Building Capacity Interagency & Intergovernmental CCAI Teams in Southern

Colombia

Lieutenant Colonel Patrick J. Christian, US Army Special Forces

US MILGP-Colombia PATT Station Florencia (6th Division, COLAR)

On 17 January 2007, elements of the FARCs Teofilo Forero Mobil Column or TFMC
crippled the Nestle Milk processing plant in the village of El Doncello, Department of
Caquet, southern Colombia.
In the early morning hours, a
truck bomb was driven up to
the plant and it exploded
destroying Caquets primary
milk processing plant and
bringing milk processing for the
departments dairy farmers to
less than 30% of capacity.
Sources confided to military
and police investigators that
plant officials had recently
become confident enough in
the security of the Department
of Caquet to begin refusing to
pay the routine extortion
Destroyed Nestles Milk Plant, El Doncello, Caquet demands of the FARCs 15th
Front and TFMCs 3rd, 4th and
6th Companies operating in western central
Caquet. The destruction of the plants
facilities was accompanied by the wounding
and killing of several plant workers who were
on duty at the time. Given the plants central
position in processing the milk for the
departments dairy farmers and the number of
jobs it provides, the outcry over the bombing
was substantial. One positive development
which resulted from this incident was the start
of a (long overdue) public-private sector
partnership for infrastructure security and the
development of better governance. Bloody parking lot in front of Nestle Milk
Plant, El Doncello, Caquet

Interagency & Intergovernmental CMO

This partnership took the form of a unique interagency and intergovernmental
civil-military-police operations (CMO) coordinating group of about 30 40 officials
from both the public and private sectors of Caquet. This coordinating group (calling
themselves a Gran Comit) brought itself into existence under the guidance of the
 departmental military brigade
and the Presidents Accin
Social coordinator of
operations for Caquet. After
four difficult days of bargaining
over the direction and agenda
of this CMO coordinating
group, they finally held their
first meeting with the US
Embassy-Bogotas Political
Officer and members of the US
Southern Commands J5 Office
of Plans & Policy as observers.
The group now meets regularly
to manage issues such as
infrastructure maintenance
and construction, critical
First meeting of the Florencia, Caquet based Interagency,
infrastructure vulnerability
Intergovernmental Civil-Military Coordinating Group
identification and remediation,
and managing the many civic action (Accin Social) projects which involve a myriad of
agencies and levels of government. One such ongoing project involves the
resettlement of the formerly abandoned town of La Union Peneya.

La Union Peneya
This village (formerly of
approximately 2000 inhabitants)
was abandoned in July of 2002
when government troops from the
12th Brigade and FARC Forces
fought for control of the town.
During fierce fighting between
government forces and insurgents
using the town as a base of support
and operations, significant portions
of the town sustained damage
including the hospital clinic, church,
both the elementary and high
schools as well as many of the
Colombian officials discuss the planned resettlement residents homes. As the fighting
of La Union Peneya with US Military Group and grew, the inhabitants (led by the
US Southern Command officers towns catholic priest) who were not
active members of the FARC
insurgency relocated to homes of relatives in nearby villages and municipalities. After
eliminating FARC resistance in the Municipality of Montanita where La Union Peneya is
located, the 12th Brigades Guipe Battalion established a company sized outpost in the
hills overlooking the town. For the next three and half years, the village remained
abandoned as it lay, guarded by government forces stationed there. There was never
any evidence of looting by government forces, but the town suffered serious
deterioration over the years with no one to maintain it. This past July 2006, in concert
with Accin Social, the Department of Caquet, the Bishop of Caquet, and supported
by advisory assistance from the US PATT,
the 12th Brigade began laying plans for
the reestablishment of La Union Peneya
and the return of its inhabitants. After
initial consultations with religious leaders
who signaled their willingness to assist,
the joint teams of Federal, Departmental
and Municipal officials began laying the
groundwork for the return of over a
thousand known inhabitants.
The resettlement of La Union Peneya
has become a significant public relations
issue for the COLAR, and US PATT
support of their security and information Ruins of La Union Peneya, Caquet
efforts has become an essential part of
our ability to provide ongoing planning and advisory assistance support. The first
returnees arrived in La Union Peneya on the 25 of January 2007 and the opening
ceremonies occurred over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday the 3rd & 4th of
February 2007. In a
two day extravaganza
for these battered
inhabitants, a host of
Federal, Department,
and Municipal
agencies as well as
Colombian Military
and Police forces
provided a wide range
of services such as
Orthodontic and
dental care, medical
diagnostic and
vaccinations, clothing
and shoe repair,
haircuts, child
nutritional
supplements, and of
course, typical
From upper-left clockwise: vaccination stand; bedding for returnees; Colombian
barber shop; shoe & clothing repair, dental and orthodontic services; entertainment with
medical diagnostic & treatment; welcoming committee; and the 6th
the 6th Division Band
Division Band
& Musical Group.
 The real civil-military work occurred during 8 hours of hard negotiating between
members of the civil-military coordinating team led by the Governor of Caquet and
President Uribes Accin Social. Their efforts were supported by the 12th Brigade
Commander and the Municipality of Montanita. In an atmosphere that ranged from
conciliatory to accusatory, the parties argued the relative merits of the suffering and
hardship endured against the backdrop of scarce funding, limited resources and the

From upper-left clockwise: newly returned residents listen as designated town leaders press for
3 years of lost services and infrastructure; US Embassy & SCJ5 personnel observe bargaining;
Secretary of Education for Caquet Dr. Fransisco Javier Montes Tangarife; BG Jamie Calderon
CDR 12th BDE with The Governor of Caquet, Juan Carlos Claros Pinzon and his spouse
ever present threat of hunger and attacks by the FARCs 15th Front which operates in
the area. Much of the Governors messages dealt with patience, and he appeared to
have deep support for his message. Many of the returnees were familiar with him and
the towns returning residents nearly mobbed him while he passed out health and
education booklets to the residents.
Unfortunately for the governor and the residents of La Union Peneya, they will
have to fight for the survival of this town against both limited resources and a FARC
front determined to derail this resettlement. The night of the second day of opening
ceremonies, the 15th Front detonated a cylinder bomb less than a kilometer outside of
the town. Despite military fortifications and security outposts located in all directions
by a company of the Guepi Battalion and the 87th Counter Guerrilla Battalion, the 15th
Front has managed to make its presence felt. The FARC leadership clearly
understands the stakes in permitting the return of elected civil governance to La
Union Peneya. Such a major coup by Colombians in their quest to build legitimacy of
governance may cause the FARC to increase its efforts to penetrate the security buffer
protecting this fragile experiment in resettlement.
This past week, (in the third event since the
return), government troops securing the village
were engaged yet again by FARC forces trying to
slip past them as they tried to attack the village.
This time two FARC guerrillas were killed in
action as they tried to lay a minefield (of 9 anti-
personnel mines) along the outskirts of the town.
Ad they been successful, this one act might have
been sufficient to demonstrate to the returnees
that their government cannot protect them.
As the damage all around the cleaned up areas of La Union Peneya continues to
attest, bringing peace to this town against the will of the FARC will be an uphill battle.
The newly
formed Gran
Comit, or
interagency,
intergovernmen
tal coordinating
group for civil-
military
operations may
be the only way
this town will
survive a
concerted effort
to wrest it from
civilian control.
The working
groups ability
to coordinate
humanitarian
relief,
infrastructure
security and the
reestablishment Newly returned residents stop to listen while the Caquet Governor Juan
of its supporting Carlos Claros Pinzon explains the results of his negotiations with the towns
designated leaders and the way ahead for rebuilding the town.
farms, dairies
and ranches seems to be the only way ahead for the department of Caquets ongoing
struggle for the hearts and minds of the Caqueteos of southern Colombia.
Before and After photos of the Medical Clinic at La Union Peneya: Photos include the
Ambulance, Pharmacy, Examining Rooms, Consult Offices, Patient Records and OBGyn section.
As of early February 2007, a combined Mission Medical team form the Department of Caqueta
and the Municipality of Montanita / Florencia is living & working on site to repair the facility and
restart community medical support.