MAS TACTICS ALIENATE SANTA CRUZ NEIGHBORHOOD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LA PAZ 002814 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2016 TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL SUBJECT: MAS TACTICS ALIENATE SANTA CRUZ NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS REF: LA PAZ 02781 Classified By: ECOPOL Andrew Erickson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY ¶1. (C) This is the second in a series of three cables reporting on Emboff's meetings with Santa Cruz social movements. On October 13 Emboff met with the leadership of the Santa Cruz Federation of Neighborhood Committees (FEJUVE). FEJUVE, in some ways analogous with a condominium association, brings together neighborhood associations on the departmental and national level. While the organization has an antagonistic relationship with the Santa Cruz mayor, it works with the mayor on areas of mutual interest. The leaders characterized relations with the prefect as good. However, relations with the national government appear to have hit rock bottom. Many FEJUVE members supported Morales during his election campaign. Now, however, the FEJUVE leadership resents the Movement Towards Socialism Party's (MAS) attempts to undermine it by creating parallel (and competing) organizations loyal to the Morales government. End Summary. BACKGROUND ¶2. (C) Emboff met October 13 with President Rodolfo Landivar, General Secretary Fernando Rosso, and nine of the fifteen district presidents of the Santa Cruz Federation of Neighborhood Committees, known by its Spanish initials FEJUVE. The organization is divided into fifteen districts encompassing the Department of Santa Cruz and is affiliated with the National Confederation of Neighborhood Committees (CONFEJUVE). FEJUVE, in some ways analogous with a condominium association, brings together neighborhood associations on the departmental and national level. Rosso said that membership in the FEJUVE is open to all, regardless of religion, color, social class, or political affiliation. Landivar spoke of the FEJUVE's past relationship with USAID but indicated this was the first time someone from the Embassy had visited its offices in Santa Cruz. RELATIONS WITH THE MAYOR STRAINED BUT PRODUCTIVE ¶3. (C) Emboff inquired about FEJUVE's relations with the local, state, and national government. On the local level, Landivar describe the relationship with Santa Cruz Mayor Percy Fernandez, of the Broad Front Party (FA),as antagonistic. The mayor's office often treats the FEJUVE's requests with "annoyance" and views the citizen group's petitions as criticisms of the administration's performance. Notwithstanding, the FEJUVE and the mayor have made progress in two areas of priority, public security and neighborhood cooking gas distribution. Landivar gave as an example the recent inauguration of four new police stations. RELATIONS WITH THE PREFECT LIMITED BY RESOURCES ¶4. (C) On the departmental level, Landivar said the FEJUVE enjoys a good relationship with Santa Cruz Prefect Ruben Costas of the Autonomy for Bolivia Party (APB). The civic organization and the prefect have collaborated on public security, a blood bank, and educational issues. Landivar said the FEJUVE and prefect are united in their stance against the proposed national educational reform law. FEJUVE also works with the prefectural government to distribute basic foods to rural communities and hopes to expand the program to include the urban poor. Because Prefect Costas has told Landivar that the current food program does not have the capacity to expand, Landivar asked if the Embassy could assist with the food distribution program. (Note: We passed the request on to USAID. End note.) RELATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ROCKY ¶5. (C) When asked about the FEJUVE's relationship with the LA PAZ 00002814 002 OF 002 Morales government, Landivar shook his head and said "we were lied to." He went on to explain that many members of the FEJUVE had campaigned for Morales during the election because "the old parties are corrupt and people wanted a change." The change they didn't contemplate, Landivar said, was a "dictator" leading a government "that will only work with its own party hardliners." Rosso added that the FEJUVE leadership is "very worried" and feels "abandoned" by the Morales government. At this point, Landivar invited the district presidents to give their opinions. One president complained that the MAS "refuses to work with the local community". Another lamented the number of Bolivians emigrating to Spain, while another questioned where all of the aid money from President Chavez has gone. ¶6. (C) One president's remark of "we will not permit Bolivia to become another Cuba" received a round of applause. Secretary Rosso then explained that the MAS party has been trying to form parallel neighborhood organizations in the department, which only served to confuse residents. Rosso expressed that the FEJUVE rejects the "hatred, racism, and sense of revenge" that the Morales government is using "to create tension and cause rifts between the citizenship." Landivar closed the meeting by saying, "we do not want violence -- what we want are jobs and better living conditions". COMMENT ¶7. (C) Post continues to hear that the MAS is co-opting social organizations by forming parallel entities. Many FEJUVE members not only voted for Morales, but campaigned for him. In their conversation with us on October 13, these same people now expressed feelings of alienation and disappointment. Clearly they knew they were speaking with a representative of the US Embassy, and were seeking food assistance, as noted above. Nonetheless, in this meeting, and in others, we are seeing strong signs that the Morales' administration appears to be losing the battle for the support of what should be its natural base in Santa Cruz. Unlike the Santa Cruz Departmental Federation of Rural Workers, this group seems to be much more in the prefect's corner. End Comment. GOLDBERG