Country Reports on Terrorism 2014 - Colombia

Overview: In 2014, Colombia experienced a year of overall decreased terrorist activity according to Ministry of Defense statistics, thanks in part to successes in its military campaign against Colombia's largest terrorist organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Although the government and the FARC reached tentative, partial agreements on land reform, political participation, and drug trafficking, no overall bilateral peace agreement had been concluded by the end of the year. On June 10, the government announced that in January, it had begun exploratory talks with the other major terrorist organization in Colombia, the National Liberation Army (ELN), although formal peace negotiations had not started by year's end.

The Colombian government continued its military pressure against insurgents in 2014. The number of members of Foreign Terrorist Organizations – including the FARC and ELN – and several minor guerrilla groups killed in combat in 2014 decreased to some degree, while the number of members of such organizations that were captured increased slightly. At the same time, the total number of insurgents who demobilized in the same period rose by a small amount. Both the FARC and ELN observed a ceasefire for the first round of the presidential elections on May 25, and the FARC again observed a ceasefire June 9 through 30 during the presidential runoff elections that confirmed President Santos' second term. On November 17, President Santos suspended peace negotiations with the FARC after the group kidnapped Brigadier General Ruben Alzate Mora and four other hostages. The FARC released all five hostages by November 30, and peace talks resumed December 10. The FARC declared an indefinite, unilateral ceasefire on December 20.

2014 Terrorist Incidents: The FARC focused on low-cost, high-impact asymmetric attacks, as it did in 2013. The most common forms of terrorist activity were the launching of mortars at police stations or the military, explosive devices placed near roads or paths, sniper attacks, roadblocks, and ambushes. In 2014, Colombian government statistics showed a decrease in attacks from 2013. Terrorist attacks on infrastructure – particularly on oil pipelines and energy towers, primarily by the FARC and the ELN – also decreased in 2014 compared to 2013 according to Ministry of Defense statistics. Security forces and government buildings were the most common terrorist targets, although civilian casualties occurred throughout the year. Attacks were most common along the Venezuelan border in the departments of Arauca, Norte de Santander, and La Guajira; in the southwestern departments of Nariño and Cauca; and in the northwestern department of Antioquia.

Among the terrorist attacks recorded in 2014, several were notable for their severity or significant press coverage:

• On March 22, the Daniel Aldana Mobile Column of the FARC admitted killing two policemen they had kidnapped and tortured on March 15 in the city of Tumaco, Nariño department.

• In the weeks following the June 10 announcement of exploratory talks with the government, the ELN launched several attacks, including the June 20 bombing of a police station in the capital city of Bogota that injured three people, and a June 29 attack on the Caño Limon-Coveñas oil pipeline in Arauca department that injured 13 people and resulted in suspended production at Occidental Petroleum Corporation's oil fields.

• On July 29, in advance of the August presidential inauguration, the ELN, in a demonstration of their ability to attack the capital city, placed five leaflet bombs in Bogota, with several exploding prior to detection.

• In the run up to the August presidential inauguration, the FARC increased terrorist attacks throughout the country. On July 28, a FARC attack on a transmission tower in the port city of Buenaventura left 400,000 people without power. On July 30, three soldiers died after land mines laid by FARC guerrillas detonated in Norte de Santander department. In late July, a FARC attempt to attack a military base in the town of Miranda in Cauca department with grenades killed a four-year-old girl and wounded two others. The FARC also blew up a road linking three southern jungle departments with the rest of the country, leaving a 10-meter-deep crater in the road. FARC attacks in Meta department left 70 oil wells without power and approximately 16,000 people without potable water. On July 1, thousands of barrels of oil were spilled from tanker trucks in a FARC attack on Putumayo department, causing environmental damage.

• On September 14, ELN snipers shot dead two workers sent to repair a damaged section of the Caño Limon-Coveñas pipeline that had been bombed by the group near the town of Teorama in Norte de Santander department.

• On September 16, the FARC – reportedly in alliance with the Usuga Clan criminal gang – attacked a police patrol in Tierradentro in Cordoba department, killing seven policemen and injuring five others.

• On November 5, FARC Sixth Front insurgents killed two indigenous leaders near the southwestern municipality of Toribío for taking down a sign honoring late FARC leader Alfonso Cano. An indigenous court convicted and sentenced seven FARC guerillas to between 40 and 60 years in jail and 20 lashes for the murders.

• On November 16, the FARC kidnapped Brigadier General Ruben Alzate Mora and two companions near Quibdo in Choco department. Several days earlier, the FARC kidnapped two soldiers in Arauca department. Following the President's cessation of the peace negotiations and widespread condemnation, the FARC released all five hostages by November 30.

• On November 22, FARC guerillas launched an amphibious attack on Gorgona Island (the site of a national park) located 35 kilometers from the Colombian mainland off the Pacific coast, killing the island's police commander and injuring six police officers.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: The legal regime governing the investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases in Colombia is governed by Section 906 of Colombia's Criminal Code, which phased in an accusatory system for the country's criminal justice system. The purpose of Section 906 is to develop an evidence-based system of justice where cases are tried before a judge based on testimonial, physical, or documentary evidence with a "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard of proof. Most terrorism cases are prosecuted under traditional legal statutes that are used for narcotics trafficking and organized crime, such as conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms authorized for exclusive use of the security forces. There are some specialized statutes that the Attorney General Office's specialized Counterterrorism Unit uses, such as "rebellion" under Section 467 of Colombia's Criminal Code. Colombia's rebellion statute criminalizes "those who, through armed conflict, seek to overthrow the Constitutionally-enacted government of Colombia."

The Attorney General Office's specialized Counterterrorism Unit has prosecutors assigned at the national level in Bogota, and in regions of conflict throughout the country. The unit has developed a great deal of expertise in investigating and prosecuting acts of terrorism and insurgency with the Attorney General's own Technical Criminal Investigative Body, Colombia's National Police (CNP), and the country's military forces. In 2014, the Attorney General's Office also reestablished the National Judicial Police Council – presided over by the Attorney General and including members of the CNP and other agencies with investigative authority – to develop minimum standards for investigations and forensics, and to better standardize investigative basic training. Colombia also worked on securing international accreditation for its forensic laboratories.

The CNP has specialized counterterrorism units in the Intelligence, Anti-Kidnapping, and Judicial Police Directorates, all with advanced investigation techniques and crisis response capabilities. Law enforcement units display clear and effective command and control within each organization. These specialized law enforcement units are properly equipped and supported with relevant training. Counterterrorism missions are demarcated to a limited extent between law enforcement and military units. Colombia's contemporary military and law enforcement units have an improved record of accountability and respect for human rights. There is room for improvement in interagency cooperation and sharing of terrorism-related information. No single agency has jurisdiction over all terrorism-related investigations and post-incident response, sometimes resulting in poor information sharing and cooperation.

In 2014, Colombian authorities launched the operations of several new military task forces to enhance coordination in combating terrorism. The CNP managed fusion centers to ensure all operational missions coordinate intelligence, investigations, and operations under the command of regional police commanders. Additionally, the National Police Intelligence Directorate continued to operate a 24-hour Citizen Security Center tasked with detecting, deterring, and responding to terrorist attacks, among other crimes.

Colombian border security remained an area of vulnerability. Law enforcement officers faced the challenge of working in areas with porous borders and difficult topography plagued by the presence of illegally armed groups and illicit drug cultivation and trafficking. The CNP lacked the manpower to enforce uniform policies for vehicle or passenger inspections at land border crossings. Biometric and biographic screening was conducted only at international airports. Of a total force of 180,000 officers, the CNP has only 1,500 officers assigned to Customs Enforcement (air, land, and sea ports and borders) duties. The CNP's Customs Police are granted authorities for customs enforcement by Colombia's Revenue and Customs authority and do not have authority to conduct primary inspections at air, land, or sea ports.

Improved relations with neighboring Ecuador and Venezuela have led to some increased cooperation from those countries on law enforcement issues. Colombia also continued cooperation and information sharing with the Panamanian National Border Service. The Colombian government does not use advance passenger name records.

Colombia remained a key transit point for the smuggling of third-country nationals who may raise terrorism concerns seeking to enter the United States illegally through the border with Mexico. Porous borders with Ecuador and Venezuela facilitate the movements of third-country nationals who may raise terrorism concerns through Colombia, and existing maritime narcotics smuggling routes facilitate their onward movement to Central America. Colombian Immigration lacks the personnel and enforcement authority to adequately respond to this growing threat, and the ability to repatriate citizens to their home countries via air.

In August, Colombian police arrested Duverney Ospina, a suspected FARC rebel accused of participating in the kidnapping of three U.S. citizens held hostage from 2003 to 2008 after their plane crash-landed in the jungle in Caqueta department.

In October, ex-FARC Commander Alexander Beltran Herrera was sentenced by a U.S. federal judge to 27 years in prison for hostage taking and aiding and abetting, two and a half years after Colombia extradited him to the United States for holding the three U.S. citizens hostage.

In November, FARC member Diego Alfonso Navarrete-Beltran was also extradited to the United States to face kidnapping charges of the same three U.S. citizens.

From January through October 2014, Colombia saw a 65 percent reduction in kidnappings from the same period in 2005. While kidnappings as a whole have declined in recent years, they continued to pose a real threat, especially in rural and insurgent-influenced portions of Colombia. Organized extortion networks inhibit economic growth and subvert the rule of law where they are active, and the alleged failure of victims to accede to extortion demands is regularly cited as the cause for terrorist attacks. The CNP Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Extortion Directorate have an international kidnapping unit to address kidnappings involving foreign nationals.

Law enforcement cooperation between Colombia and the United States remained strong. Evidence sharing and joint law-enforcement operations occurred in a fluid and efficient manner, with information gathered in Colombia contributing to hundreds of prosecutions of U.S.-based criminals and organizations. The Attorney General Office's Counterterrorism Unit reported no investigations and prosecutions of acts of terrorism against U.S. citizens during the year.

Colombia continued to participate in the U.S. Department of State's Antiterrorism Assistance program. The program provided instruction and resources to assist Colombia in building advanced, self-sustaining CNP capabilities to secure borders from terrorist transit, to investigate terrorists and terrorist incidents, and to protect critical infrastructure. Colombia continued to establish itself as a regional provider of counterterrorism training, particularly with regard to anti-kidnapping efforts and dignitary protection.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Colombia is a member of the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America, a FATF-style regional body. Colombia stands out as a regional leader in the fight against terrorist financing, and has become a key part of a regional financial intelligence unit initiative aimed at strengthening information sharing among Latin American countries. Colombia is a member of the Egmont Group, a global association of financial intelligence units.

Asset forfeiture cases developed by the Attorney General Office's Counterterrorism Unit were referred to the Attorney General Office's National Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit. Given the volume of case referrals from virtually all units in the Attorney General's Office, however, asset forfeiture prosecutors, who were generally very experienced, often found themselves overextended.

The Attorney General's Office used the same legal asset forfeiture tools for seizing assets in all criminal cases, including organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism. The government passed a new asset forfeiture law on January 20 that established a technical legal regime to streamline the manner in which such cases are processed. The Attorney General's Office also continued a process of restructuring that includes the creation of more specialized police units with expertise in asset forfeiture and organized crime, especially financial crime.

For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, see the 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.

Regional and International Cooperation: Colombia is a founding member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum and is actively involved in the UN, OAS and its Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism, the Pacific Alliance, and the Union of South American Nations. The CNP operates an Interpol office of approximately 70 analysts, agents, and support staff. Colombia also led the creation of the American Police Community (Ameripol) in 2007, and helped found the Latin American and Caribbean Community of Police Intelligence in 2005, whose Technical Secretariat is based in Bogota.

Colombia is becoming a leader in providing security training and assistance to other countries in the region. In 2014, Colombia conducted security training for over 700 non-Colombian individuals – including individuals from Central America and the Caribbean – in citizen security, crime prevention and monitoring, and military and police capacity building. Colombia also provided anti-kidnapping, anti-extortion, hostage negotiation, and cyber training to international partners in 2014. The CNP and military continued to operate schools that train security personnel from around the region. Colombia provided judicial training to regional judges and prosecutors in handling drug trafficking and terrorism cases, offered basic and advanced helicopter training to pilots from countries throughout Latin America, and maintained its elite Lancero and Jungla special forces courses open to students from other countries. Colombia's Congress approved and President Santos subsequently signed an information sharing agreement with NATO, which at year's end was under consideration in the Colombian Constitutional Court.

Countering Radicalization to Violence and Violent Extremism: Colombia employed a robust and modern multi-agency approach to countering radicalization and violent extremism, with a focus on encouraging individual members and entire units of the FARC and ELN to demobilize and reintegrate into society. In 2014, the number of FARC and ELN members who demobilized increased slightly over 2013. The demobilization and reintegration programs provide medical care, psychological counseling, education benefits, technical training, and job placement assistance for demobilized combatants. In order to receive benefits, demobilized combatants must check in monthly with program managers. Recidivism rates were estimated at between 10 and 20 percent by the Colombian Agency for Reintegration.

The Colombian armed forces and police employed a number of fixed and mobile radio transmitters to broadcast strategic messaging to individuals considering leaving the FARC or ELN. Such messaging was also seen in print, television, and alternative media. The Colombian military and police employed the same media forms to counter FARC and ELN recruitment efforts. Additionally, the Ministry of Defense organized highly publicized festivals and social events with celebrity participation to discourage the recruitment of vulnerable youth. Moreover, with international community support, the government's Inter-Institutional Committee for the Prevention of Recruitment of Children supported numerous recruitment prevention initiatives all over the country reaching more than 500,000 children at high risk. The Committee also worked with mayors to include prevention of recruitment activities in their development plans.