Colombian government prepares to invoke special powers in 14 states

Sunday, September 15th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BOGOTA, Colombia _ The government is preparing to invoke special powers to help fight armed groups, including measures that will require people in parts of Colombia to register, obtain permission to travel and carry ID cards, media reported Sunday.

The so-called ``Rehabilitation Zones,'' which will include parts of 14 of 32 states, are allowed under a presidential decree issued Sept. 10 that also permits security forces to conduct warrantless searches and hold suspects for 24 hours before consulting a judge. The new powers are provided for under a state of unrest declared in early August.

The government is preparing to declare the Rehabilitation Zones in seven regions, covering parts of 14 states where fighting between leftist rebels and right-wing paramilitaries is putting the civilian population in danger, according to a report Sunday in El Tiempo, the nation's largest newspaper.

In the zones, the government can require all residents to register with civilian authorities, restrict travel, impose curfews and issue special identification cards to local residents, the decree says. Residents of areas where identification cards have been issued can be detained for up to 24 hours for not carrying the cards.

A military commander in each zone can collect information about where residents live, what vehicles they use and jobs they work at as well as who has permits to carry guns, the decree says.

The government can also restrict travel of foreigners within the zone, a measure that has foreign reporters in Colombia concerned that their ability to cover the conflict will be limited.

Government officials could not be reached to comment on the plans but Interior Minister Fernando Londono said, in an El Tiempo interview, that the powers granted under the state of unrest were ``soft.''

``When the decision is made the create a zone, it is because we are facing the probability that something very serious is about to happen to the civilian population,'' he reportedly said.

El Tiempo said that among the seven regions is a former rebel safe haven the size of Switzerland. The other planned zones cover much of Colombia, from the eastern border with Venezuela, to the Pacific ocean to the southern border with Ecuador.

In the south, Col. Dario Diaz, commander of a U.S.-trained counterdrug brigade, said the new powers will make his job easier.

``There are new procedures that are being studied that we can use, not everywhere, but specifically where we need them, to protect civilians and attack the drug traffickers,'' he said.

President Alvaro Uribe, elected on promises to crack down on the rebels and the paramilitaries, took power on Aug. 7 amid a rebel mortar attack in Bogota.