RODRIGUEZ CONCERNED ABOUT THREATS TO JUDICIARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 000240 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2016 TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL SUBJECT: RODRIGUEZ CONCERNED ABOUT THREATS TO JUDICIARY Classified By: Amb. David N. Greenlee for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In a meeting with AID Deputy Assistant Administrator Mike Magan, the Ambassador and Embassy officials on January 31, former President (and current Supreme Court President) Rodriguez shared his concerns that President Morales will threaten Bolivia's relatively young democratic institutions. He also said that the MAS has moved into Sucre, the judicial capital, in order to consolidate power there, and that the atmosphere is one of "high persecution." Due to "indirect threats" from the MAS and the slashing of judicial salaries, Rodriguez and up to half of his colleagues plan to resign from the Supreme Court in the next few months. End summary. ¶2. (C) In a meeting with AID Deputy Assistant Administrator Mike Magan, the Ambassador and Embassy officials on January 31, former President (and current Supreme Court President) Rodriguez shared his concerns that President Morales will threaten Bolivia's relatively young democratic institutions. He emphasized that the international community has supported the growth of those institutions since 1982, when Bolivia ended its last military dictatorship and returned to a civilian democratic government. Rodriguez stated that Morales supports democracy to the extent that it propelled him to power, but that he may not maintain it. Rodriguez said that "we have to make sure the institutions don't disappear." ¶3. (C) Rodriguez also said that the MAS has moved into Sucre, Bolivia's judicial capital, in order to consolidate power there, and that the atmosphere is one of "high persecution." He said that the MAS has co-opted many district attorneys, and that it is building an "aggressive presence" in Sucre. He said that the MAS already influences several of his colleagues on the Supreme Court, and implied that the MAS orchestrated opposition to his return to the court on January 23. ¶4. (C) Due to "indirect threats" from the MAS and the slashing of judicial salaries, Rodriguez and up to half of his colleagues plan to resign from the Supreme Court in the next few months. Rodriguez lamented that Morales did not approach him directly regarding the salary cuts proposed across all sectors of government. He explained that judges and lawyers pay almost 25 percent of their salary in taxes, and that cutting salaries by half will make it difficult for them to meet their basic financial needs. Rodriguez opined that the salary cuts are a MAS tactic to "clean house" in order to pack the Supreme Court and then steamroll through the Constituent Assembly without judicial opposition (or virtually any checks on MAS power, assuming it will have control of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government). He worried that lower government salaries will lead to increased corruption and that the incoming justices will not be properly trained. ¶5. (C) Comment: Rodriguez's perspectives sharpen the concern that the independence of an already weak judicial sector could be further eroded by the MAS juggernaut. Rodriguez's departure, along with certain others, would remove an important counter to the developing trend. End comment. GREENLEE