P 171701Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1940 UNCLAS BOGOTA 001014 SUBJECT: FARC MUTINY LEADS

TO DEATH OF SECRETARIAT MEMBER IVAN RIOS; CONTROVERSY OVER REWARD PAYMENT 1. Summary: The murder of Ivan Rios by one of his own men on March 6 could encourage further FARC desertions. A decision on whether to prosecute Rojas for murdering his commander has yet to be made, but many GOC officials do not want the Prosecutor General to file charges. The GOC has decided to pay Rojas a reward for the recovery of Rios' computer and other information. The Colombian military believes paying the reward will lead to additional informants stepping forward. To date, neither Rojas nor any GOC officials have asked the USG to pay Rojas a reward under the Narcotics Rewards Program. End Summary. -----------------------------ASSASSINATED BY ONE OF HIS OWN -----------------------------2. On March 8, Pedro Pablo Montoya Cortes ("Rojas"), a FARC member responsible for the security of FARC Secretariat member Jose Juvenal Velandia ("Ivan Rios"), arrived at a Colombian military camp in Caldas department claiming to have killed Rios. Rojas brought Rios' passport, national identity card, computer--and his severed

right arm. Rojas claimed to have killed Rios on March 6. Rojas said he murdered Rios due to his fear of an imminent Colombian military attack on the 47th FARC front, as well as discontent over the front's lack of supplies. He and his colleagues had not eaten in days. "It was either his life or ours," Rojas said, "the only way to survive, was to kill the commander." ----------------------REWARDS AND PROSECUTION ----------------------3. On March 14, the Ministry of Defense decided to pay Rojas a portion of the five billion Colombian pesos ($2.7 million) reward offered by the GOC for information on the location of FARC leaders charged with terrorism, kidnapping, and other crimes. The Ministry stressed that the payment was for Rojas' handover of Rios' computer, USB sticks, and other information--not for Rios' death. Defense Minister Juan Manual Santos told the press the GOC had to pay Rojas the reward or risk being seen as untrustworthy by other potential deserters. 4. Santos took no position on whether the Prosecutor General's office (Fiscalia) should charge Rojas with Rios' murder. Prosecutor General Mario Iguaran told the press, "the final decision on whether to file criminal charges will be made after the human rights unit of the Fiscalia meets to discuss the case." ------------------EFFECTS ON THE FARC -------------------

5. El Tiempo reports that senior military officials agreed with Santos' decision, saying "we ought to comply with our commitment to reward those that collaborate in the capture and take down of heads of armed groups." Many military officers believe the reward payment will prompt a decline in FARC morale, leading other FARC members to turn on their commanders. Citing unnamed sources, weekly magazine "Cambio" claims Colombian military officers encouraged Rojas to kill Rios after Rojas' efforts to provide the military with Rios precise location proved too difficult. -----------USG EQUITIES -----------6. The USG issued an indictment for Ivan Rios on March 12, 2006, for narcotics trafficking. Rojas might qualify for a reward of up to $5 million under the State Department's Narcotics Rewards Program, but we have received no request to date for the reward from Rojas or the GOC. Brownfield (Edited and reading.) reformatted by Andres for ease of