SPEECH OF AMBASSADOR CAMILO OSPINA BEFORE OAS

Colombia is attending today this Foro de las Américas (American Forum), convinced as it is of its project as a Nation, supported in security from democracy, of the value of investment from social responsibility and of the principle of social cohesion from liberty.
Our country has been and shall be a guarantor of the compliance of the principles on which the United Nations and the Organization of American State Charters were established, as well as on the Democratic Charter of the Americas.
Colombia does not have a bellicose tradition neither a bellicose language. We have not deployed troops to our borders. Facing our brother nations, facing its people and facing its institutions, our sole vocation is that to strengthen our friendly and cooperative links. Facing the terrorists who threaten our internal security and that of our neighbors, we have deployed all our efforts exercising our constitutional right to guarantee the safety and protection of our fellow citizens.
Colombia has been the victim of terrorism and in its struggle to overcome this scourge it has relied on continental solidarity. Invasive and transnational terrorism has violated not only Colombia's sovereignty but it disrespects the sovereignty of the neighboring countries.


WHO WAS TERRORIST RAÚL REYES

Let me stop to explain to you who was alias Raul Reyes, one of the most sought after criminals in the world.
Terrorist alias "Raul Reyes" had INTERPOL's red circular, 14 sentences and 121 criminal charges for crimes against humanity, such as massacres, homicides, kidnappings, terrorism and organized crime, among others.
Recently, he had been accused by the Colombian Government for the crime of trading of persons, related with minor girls subject to sexual exploitation.
Just to mention a few examples, Raul Reyes was responsible in 2007, for sending 700 Kg. of narcotics to Mexico and with leaders of the Farc international commission he participated in the kidnapping and homicide of Cecilia Cubas in Paraguay.
Mr. President, I am hereby delivering to this Council the criminal dossier of "Raul Reyes" as evidence. (SCHEDULE 1).


THE FACTS

It is true, and Colombia has acknowledged this, that terrorist Raul Reyes died in Ecuadorian territory, 1.800 Mt. from the border line with Colombia. The camp in which he stayed was, due to its infrastructure, a permanent camp.
On the contrary, it is not true that Colombian planes entered Ecuadorian territory. Shots were fired from the north from Colombian territory, at a distance of approximately between three to five miles within the Colombian border. Should they have entered the Ecuadorian territory, the military radar of that country, situated at Lago Agrio, would have detected it. It is not a valid argument to say that the Colombian aircraft could have entered at a low height so as not to be detected, since to be able to send bombs, necessarily they would have had to go higher and therefore the mentioned radar would have spotted them.
It is true that Colombian helicopters with military personnel entered the Ecuadorian territory to register the terrorist camp and it is for that reason that the Colombian Government has apologized publicly to the Government of Ecuador and is doing so again today.
On that registration, the bodies of Raul Reyes and 16 other terrorist were detected as well as extensive personal documentation and four computers belonging to Reyes.
The Government of Colombia has exact information which allows to confirm, without fearing error, that the camp found in Ecuadorian territory was not a transit camp but, on the contrary, a permanent camp, such as can be evidenced through copious material attached to this presentation and which has compromising revelations of agreements between Farc and the Governments of Ecuador and Venezuela, which the Colombian Government has decided to inform to the Organization of American States and other competent judicial instances.
During the past few days some have affirmed that helpless citizens had been attacked while they were asleep. Honorable Ambassadors, that is lack of respect to the Colombian people, to refer in such a way to terrorists which have accounted for thousands and thousands of lives of citizens of all nationalities is something inadmissible for the nation I represent.

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION FOUND IN THE COMPUTERS

I am hereby presenting parts of the preliminary information on the evidence found in the computers belonging to terrorist Raul Reyes, as follows.
The seizure of the computers of the terrorist has permitted awareness of very serious facts which require an explanation to Colombians. In order to preserve the evidence and guarantee its faithfulness, the mentioned computers have been placed at the disposal of this Organization to have technical expertise in this case and to accompany the authorities who have this material under their custody.
We have presented documents which affect not only the national security of my country but also that of the region, and it is imperative that the Ecuadorian and Venezuelan authorities offer explanations on their links to Farc; on the permanent presence of camps belonging to the terrorist group in the Ecuadorian territory; on the ideological indoctrination of the border population; on the illicit drug and weapons trafficking by the mentioned group under the protection of the Governments of Ecuador and Venezuela and on the transit of the kidnapped through those territories.
In the first place, I am referring to a document dated January 18, 2008 signed by alias Raul Reyes, from which conclusion can be obtained that this terrorist had direct contact with the Ministry of Security of Ecuador, Mr. Gustavo Larrea. (SCHEDULE 2/DOC. 1).
Textually, Raul Reyes says in this document addressed to the Farc's Secretariat: "We attended the visit of the Ministry of Security of Ecuador, Gustavo Larrea, henceforth Juan, who on behalf of President Correa brought greetings for comrade Manuel and the Secretariat", exposing thus, among other items, the interest of President Correa to make the relations official with the leaders of Farc through his Minister of Security.
How is it possible, honorable Ambassadors, to understand this conduct, in the light of Resolutions 1373 and 1368 of 2001; 1456 of 2003; and 1624 of 2005 from the Security Council of the United Nations and Resolutions 2170 of 2006 and 2272 of 2007 from the OAS General Assembly, as well as the provisions regulating the international obligation to comply with the INTERPOL's red circulars?
The document referred to send by 'Reyes' to the secretariat also indicates with relation to the Ecuadorian government that: "… They are ready to change commanders of the public force with hostile behavior against the communities and civilians of the area and for that they are requesting our contribution with information…" and additionally that: "… for the Ecuador Plan they are asking for courses in mass organization for natives of the border, who later on, shall be in charge by the government of coordinating with Farc the work in the border. With the advantage that some of these people are part of the Clandestine Party or are participating in the Bi-national Committee directed by the 48 Block."
The mentioned text is accompanied by another, dated February 28, 2008 in which Raul Reyes reiterates to the members of the secretariat the necessity to put forward the reply to the contact of Minister Larrea, the emissary of President Correa. (SCHEDULE 2/ DOC 2)
The declarations of Minister Larrea are surprising when he affirms that the contacts maintained with Farc were known by the Government of Colombia. It is not the truth. On the contrary, President Correa always assured the Colombian Government that he would not carry on any negotiation with Farc without the knowledge and authorization of the Government of Colombia.
The declarations of President Correa and his Minister Gustavo Larrea confirm that the meeting referred to by terrorist Reyes in the letters found in his computer, really occurred. The agreement to be negotiated with Farc, according to the known evidence, would be an agreement with political purposes, with shared decisions in the nomination of military commanders in the area and to have proselytizing activities in Ecuador.
This has no relation with the justification given by the Ecuadorian Government that they were carrying out humanitarian activities. What the documents have revealed has more the characteristic of trafficking with kidnapped with political purposes. The Government of President Correa is accountable for responding to these matters.
Perhaps the most serious fact is the reference made in a document dated February 14, 2008 on the Government of Venezuela's financing the terrorist group Farc for the sum of 300 million Dollars (SCHEDULE 2/ DOC 3-4-5-6-7). The scope of this offer should be analyzed, facing Resolution 1373, 2001 from the UN Security Council and of the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism.
During the process of examining the copious material in the computers found belonging to the members of the terrorist group, other information linked directly to the delivery of weapons and money by President Hugo Chavez to Farc has appeared to date.
This fact is a violation of the international criminal law and shall be denounced by Colombia before the International Criminal Court for investigation to President Hugo Chavez Frias for the crime of directly financing terrorist groups.
It should be highlighted that officially the Colombian Government had informed, via diplomatic notes on the presence of Farc in Ecuadorian territory. This can be verified in notes: DA/CAL No. 4167 of January 31, 2006, DM No. 8050 of February 10, 2006, VRE No. 13277 of March 16, 2006, VRE/DSF NO. 12995 of March 7, 2007, MRE/DSF/CAM No. 39671 of August 6 2007, DM/DSF/CAM No. 49336 of September 24, 2007, DM/VR No. 50856 of October 2, 2007, DM/DSF/CAM No. 51593 of October 3, 2007, DM/VR No. 55485 of October 25, and E No. 032 of January 25, 2008, sent to the Government of Ecuador and which are forwarded to this Council as evidence (SCHEDULE 3).
It should be pointed out that Colombia has serious indications that at present there are Farc camps in Ecuadorian territory. The indications presented by the Government of Colombia show that there are Farc camps in both territories according to coordinates attached to the document. (SCHDULE 4)
The documents relating to drug trafficking by Farc using the Ecuadorian territory are very evident. They openly mention hundreds of Kg of cocaine and of millions of Dollars, such as can be seen in the attached document. (SCHEDULE 5)
Honorable members of the Permanent Council and citizens of the Hemisphere: let there not be any doubts that the Governments of Venezuela and Ecuador have been negotiating with terrorist drug dealers. The evidences are at your disposal.
In also cannot be forgotten that the members of Farc are registered terrorists in the red circular of INTERPOL, such as the attached schedule shows. (SCHEDULE 6)
Mr. President,
At the United Nations as well as at the heart of this Organization, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations has been reiteratively and strongly condemned, because it is considered criminal and unjustifiable under any circumstance, whenever and whoever committed it, since it constitutes a serious threat for peace and for the international security, for democracy, for stability and for the prosperity of all the countries in the region.
Also, we the countries have been reiterative in the importance that the member countries of OAS comply with the commitments acquired with the international provisions on terrorism and specifically, to work jointly within a framework of cooperation to prevent crimes product of terrorist activities and its related crimes.
Colombia wishes to appeal particularly to Resolution 1373, 2001 of the UN Security Council. The humanity to honor the precepts contained in it, in the sense to deny refuge to those who finance, plan, furnish or commit terrorist acts and prevent those who finance, plan, furnish or commit terrorist acts to use their respective territories for such purposes, against other states or their citizens.
To allow terrorist groups to have camps in the border of a neighboring country and that from there terrorist acts be planned and executed is in itself a criminal act and a clear violation of international treaties on the fight against terrorism, as well as to the principle of respect to the sovereignty of the States, among other international obligations.
Allow me, Mr. President to reiterate that Colombia is a country lover of peace, respectful of the principles of the United Nations Charter and adhering to the International Law. We have never been an aggressor country, in politics nor in military matters. We have been respectful of the principle of non-interference in the internal matters of the States. We have never wanted to expand in a different principle than that of Democracy. We do not accept any provocation which may place the stability of the region in peril. We shall continue being firm in the fight against the worldwide problem of drugs and against terrorism, within the respect to human rights and to international law.
Colombia is a country open to dialogue, always ready to confront ideas within the framework of democracy and strictly adhering to the stability of its institutions. My Government, in order to search for solutions to the crisis with our brother country, supports the summons of political dialogue mechanisms and the search for formulas of understanding. To that effect, we shall propose that a Commission to Explore Political Alternatives be formed under the leadership of the Secretary General, with the purpose of looking for all possible alternatives to overcome the present situation, fully using the diplomatic via.
However, to the Government and people of Colombia it is decisive that no stage of discussion be deprived of the search for the truth. The honesty with which Colombia has faced untiring efforts to restore the security in its territory, consolidate democracy and offer guarantees to its citizens is the minimum we demand from the countries of the Continent.
What we are asking for today is a clear position as to terrorism. An honest and sincere position. It is an offense to the Colombian people that some of our neighbors continue to think that FARC represent the people's interest. My country demands that things are called by their proper name: FARC is a drug dealing mafia which does not represent the interests of Colombians. They are a mafia without a country that commits crimes, in Colombia as well as abroad. .It is surprising that now they want to condemn us for an action which released our country of a yoke of 40 years of terror, in Venezuela homage is rendered to a criminal and genocide.
Now the discussion is centered on 1.800 Mt beyond the border, but nobody speaks about the thousand of kidnapped and massacred Colombians by Farc. Nobody speaks about the criminal dossier of Raul Reyes. Nobody speaks about the right to freedom of Colombians.
What courage the Presidents of Ecuador and Venezuela have shown to expel our ambassadors, dignified representatives of a legitimate democracy! Hopefully they could show similar courage to expel the terrorists from their territories.

March 4, 2008