MILITARY EQUIPMENT: WHAT'S MINE IS MINE, WHAT'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LA PAZ 001211 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2016 TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL SUBJECT: MILITARY EQUIPMENT: WHAT'S MINE IS MINE, WHAT'S YOURS IS MINE REF: A. LA PAZ 615 ¶B. LA PAZ 647 ¶C. LA PAZ 681 ¶D. LA PAZ 1157 Classified By: Amb. David N. Greenlee for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In a GOB-requested May 2 meeting with the Ambassador, Minister of Defense Walker San Miguel and Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca attempted to set conditions for the return of counter-terrorism unit U.S. equipment to MilGroup custody. The Ambassador reminded both ministers that President Morales had promised to return the equipment in exchange for our agreement to allow Bolivian military officers to finish training in the U.S., and cautioned that further bureaucratic roadblocks could infect other aspects of the bilateral relationship. The Ambassador also expressed discontent that GOB troops improperly used the equipment over April 29-30 to seize Bolivia's hydrocarbons reserves. San Miguel offered to begin working with the Embassy to inventory the stockpile and facilitate its return, but as of May 5, the GOB had not made any concrete progress toward returning the equipment. End summary. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador (accompanied by MilGroup commander and poloff) met with Minister of Defense Walker San Miguel and Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca at their request on May 2 to discuss the return of U.S. military equipment following the early March withdrawal of U.S. support for a GOB counter-terrorism unit (see reftels). San Miguel and Choquehuanca attempted to set conditions for the return of the equipment (ammunition, explosives, helmets, radios, body armor, sniper rifles, and night vision goggles) to a U.S.-controlled warehouse in El Alto. They contended that the parties should sign a new agreement, clearly identifying the equipment and setting forth the conditions for its return, as well as outlining future GOB use of the equipment. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador reminded the ministers that President Morales had given his word to return the equipment in exchange for our agreement to allow their military officers to finish U.S. training at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). The Ambassador cautioned that further bureaucratic roadblocks could result in the equipment's removal from Bolivia altogether. He said the USG kept up its side of the agreement, and allowed the GOB military representatives to complete their training, but that two months had passed without any movement. The Ambassador suggested that the two sides conduct a joint inspection and prepare an inventory of the items, which would meet GOB concerns for documenting equipment returned to U.S. custody. Once the transfer has been made, we could consider the distribution of other U.S. military equipment earmarked for the Bolivian military but currently being held at the warehouse. ¶4. (C) The Ambassador also expressed discontent that GOB troops improperly used the U.S. equipment over the weekend of April 29-30 to occupy Bolivia's hydrocarbons reserves (reftel D). The Ambassador showed the ministers a photo from the front cover of the leading daily La Razon's May 2 issue, in which GOB soldiers are brandishing weapons from the U.S. counter-terrorism stockpile. Choquehuanca said he had wondered where those weapons came from, and half-heartedly claimed that they were GOB owned before promising to investigate the matter. ¶5. (C) Comment: San Miguel offered to begin immediately working with the Embassy to inventory the stockpile and facilitate its return, explaining that the GOB's delay in returning the U.S. equipment was a natural consequence of the political fallout after the GOB's transfer of outdated MANPADS to the United States in late 2005. As of May 5, however, there was no follow-through-- reportedly because Armed Forces Commander Vargas was awaiting a written order from San Miguel. We will continue to press the issue. End LA PAZ 00001211 002 OF 002 comment. GREENLEE