POSSIBLE SOFTENING OF COLOMBIAN POSITION ON GULF OF VENEZUELA DISPUTE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• 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
• Publication Date: February 3, 1971
• Content Type: REPORT

-?????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
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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