Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LAPAZ275
2006-02-06 18:36:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy La Paz
Cable title:  

STAFFDEL BRENNAN: GREETING THE NEW BOLIVIA

Tags:  PREL PGOV SOCI ELAB BL 
pdf how-to read a cable
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LA PAZ 000275 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI ELAB BL
SUBJECT: STAFFDEL BRENNAN: GREETING THE NEW BOLIVIA

REF: A. LA PAZ 06

B. LA PAZ 195

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LA PAZ 000275

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI ELAB BL
SUBJECT: STAFFDEL BRENNAN: GREETING THE NEW BOLIVIA

REF: A. LA PAZ 06

B. LA PAZ 195


1. (SBU) Summary: During their January 24-27 visit to
Bolivia, staffdel Brennan (House International Relations
Committee staff Ted Brennan, Kristen Gilley, Paul
Oostburg-Sanz, Mark Walker, and Dan Getz) met with Vice
President Alvaro Garcia Linera, newly-minted legislators and
ministers, Santa Cruz civic sector leaders and others. They
heard from Garcia Linera that the GOB would seek to address
Bolivia's economic and racial inequalities while cooperating
with the United States on counternarcotics. MAS legislators
displayed a pragmatic approach towards future relations with
the United States while Santa Cruz leaders expressed concerns
about the preservation of Bolivian democracy. The staffdel
effectively conveyed U.S. Congressional concerns about the
future course of Bolivian democracy and the hope that a
constructive USG-GOB relationship could be maintained. End
summary.

VP Garcia Strikes the Right Tone
--------------

2. (SBU) In his January 25 meeting with the staffdel, Vice
President Alvaro Garcia Linera sounded most of the right
notes. He said the electoral victory of the MAS was a
triumph of democracy and remarked that the integration of
indigenous people into power was comparable to the struggle
for civil rights in the United States and to the overthrow of
apartheid in South Africa. He said the main goal of the
government would be to reduce the endemic poverty in which
most Bolivians, particularly the indigenous, have lived for
centuries, and noted that the state would assume a stronger
role in promoting productivity. He welcomed international
investment and assistance dedicated to that end and promised
that disputes would be resolved legally. In this connection,
he did not rule out the possible need to punish certain
companies that might have broken the law.


3. (SBU) Garcia reaffirmed President Morales' intention to
seek an alliance with the United States against
narco-trafficking and said the government was open to
negotiating a mutually acceptable solution, even if some
aspects of the current strategy would need to be modified.
Echoing Morales' assertions in past meetings (refs),Garcia

said the "cato" agreement in the Chapare (exempting 3,200
hectares from eradication) could be the basis for future
negotiations, but that the Yungas would be more complicated.
In response to questions from the staffdel, Garcia reiterated
that the government would not seek to "import the problems of
other countries into Bolivia" and said he was well aware of
international sensitivities surrounding the establishment of
close ties with Iran. Bolivia will behave pragmatically in
this respect, he averred, "we have no friends, just
interests." Responding to an invitation from staffdel leader
Brennan, Garcia said he and Evo would look forward to
traveling to the United States. At the end of the meeting,
Representative Dan Burton (R-IN) and Garcia Linera exchanged
greetings by telephone.

MAS Legislators Display Pragmatism
--------------

4. (SBU) In a January 25 lunch with La Paz area senators and
deputies and at an evening reception for newly appointed
ministers and newly elected legislators, MAS ministers,
senators and deputies turned out in large numbers. Dressed
informally, most were very interested in exchanging views
with U.S. officials. Many came armed with questions about
U.S. policy, programs and prospective assistance. Judging
from our exchanges with them, the majority of the new MAS
ministers and legislators seemed more pragmatic than
ideological and more interested in obtaining concrete
benefits for their new constituents than in towing the MAS
party line (whatever that is),and in seeing what we might be
able to do to help them to this end.


5. (SBU) Sounding a familiar theme, some wondered why U.S.
assistance seemed to be intercepted by intermediaries and why
it didn't seem to make it to those who needed it most,
including poor people in their particular constituencies.
"You should give the help directly to the people," they
exclaimed. Others inquired about U.S. counternarcotics

LA PAZ 00000275 002 OF 003


policy, which they assumed was anti-indigenous and anti-coca.
Both events initiated a positive dialogue between USG
officials and this crop of inexperienced government ministers
and legislators, who seemed eager to engage and to dispel
stereotypes on both sides.

Santa Cruz Worries
--------------

6. (U) Four members of the staffdel proceeded to Santa Cruz
January 26 to receive briefings on USG counternarcotics
efforts and to visit some alternative development projects.
(Weather restrictions prohibited the planned visit to the
Chapare region.) Brennan and Embassy personnel addressed a
group of 200 agricultural workers in Yapacani which had
benefited from USG assistance projects in return for their
pledge to keep their region coca-free.


7. (U) The staffdel and Embassy officials heard from Santa
Cruz political and business leaders over dinner that the
upcoming Constituent Assembly represented the next major
political challenge for Bolivia. Participants encouraged
increased USG involvement in preparations for the Constituent
Assembly, as they feared that President Morales would use the
event to replicate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez' efforts
and further consolidate power while undermining Bolivia's
democratic institutions. Business leaders noted the need for
the establishment of a sophisticated think tank in Santa Cruz
to elaborate proposals for the upcoming Assembly and
solicited USG financial support for the effort.

MCA: Thumbs Up for Consultations, Thumbs Down for Conditions
-------------- --------------

8. (SBU) Paul Oostburg-Sanz, Democratic Deputy Chief Counsel
for the House Committee on International Relations, met
January 26 with George Gray, the drafter of Bolivia's
Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) proposal; nine
representatives from civil society, including miners,
artisans and small business owners; Procosi, a network of 36
NGOs; and members of the donor community, including the IMF,
the World Bank, CAF (Andean Development Corporation) and the
Inter-American Development Bank to discuss their views of the
MCA consultative process and the proposal for roads and
credit provision. Although civil society and NGO
representatives all wanted to ensure funding for their own
interest areas, they generally agreed that roads and credit
are important priorities for Bolivia. Among the civil
society, NGO and donor representatives, there was also a
general consensus that the consultative process had been
inclusive and exhaustive, as it had built on almost two years
of national dialogue, which involved almost one percent of
the population from different sectors and different regions.


9. (SBU) George Gray told Oostburg-Sanz and Econoff that he
met with President Morales, Vice President Alvaro Garcia
Linera and Carlos Villegas, Minister of Planning and
Sustainable Development, the week of January 16. Villegas
told Gray it would take some time to choose people to work on
the MCA but said he and Morales would work together to
appoint a team. Gray explained to Villegas that MCC
Washington needs an announcement of a point person to move
forward. Morales said the GOB would take a "wait and see"
approach on the MCA and would not consider it separately from
other issues. They expressed concern about the
conditionality of the aid, particularly about the prospect
that aid could be stopped midstream, even after being
approved, by political developments in Bolivia.
Oostburg-Sanz explained to Gray that the threshold for
interrupting aid midstream is fairly high, such as a coup or
a disruption in the democratic process. Gray expressed
concern that Sacha Llorenti (GOB appointee as ambassador to
the United States) would be named the MCA point person, which
would present logistical challenges as the GOB would need a
point person in Bolivia, not in Washington.


10. (SBU) Comment: The staffdel effectively conveyed U.S.
Congressional concerns about the future course of Bolivian
democracy and the hope that a constructive USG-GOB
relationship could be maintained. For Bolivian government
interlocutors, this was a first chance to hear from
representatives of the U.S. legislative branch and an
opportunity to gain a broader understanding of Washington

LA PAZ 00000275 003 OF 003


concerns about Bolivian developments. End comment.


11. (U) The staffdel did not have an opportunity to clear
this report.
GREENLEE