Peace Timeline: 2002

U.S. Military and Police Aid - Focus on Arauca and Putumayo:Timeline of Current Events Arauca:
January 2004

January 26, 2004

On his fourth visit to the department of Arauca, President Uribe presided over a "Security Council" meeting to discuss the security situation in the area. Uribe urged the armed actors to demobilize and announced the beginning of construction for a Tame-Arauca highway.

President Uribe with the 18th Brigade's cavalry battalion.

Additionally, President Uribe promised to strengthen the 18th Brigade's cavalry battalion. The cavalry battalion will be made up of 160 men who will conduct counterinsurgency operations on horseback. Their initial area of operation will be Arauca, specifically the area known as El Caracol and the road that leads to Tame.

[With information from El Colombiano http://www.elcolombiano.terra.com.co/martes/nnh004.htm and http://www.presidencia.gov.co/sne/2004/enero/26/11262004.htm]

January 23, 2004

Arauca's governor has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of those charged will killing Marcos Antonio Ataya Arias, former mayor of Arauca city.

[El Tiempo http://eltiempo.terra.com.co/naci/colorien/2004-01-23/ARTICULO-WEB-_NOTA_INTERIOR-1489325.html]

January 21, 2004

Former mayor of Arauca city Marcos Antonio Ataya Arias (1994-1997) was murdered in his farm located eight kilometers from Arauca

Ataya Arias had been a council member in 1990, gubernatorial candidate in 1992 and Arauca's mayor. The region's police chief, Colonel Rodrigo Palacio Cano, stated that members of the FARC arrived at Ataya's property, tied and gagged the person in charge of the property and his family, and waited for their victim. Ataya was shot three times.

[El Tiempo http://eltiempo.terra.com.co/naci/colorien/2004-01-23/ARTICULO-WEB-_NOTA_INTERIOR-1489325.html; http://eltiempo.terra.com.co/coar/noticias/ARTICULO-WEB-_NOTA_INTERIOR-1487497.html]