Hugo Chavez Phone Call Allowed Colombians to Locate FARC Camp (Translation)

El Pais (Cali, Colombia) ^ | March 5, 2008 | Elpais.com.co-EFE

[StJacques]

Telephone Call from Chavez to "Reyes" Allowed Colombians to Locate FARC Camp

Elpais.com.co-EFE

A telephone call that the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, would have made to the guerrilla leader "Raul Reyes,"¹ permitted location of the encampment, according to reports from Colombian intelligence, RCN Radio divulged today.

The telephone call took place Wednesday the 27th of February, the day in which four Colombian Congressmen (Gloria Polanco, Luis Eladio Pérez, Orlando Beltrán, Jorge Eduardo Gechem), kidnapped for almost seven years, were liberated.²

"Chavez, emotionally moved by the liberation of the kidnapped prisoners, called Reyes (alias of Luis Edgar Devia) and told him that everything had gone well," RCN broadcast while citing "high Colombian military sources."

Intelligence services traced the call and detected that Reyes was in Colombian territory near the border with Ecuador, he [then] crossed it "and soon afterwards the bombing came," Friday night and early Saturday morning, when the rebel leader and some twenty other guerrillas were taken down.

According to RCN, "the same intelligence official -- who expressly requested anonymity -- said that there is no end to the irony that it has been a call of President Chavez which permitted us to take Reyes down."

Of equal importance, the source revealed that the supreme chief, founder, and leader of the FARC, Manuel Marulanda Vélez, more commonly known as Tirofijo,³ "has taken refuge in Venezuela."

The intelligence services also "have established that (Tirofijo) is ill" and "he has taken refuge on a Venezuelan farm, not near the border, [but] on the other side of the border with the (Colombian) Department of Norte de Santander."

The RCN sources also broadcast that "Chavez ordered the transfer of battalions to the border to protect Tirofijo in order to avoid doing with him in Venezuelan territory what they did with Reyes in Ecuador."

They added that "if they are mobilizing troops (in Venezuela and sending them to the border) it is for protecting Tirofijo," the source said.

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Translator's Notes:

¹ "Raul Reyes" was the alias of Luis Edgar Devia, previously 2nd in command of the FARC until killed by Colombian troops at his FARC encampment in Ecuador this past Monday.

² The FARC currently hold dozens of high-profile hostages, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American defense contractors, who they are using as bargaining chips to secure the release of FARC prisoners jailed in Colombia. They also hold an untold number of lower-profile hostages that may go into the hundreds.

³ "Tirofijo" is a nickname that roughly translates to "steady shot." Marulanda has been the leader of the FARC from its inception in 1964.

[Kenny Bunk]

So, all of this military bluster is really about protecting Marulanda. Pity the Colombians didn't get to him first.

But how are these FARC people ever going to be run to Earth if Ecuador and Venezuela give them sanctuary, which is now how OAS has effectively arranged it?

Diplomatic question: Does this not place the responsibility of releasing any hostages held in Ecuador or Venezuela solely on the governments of those countries?

[GulfBreeze]

equal importance, the source revealed that the supreme chief, founder, and leader of the FARC, Manuel Marulanda Vélez, more commonly known as Tirofijo,3 "has taken refuge in Venezuela Okay, our turn now. We've extracted criminals from Venezuela before, circa 1990 I think.

[chuckles]

We've been doing this for years to intercept narco traffic. I wonder if they had a warrant to listen in. Wait till Pelosi finds out.

[King of Florida]

Hugo is his own worst enemy (or his mouth is).

El Tiempo has a piece today that says Interpol warned the Ecuadorean authorities last June that Raul Reyes was in the Sucumbios area of Ecuador, where the Colombians eventually killed him. Also, Interpol experts are going to Colombia next Monday in order to examine Reyes' laptops.

http://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/2008-03-06/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3988542.html

[brazzaville]

Good morning.

Por favor, if I'm not on your ping list, could you add me to it.

Michael Frazier

[SmithL]

Can you hear me now?

[Liberty Valance]

The feel good story of the day.

[keat]

¿Hola, Paul, es usted todavía allí? ¿Hola?

[StJacques]

I got you down brazzaville.

[SmithL]

...have established that (Tirofijo) is ill" and "he has taken refuge on a Venezuelan farm, not near the border, [but] on the other side of the border with the (Colombian) Department of Norte de Santander."

The RCN sources also broadcast that "Chavez ordered the transfer of battalions to the border to protect Tirofijo in order to avoid doing with him in Venezuelan territory what they did with Reyes

Surely we have an extra Predator drone with a Hellfire missile that could be brought into service.

[fella]

Actual it was the scrambeling that drew attention to the call.

[Rameumptom]

Now if we can just get Hugo to give Bin Laden a call on his cell.

[Tailgunner Joe]

US played role in rebel strike - March 04, 2008 - A highly placed official in the Colombian defence ministry said it was a US intelligence agency which first told Bogota several weeks ago Reyes was sporadically using a satellite telephone, whose signal could be pinpointed. "The US handed over the identification of the satellite telephone to (Colombian) police intelligence units, which in turn processed the information and was tasked with finding the location of the telephone,'' the official said.

[AnAmericanMother]

And somewhere, toasting on red-hot coals, Reyes is saying, with great feeling,

Ay, Hugo! Porque no te calles?

[Rameumptom]

>>>Actual it was the scrambeling that drew attention to the call.

"Actually" you seem to be well versed in "scrambling" as well ;-)

[StJacques]

"US played role in rebel strike - March 04, 2008 - A highly placed official in the Colombian defence ministry said it was a US intelligence agency which first told Bogota several weeks ago Reyes was sporadically using a satellite telephone, whose signal could be pinpointed. "The US handed over the identification of the satellite telephone to (Colombian) police intelligence units, which in turn processed the information and was tasked with finding the location of the telephone,'' the official said."

Thank you for this Joe. It's the first I've heard of our role in the matter.

And I submit it offers further evidence that Plan Colombia is working.

[Travis McGee]

Most likely airborne electronic warfare/radio direction finding support. Like when we helped them find Pablo Escobar.

[Mr. Quarterpanel]

If Colombian Intelligence had his number(likely), then scrambling the call would not help. They might not be able to listen in to the call, but they would have gotten the location information regardless.

It was probably a satellite call, and the Colombians have some nifty US gear that tracks the transmissions of the phone. He probably forgot to turn it off after the call, which is how they were able to follow him.

[Red Badger]

Eggsackley!...........

[Armando Guerra]

Ay, Hugo! Porque no te calles?

LOL!