Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Message Text SECRET PAGE 01 BOGOTA 01538 01 OF 02 161737Z ACTION ARA-14 INFO OCT-01 IO-13 ISO-00 SNM-05 SS-15 SSO-00 048 W ------------------047144 161751Z 50 O R 161620Z FEB 78 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6404 INFO USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE WHITE HOUSE DEA WASHDC S E C R E T SECTION 1 OF 2 BOGOTA 1538 DEPT FOR ARA AND S NM GENEVA FOR MATHEA FALCO WHITE HOUSE FOR BOURNE DEA FOR BENSINGER E O 11652 XGDS-1 TAGS SNAR CO SUBJECT TEXT OF PRESIDENTIAL AIDE MEMOIRE REF BOGOTA 1493 FOLLOWING IS EMBASSY TRANSLATION OF PRESIDENTIAL AIDE MEMOIRE CITED IN REFTEL BEGIN TEXT REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA THE PRESIDENCY AIDE MEMOIRE THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA WISHES TO TAKE THE ADVANTAGE OF SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 BOGOTA 01538 01 OF 02 161737Z THE INTERVIEW REQUESTED URGENTLY BY THE AMBASSADOR OF THE UNITED STATES TO CALL ATTENTION TO SOME INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE OCCURING IN THE JOINT WAR AGAINST NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING BEING WAGED BY BOTH GOVERNMENTS A DURING THE HONORED VISIT OF MRS CARTER WHO CONCERNED HERSELF EXTENSIVELY WITH THIS SUBJECT THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC WAS INFORMED THAT AN ULTRA 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 DOCUMENT CONTAINING THE NAMES OF PUBLIC FUNCTIONAIRES ENGAGED IN NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING WOULD BE DELIVERED TO HIM IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT MRS CARTER INCIDENTALLY REQUESTED THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA TO ACCELERATE THE JUDICIAL PROCESSES AGAINST AMERICAN CITIZENS INVOLVED IN SUCH CRIMES SHE REFERRED IN PARTICULAR TO THE CASE OF A PERSON WITH CONNECTIONS TO AN INFLUENTIAL NORTH AMERICAN SENATOR A FRIEND OF PRESIDENT CARTER PRESIDENT LOPEZ MICHELSEN VOLUNTEERED HIS GOOD OFFICES NOTING BEFOREHAND THAT WHERE HUMAN RIGHTS ARE CONCERNED THE PUBLIC EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY IS RESTRICTED BY THE LIMITATIONS PROPER TO THE SEPARATION OF POWERS AGAINST PERFORMING ACTS OTHER THAN EXERCISING THE VIGILANCE ENVISIONED IN THE CONTITUTION THAT THE PROCEDURES AND TERMS STATED IN THE CODES BE EXECUTED RIGOROUSLY AND OPPORTUNELY IN EACH CASE B MONTHS LATER THE ULTRA SECRET DOCUMENT WAS PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF PRESIDENT CARTER FALCO AN BOURNE THE SAID DOCUMENT HAS NEVER BEEN IN POSSESSION OF ANY PERSON OTHER THAN THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC WHO HAS TAKEN THE RESPONSIBLITY FOR VERIFYING THE RESPECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS RANKING THEM IN ORDER OF THE MOST PROMINENT CASES C LATER A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE HEADED BY REPRESENTATIVE WOLFF VISITED COLOMBIA SEEKING INFORMATION ON DRUG TRAFFICKING AND INTERVIEWED PROMINENT PERSONALITIES IN POLITICS AND THE SECURITY SERVICES SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 BOGOTA 01538 01 OF 02 161737Z D THE OFFICIAL CONCLUSION OF THE WOLFF COMMITTEE ARE CONTAINED IN THE REPORT OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CONGRESSIONAL SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE ABUSE AND CONTROL OF DRUGS IN ONE SECTION IT IS STATED THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE SEE GRAVE PROBLEMS DUE TO THE ENTRENCHED CORRUPTION AT A HIGH LEVEL THAT PERMEATES THE SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS THIS STATEMENT IS INACCURATE IN THAT ALL THAT EXISTS IN THIS REPECT IS A THREE-YEAR OLD SUSPICION AGAINST THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMISSION WHO KEPT THE RECORDS AND WHO WAS FIRED AT THE REQUEST OF THE THEN CHIEF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SECURITY DAS GENERAL JOSE JOAQUIN MATALLANA BERMUDEZ E ASIDE FROM THESE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS SENATOR WOLFF HAS GIVEN INTERVIEWS TO ORGANS OF BOTH THE WRITTEN AND SPOKEN PRESS THAT ARE HIGHLY PREJUDICIAL TO THE GOOD NAME OF COLOMBIA AND WHICH LACK A SOLID BASIS IN THIS RESPECT HE HAS STATED TO THE WASHINGTON POST THAT IN COLOMBIA THERE ARE NO PRISONERS FOR THIS TYPE OF CRIME WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS A CONTRADICTION OF THE REQUEST BY MRS CARTER AND THE EMBASSY THAT THE RESPECTIVE PROCESSES BE EXPEDITED F ALSO SENATOR WOLFF IN A TELEVISION APPEARANCE ACCUSED THE GOVERNMENTS OF COLOMBIA PERU AND PANAMA OF 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 BEING INVOLVED IN THE TRAFFICKING ALLUDING TO THE NEPHEW OF A COLOMBIA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WITHOUT GIVING THE NAME THERE IS NO DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER FOR THIS ASSERTION AT THE SAME TIME HE ACCUSED OF THE SAME CRIME RELATIVES OF GENERAL TORRIJOS AND OF GENERAL MORALES BERMUDEZ PRESIDENT OF PERU BASED ON THE COINCIDENCE OPPORTUNITY DENIED BY THE PERUVIAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON THAT A NARCOTICS TRAFFICKER OF THE SAME NAME HAD BEEN ARRESTED G INFORMATION FROM MANILA OF A PRIVATE NATURE INDICATES TO US THAT THE SAME SENATOR WOLFF ACCOMPANIED BY MR FREE SIC A PERSON CONNECTED WITH THE WHITE HOUSE REFERRED TO COLOMBIA IN HIGHLY DEROGATORY TERMS AT A DINNER H ACCORDING TO CORREPODENTS' REPORTS IN BOGOTA SECRET SECRET PAGE 04 BOGOTA 01538 01 OF 02 161737Z THE ULTRA SECRET DOCUMENT PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC WAS UNEXPECTEDLY CITED IN THE FRENCH NEWSPAPER LE MONDE THESE REPORTS DEALT WITH THE EXPOSURE OF TWO MINISTERS THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE FOR HAVING GIVEN GOOD REFERENCES TO NORBERTO MORENO CARILLO--ARRESTED IN POPAYAN NOVEMBER 2 1976 WITH FIVE KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC ORDERED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE NATION TO INVESTIGATE THE CASE THE RESULT WAS THAT THE REFERENCES DID NOT IMPLICATE THE PERSON GIVING THEM AS THE ACCOMPLICE OR ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT OF THE PERSON RECEIVING THEM BUT WERE ONLY A FORMALITY OF THE COLOMBIAN PENAL PROCESS THE REFERENCES WERE GIVEN BY COLONEL EFRAIM SECRET NNN SECRET PAGE 01 BOGOTA 01538 02 OF 02 161727Z ACTION ARA-14 INFO OCT-01 IO-13 ISO-00 SNM-05 SS-15 SSO-00 048 W ------------------046944 161751Z 50 O R 161620Z FEB 78 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6405 INFO USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE WHITE HOUSE WASHDC DEA HQS WASHDC 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 S E C R E T SECTION 2 OF 2 BOGOTA 1538 DEPT FOR ARA AND S NM GENEVA FOR MATHEA FALCO WHITE HOUSE FOR BOURNE DEA FOR BENSINGER MARTINEZ ROCHI ON PAPER BEARING THE SEAL OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE WHICH PROBABLY WAS THE BASIS FOR CONFUSING THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE AND THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE THIS ASTONISHING SUPERFICIALITY LED TO THE NAME OF GENERAL ABRAHAM VARON VALENCIA BEING GIVEN AS THE AUTHOR OF THE REFERENCES AS REGARDS MINISTER OSCAR MONTOYA MONTOYA IT IS NOT TRUE THAT HE HAD ANY CONNECTION WITH ALBERTO PRIETO ESCOBAR SOME TELEPHONE CALLS CONCERNING TRAFFICKING IN COFFEE MADE FROM HIS OFFICE BY A SECRETARY WERE INTERCEPTED AND RECORDED ON THE CONTRARY DR MONTOYA DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF IN HIS ACTIVITY AGAINST NARCOTICS TRAFFICKERS WHILE FILLING THE POSITION AS GOVERNOR OF ANTIOQUIA ALSO MR MARTIN SUAREZ SARABIA AN UNKNOWN NAME IS CITED AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSION SIXTH COMMISSION THE PRESIDENT OF THE SIXTH COMMISSION IS SENATOR JUSTO PASTOR CASTELLANOS WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT--ALTHOUGH HIS NAME IS NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE BUT THAT OF HIS SISTER HILDA DUARTE SOTELO IS--DR ABELARDO DUARTE SOTELO RETIRED FROM SERVICE SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 BOGOTA 01538 02 OF 02 161727Z AS THE VICE MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT ANY ACCUSATION EITHEC COLOMBIAN OR NORTH AMERICAN AGAINST HIM I THE SAME ULTRA SECRET DOCUMENT ACCUSES MR ANIBAL TURBAY NEPHEW OF THE CANDIDATE JULIO CESAR TURBAY AYALA OF HAVING RECEIVED LARGE SUMS OF MONEY FROM AND OF BELONGING TO THE JOSE MANUEL PARDO URREA NETWORK OF NARCOTICS TRAFFICKERS DURING THE LAST MONTHS MR TURBAY HAS STAYED IN THE UNITED STATES WITHOUT THE AMERICAN AUTHORITIES TAKING ANY ACTION WHICH WOULD INDUCE CREDENCE IN THIS STORY IT IS NO LESS TRUE THAT DR JULIO CESAR TURBAY CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC HAS BEEN THE OBJECT OF ATTACKS OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED NATURE WHICH EXPLAINS WHY THESE STORIES COLLECTED FROM THE POLITICAL MEDIA WITHOUT BEING VERIFIED HAVE BEEN GIVEN SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE AND AUTHORITY IN A SECRET AND OFFICIAL REPORT THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES KNOWS THAT WITHIN COLOMBIAN DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES THE PRESENT POLITICAL CAMPAIGN HAS PROCEEDED WITH PARTICULAR VIRULENCE AND THE USE OF SUCH INFORMATION SERVES TO GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF TRUTH TO GOSSIP PICKED UP IN BOGOTA WHICH IS NOT SUPPORTED 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 BY ANY INVESTIGATION ON THE PART OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS LIMITED ITSELF TO DELIVERING TO THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA POSSIBLE CLUES ON NARCOTICS TRAFFICKERS IN SOME CASES AND IN OTHERS POLITICAL STORIES THAT HAVE CIRCULATED FOR SOME TIME AND HAVE BEEN COLLECTED WITHOUT ANY ANALYSIS THE GOOD NAME OF COLOMBIA HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BY THE PUBLICATION OF THESE REPORTS AT THE SAME TIME AS THE AMBASSADOR KNOWS THE COMMUNIST PARTY IN ITS VARIOUS FACTIONS CHINESE SOVIET CUBAN HAS BEEN THE PRINCIPAL BENEFICIARY OF THE SPEED WITH WHICH SUCH UNFOUNDED REPORTS HAVE BEEN LEAKED WHICH MAKES IT APPEAR THAT THE SO-CALLED ESTABLISHMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF IS A SYNDICATE OF DELINQUENTS END TEXT SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 BOGOTA 01538 02 OF 02 161727Z 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 NARCOTICS TEXT AIDE MEMOIRE Control Number n a Copy SINGLE Draft Date 16 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 1978BOGOTA01538 Document Source CORE Document Unique ID 00 Drafter n a Enclosure n a Executive Order X1 Errors N A Expiration Film Number D780072-0046 Format TEL From BOGOTA Handling Restrictions n a Image Path ISecure 1 Legacy Key link1978 newtext t19780249 aaaabpfu tel Line Count 243 Litigation Code IDs Litigation Codes Litigation History Locator TEXT ON-LINE ON MICROFILM Message ID 7c38dbd5-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 5 Previous Channel Indicators n a Previous Classification SECRET Previous Handling Restrictions n a Reference 78 BOGOTA 1493 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 3578010 Secure OPEN Status NATIVE Subject TEXT OF PRESIDENTIAL AIDE MEMOIRE TAGS SNAR CO To STATE Type TE vdkvgwkey odbc SAS SAS dbo SAS_Docs 7c38dbd5-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