CABLECODE#: 06BRASILIA1910
 Date: 12-09-2006 13:01
BRAZIL: GOB OFFICIALS COMMENT ON REFUGEE CASE OF SUSPECTED FARC TERRORIST
Suspected FARC terrorist Francisco Antonio Cadena Collazos was granted refugee status in Brazil, resulting in a démarche given by the United States government to senior Brazil officials to note their concerns, since the US government says the refugee status was given “despite an outstanding extradition request for Cadena from Colombia’s government (GOC) and Brazil’s obligation to deny safe haven to terrorist under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373.” In response Brazil said the refugee status was granted mainly on “humanitarian” grounds and that they did “had not regarded Cadena as a ‘terrorist’ but as a refugee from an ‘internal armed conflict.'” Brazil also reveals it had debated for a year on whether Cadena should be granted refugee status and “despite credible reporting to the contrary” (according to the US embassy) the president of Brazil’s refugee commission CONARE denied political pressure had encouraged the granting of refugee protection.

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