CHAVEZ CARRIES BOLIVIA'S WATER IN CHILE SEA SCUFFLE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000338

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL VE
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ CARRIES BOLIVIA'S WATER IN CHILE SEA SCUFFLE


Classified By: Mark Wells, Acting Political Counselor,
for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

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Summary
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1. (C) Three months ago President Hugo Chavez began a
rhetorical offensive in support of Bolivia's claim to its
historic Pacific coastline, seized by Chile in 1879.
Chavez's campaign has made international headlines, and
resulted in Venezuela and Chile recalling their ambassadors
for consultations. Chavez has incorporated the Bolivian sea
claim into his self-styled Simon Bolivar mythology,
frequently portraying the Chileans as oligarchs. MFA
officials claim everything is fine under the surface and hope
for relations to normalize. Meddling in Bolivia's sea claim
is a win-win for Chavez as a "Bolivarian" foreign policy
issue, a distraction from his domestic political problems,
and a helping hand to Bolivian ally Evo Morales. End Summary.

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Plowing Toward the Sea
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2. (U) President Hugo Chavez began in October to press
publicly for Bolivia to regain sovereign access to the
Pacific coast, land which Bolivia lost to Chile in 1879
during the War of the Pacific. In several public comments
Chavez spoke of his dream of swimming in "a Bolivian beach."
He subsequently elaborated on the theme by declaring that
that Simon Bolivar, liberator of Bolivia and Venezuela, had
bestowed access to the sea on the Bolivians when drawing the
map of Gran Colombia during the independence era. But,
Chavez adds, the "Chilean oligarchy" seized the coast for
"economic reasons" during the war. Chavez claims that the
Venezuelan president in 1879 opposed the land grab, and that
it has been Venezuelan state policy ever since.


3. (U) Chavez cited recent statements by UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan, former President Jimmy Carter, and Brazilian
Formin Celso as growing international support for resolution
of the issue. He announced he would raise Bolivian access to
the sea at future summits, a promised he fulfilled during the
Monterrey Summit (though only in press encounters, we
understand). Chavez requested on January 7 that the Chilean
government to take "a more humble attitude" with Bolivia,
which has suffered economically from not having a port.
Bolivian indigenous leader Evo Morales has thanked Chavez for
his public support on the issue.

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Chile Takes Exception
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4. (C) In reaction to Chavez's statements, Santiago recalled
its ambassador, Fabio Vio, on November 15 for consultations;
the Venezuelans reciprocated shortly thereafter. The Chilean
Charge d'Affaires had told poloff in December that Vio
expected to return at the beginning of the year, thinking
that the issue would cool over the holidays. Plans changed
during the Monterrey Summit, however, after Chavez accused
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos of misrepresenting the facts
of Chile's "occupation" of Bolivia's coastline. Lagos denied
lying, pointing out that Bolivian access to the sea is a
bilateral issue. Both the Venezuelan MFA and the Chilean
Embassy confirmed to poloff that their respective ambassadors
would not return to their posts in the near future.

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MFA Hopes All Will Blow Over
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5. (C) The MFA's Chile Desk Officer Romero Dimas told poloff
January 14 the GOV hoped relations with Chile would be
"normalized" once the public spotlight on the issue passes.
He said that despite the mud slinging between its presidents,
Venezuela and Chile enjoy good relations, citing

accomplishments by an ad hoc bilateral working group (which
last convened in 2001). He characterized support for
Bolivia's maritime claims as one of traditional solidarity
among Latin American countries, though he admitted that
President Chavez has pushed the issue more than previous
presidents. Romero was not aware of any attempt at
discussing the issue privately at the Monterrey Summit, a
fact confirmed by the Chilean Embassy.

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Comment
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6. (C) Like most Chavez political plays, there is a
self-serving interest under the surface of this issue. His
recounting of the War of the Pacific is revisionist, cast as
a struggle between "the people" of Bolivia and "the
oligarchy" of Chile. Chavez has found a low-risk issue to
flog around his neighborhood, giving him the appearance of a
statesmen, at least among his core supporters. He seems
willing to sacrifice relations with Chile, though he has thus
far stopped short of formally breaking ties. Casting the
issue as poor Bolivia at the mercy of rich (by comparison)
Chile, Chavez looks like a champion for the underdog. And,
certainly his efforts have the practical objective of
boosting support for Evo Morales, his ideological ally in
Bolivia.


7. (C) That said, we believe most other Latin American
presidents must wonder why Chavez, whose country has
outstanding territorial differences with Colombia and Guyana,
would go out on a limb for Bolivia.
MCFARLAND


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