOSEN COURSE OF ACTION MEANWHILE HOWEVER WE WOULD APPRECIATE WASHINGTON'S VIEWS AND GUIDANCE ON THE TACTICS WE SHOULD PURSUE SECRET Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 SECRET PAGE 05 BOGOTA 01387 132223Z ASENCIO SECRET NNN Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Message Attributes Automatic Decaptioning X Capture Date 01 jan 1994 Channel Indicators n a Current Classification UNCLASSIFIED Concepts CORRUPTION DRUG TRAFFIC GOVERNMENT REACTIONS ALLEGATIONS CENTRAL GOVERNMENT Control Number n a Copy SINGLE Draft Date 13 feb 1978 Decaption Date 01 jan 1960 Decaption Note Disposition Action RELEASED Disposition Approved on Date Disposition Case Number n a Disposition Comment 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Date 20 Mar 2014 Disposition Event Disposition History n a Disposition Reason Disposition Remarks Document Number 1978BOGOTA01387 Document Source CORE Document Unique ID 00 Drafter n a Enclosure n a Executive Order GS Errors N A Expiration Film Number D780066-0612 Format TEL From BOGOTA Handling Restrictions n a Image Path ISecure 1 Legacy Key link1978 newtext t19780264 aaaaccek tel Line Count 176 Litigation Code IDs Litigation Codes Litigation History Locator TEXT ON-LINE ON MICROFILM Message ID 1c4c70da-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc Office ACTION ARA Original Classification SECRET Original Handling Restrictions n a Original Previous Classification n a Original Previous Handling Restrictions n a Page Count 4 Previous Channel Indicators n a Previous Classification SECRET Previous Handling Restrictions n a Reference 78 BOGOTA 6252 Retention 0 Review Action RELEASED APPROVED Review Content Flags Review Date 12 jul 2005 Review Event Review Exemptions n a Review Media Identifier Review Release Date n a Review Release Event n a Review Transfer Date Review Withdrawn Fields n a SAS ID 3612482 Secure OPEN Status NATIVE Subject GOC EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT ALLEGATIONS THAT DEFENSE MINISTER VARON WAS CONNECTED WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING TAGS SNAR PGOV CO US VARON VALENCIA ABRAHAM To STATE Type TE vdkvgwkey odbc SAS SAS dbo SAS_Docs 1c4c70da-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc Review Markings Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Markings Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014