Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LAPAZ2821
2006-10-18 21:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy La Paz
Cable title:  

MORALES RAISES EYEBROWS WITH LE MONDE INTERVIEW

Tags:  ECON PGOV PREL BL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3378
PP RUEHLMC
DE RUEHLP #2821/01 2912114
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 182114Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0932
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6197
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 3512
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7376
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 4633
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1888
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 1931
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4095
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 4524
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 9100
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LA PAZ 002821 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: MORALES RAISES EYEBROWS WITH LE MONDE INTERVIEW


Summary
---------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LA PAZ 002821

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: MORALES RAISES EYEBROWS WITH LE MONDE INTERVIEW


Summary
--------------


1. (U) French newspaper Le Monde published an article
October 17 entitled "Bolivia: Evo Morales and the Terrible
Conspiracy," in which President Morales said that "the right"
(the United States and the political opposition in Bolivia)
are conspiring to topple his government. Morales discussed
the recent miners' confrontation in Huanuni, in which 16 died
and 81 were injured, describing it as resistance from the new
mining oligarchs rather than from the miners. Morales also
mentioned the "terrible conspiracy" against his government
from the right and from the Embassy. Morales alleged threats
to his life and specific affronts to MAS leaders and the vice
president by the Embassy as "examples" of the U.S.-led
conspiracy. While the article's publication comes just four
days after Ambassador Goldberg's October 13 credentialing
ceremony, at which Morales promised to tone down his
anti-American rhetoric, we understand President Morales gave
the interview before meeting the Ambassador. End summary.

"The Terrible Conspiracy"
--------------


2. (U) French newspaper Le Monde published an article October
17 entitled "Bolivia: Evo Morales and the Terrible
Conspiracy," in which Morales said that "the right" (the
United States and the political opposition in Bolivia) are
conspiring to topple his government. Local Bolivian
newspapers and television stations carried reports of the
interview, giving it widespread coverage.

Domestic Affairs
--------------


3. (U) Morales first discussed the recent miners'
confrontation in Huanuni, in which 16 died and 81 were
injured, describing it as resistance from the new mining
oligarchs rather than from the miners. Morales told Le Monde
that "the cooperative miners want to exclusively exploit the
Cerro Posokoni (Bolivia's principal tin reserve),which the
salaried miners of COMIBOL (the state-run company) refused.
Ambition prevailed over reason, especially on the part of the
cooperative miners." He went on to say that "certain
cooperatives have become the instruments of medium to large
mining enterprises." "Now that we have a popular
government," he added, "resistance does not come from the

mining unions, but from the oligarchs." Morales then linked
the Huanuni conflict to his vision of U.S. policy. The
president told Le Monde that "certain social sector movements
are not instruments of liberation, but factors of oppression.
Rather then contributing to the emancipation of the people,
they serve to perpetuate the empire." Le Monde provided a
very short rebuttal from the COB (the Central Workers Union)
which blamed the president for the Huanuni confrontation.
An Assassination Attempt?
--------------


4. (U) Morales also alleged a "terrible conspiracy" against
his government from the right and the Embassy. Morales said
there is an ideological struggle going on between left and
right, both in Bolivia and elsewhere in Latin America. He
argued that "the right is in a campaign to destroy
nationalization and the Constituent Assembly." He further
stated that "the conflicts that arise occasionally without
reason are part of an offensive by the right." He then went
on to describe a conspiracy to kill him. "Twenty specialists
of the old military came to Santa Cruz to assassinate me. I
had to use a bullet-proof jacket. With or without Evo
Morales, the revolution will not end."

Signs of a Plot?
--------------


5. (U) Morales cited threats to his life and specific
affronts to MAS leaders and the vice president by the Embassy

LA PAZ 00002821 002 OF 002


as "examples" of the U.S.-led conspiracy and participation in
the "rightist plot." His first example was the Embassy's
denial of a visa to Leonilda Zurita, ex-cocalero leader and
ex-MAS senator, arguing that she was refused because of her
MAS affiliation. Morales also said Ambassador Greenlee did
not attend a GOB reception for ambassadors in La Paz because
he was holding his own reception to court MAS
parliamentarians. (Note: Ambassador Greenlee was actually out
of the country at the time of the GOB reception. End note).
Additionally, Morales charged that Garcia Linera was not
allowed to fly on American Airlines to the United States.
(Note: This point is also false; while Garcia Linera was
initially denied permission to board, Embassy officials
transported him to Santa Cruz, where he boarded the American
flight to Miami. End note). Finally, Morales alleged that
USAID is undermining his government. He stated that a local
USAID representative "declared that it is necessary to
support/sustain the Bolivian opposition." Morales said
"despite these provocations and aggressions, we have the
patience to maintain diplomatic and commercial relations with
the United States." (Note: Morales' reference above to the
"old military" is also a jab at the United States, since
prior to the Morales administration, Bolivian-U.S. military
ties were quite strong. End Note).

Comment
--------------


6. (U) The Le Monde article was published just four days
after Ambassador Goldberg's October 13 credentialing
ceremony, at which Morales promised to tone down his
anti-American rhetoric, although we understand President
Morales gave the interview the morning before he met the
Ambassador for the first time. Uncomfortably for Vice
President Garcia Linera, he had already accepted an
invitation from the Ambassador to attend an event at the
USAID mission today. A clearly defensive Garcia Linera today
faced tough questioning from the Bolivia press about his
boss' comments. Garcia Linera claimed the (accurate)
Spanish-language translation of the president's comments in
French-language Le Monde were incorrect, but continued to
claim that the GOB has "proof" of a conspiracy. More
positively, and perhaps optimistically, the vice president
likened U.S.-GOB relations to a "marriage" with its ups and
downs. The vice president concluded that U.S.-GOB relations
are currently improving. End comment.
GOLDBERG