POSSIBLE SOFTENING OF COLOMBIAN POSITION ON GULF OF VENEZUELA DISPUTE

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP08C01297R000700060017-3
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
December 23, 2016
Document Release Date: 
October 10, 2012
Sequence Number: 
17
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
February 3, 1971
Content Type: 
REPORT
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP08C01297R000700060017-3.pdf255.13 KB
Body: 
-?????1111, Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/14: CIA-RDP08C01297R000700060017-3 Cie(11A0e7 /01!4*/ TF: This document contains information stiecting the national defense of the United States within the meaning of the espionage taws. Title U. U.S.C., Sec. 793 and 794. The tranermesion or the revelation elite contents in any manner to an unauthorised person Is prohibited by law. COUNTRY: COLOMBIA This report contains unprocessed information. Plans and/or policies should not be *Mired or modified stolid y on the bail* of thii report. (Classification and Control Markings) L SUBJECT: Possible Softening of Colombian POsition on Gilt' of Venezuela Dispute (U) 3. 1SC NUMBER: C DATE OF 171F0qMATION1 25 January 1971 S. PLACE AND DATE OF ACC): 4. ? SOUR= Colonel Foreign Liaison Officer, D-2 EVALUATION: SOURCE INFORMATION 3 S. REPORT NUMBER: 9. DATE OF REPORT: 10. NO. OF PAGES: 11. REFERENCES: 12. ORIGINATOR: 13. PREPARED BY 14. APPROVING AUTHORITyn 3 February 19711.i4 6171 2 DIRM 10' 25X1" 25X1 Joint Staff . IS. SUMMARY: (C) This report forwards information on a possible change in the Colombian position regarding its claims in the Gulf of Venezuela. During a routine visit to thp Foreign Liaison Office of the Military Forces, Colonel Uvi seen the map appearing in daily newsuauer El Espectador on 25 January 19t1 (page 2 of IR). When went on to state that the lines drawn on the map showed an exaggerated picture. He went on to explain that the gulf is approximately sixty miles wide and that COLOMBIA's only interest was to have sovereignty over a ? twelve-mile :limit line off of its existing coast. He added that VENEZUELA should have the same territorial rights off of its coast and that the balance of the Gulf of Venezuela should be international waters. He further stated that since a line drawn twelve miles off the coast would not include the Los Monies Islands, COLOMBIA was not interested in reestablishing its claim to these small pieces of land. ' COMMENT: (C) Discussion of the foregoing with members of the Embassy Political Section indicates that they discount the premise offered by the basis _ Ait_de_e?_riet_Ekgree Qi C3. _ sources as to claims of COLOMBIA in the disputed area. Embassy political officers also believe that if the Military Forces would push such a settlement that members of the ANAPO would use such a compromise for violent attacks on the PASTRANA administration. On the other hand, in view of the fact that the above information was freely offered by a senior officer in a responsible position, the possibility of it being softening of what had been a hard Colombian stand cannot be ignored. Illegsk) 25X1 25)(1 25X1 ?425X1 IS. DISTRIBUTION BY ORIGINATOR* USCISCSO. USARSO. 17. DOWNGRADING DAT A: IS. ATTACHMENT DATS4 NONE DOWNGRADED AT 12-YEAR INTERVALS NOT AUTOMATICALLY DECLASSIFIED 25X1 CO1'4F021 NEFIAL Declassified in Part_-_Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/14: CIA-RDP08C01297R000700060017-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/14: CIA-RDP08C01297R000700060017-3 floofv? Blink) e4C.420 0 El grabado muestra las tesis venezolana y coiombiana sobre plataforma sub-. . marina, pegim "El Nacional" de -Caracas. En este mapa, aparecido el 20 para dclimitar sus fronteras de cnero en la primera pagina maritimas. Venezuela propone . del diaeo venezolano "El Nacio- trazar una linea divisoria entre nal", se explican las tesis la costa de la Guajira y los e.xpuestas por los dos Estados islotes de .Los Menjes para la 116.b. determinacion de la frontera. Colombia plantea la tesis de que se trace una linea .paralela a la (Continna en la Pig. 4.4, CoLVII) ..MAPA iaDIMO 'EL HP,CIIONAL1 icontmation dt 11! ragivai costa, donde Sc encuentran los territories de ambos paises, en la Guajira. El mapa fue acompalaa- , do en "El Nacional'? per la siguicnte leyenda: "En el mapa que publicamos ' puede apreciarse claramentc ? cuales son las consecuencias do la aplicacion de la tcsis veliczo- lana, sefialada en el comunicado de In Cancilleria, y cualcs las qua se dcrivarian de prosperar la pieta:shin colombiana de aplicar la tesis de la linca media de acucrdo con sus planteamientos. La linca de ray,al re-ittre ir..."71TgeTe aGuajira y los ' islotes venczolanos de Los Mon- , jcs? scria el limitc marine qua determinaria la pequeria porcion , de Golfo quo les corresponde a los colombianos, segan la posi- cion venezolana. Para la delimi- ; taciOn do su parte inferior ?tal como lo 'sonata la liner. cont.:. no-- se truzaria una linen de demareacion qua sigue In three- ei6n de In ironies% terrestre Nista un lugar 15 milks hacia el Norte DD :2:12 1396 c I? '.. ) '1\il i 1 /.', 1 REPLACICS.DR FORM m.o.,. 1 Ales.* Colnna f 'tett nn tend nneref Affftpkinami AND DA FORM Ode: 1 AUO?110 IftlieM. CONFID 4 del punCo m?septentrional de la peninsula de Paraguana. Estas 15 minas corrcsponden a las 12 quo Venezuela considera como mar territorial m?tres de la llamada zona contiva. Colom- bia, para la damitacion de las areas marinas, .empicza pot quercr ignorar la existencia de/ lots islotes de Los Monjcs ?clue SC yen en la parte superior, coma de la peninsula de La t Guajira? y aplicar, asi, la tesis de in llamada lima media, quo lc daria casi In mitad del Golfo de Venezuela quo histaricamente ha estado siempre bajo la soberania de nuestro . pais. La linen de cruces indica cual es la demon- quo preichde Colombia y dcja ver earn grande es la pardon quo quieren tomar para silos colombianos. Este mapa ha sido preparaclo por el deptulal mento de dibujo de nuostro tliario, de acuerdo con las explicaciones que le itreron da- dos al periodista sobre lo quo consideramos es vision grafica del problema". Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/14: CIA-RDP08C01297R000700060017-3