AMBASSADOR GOLDBERG'S VISIT TO TARIJA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LA PAZ 003085

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR GOLDBERG'S VISIT TO TARIJA

REF: LA PAZ 3056

Classified By: Amb. Philip S. Goldberg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

SUMMARY


1. (U) Ambassador Goldberg made his first official visit to
the city of Tarija November 6-7. During the two-day trip the
Ambassador met with national and local Tarijeno politicians,
the Tarija city council, businessmen, academics, Fulbright
alumni, Peace Corp volunteers, and farmers. The city council
declared the Ambassador a "guest of honor". The Ambassador
also signed a $10 million MOU with the Prefect for a USAID
sponsored program to improve rural indigenous housing and
fight Chagas disease. End summary.

BACKGROUND


2. (U) On November 6-7 Ambassador made his first official
visit to Tarija, capital city of the department of Tarija.
The department is an opposition strong hold, with both the
prefect and mayor from opposition parties. Tarija is one of
Bolivia's wealthiest departments. It is estimated to possess
eighty percent of Bolivia's natural gas reserves (in the
Chaco region) and currently accounts for seventy percent of
the country's natural gas production. In addition, the
department has a thriving agricultural sector, in particular
a rapidly growing wine industry.

MEETING WITH MAYOR


3. (C) The Ambassador met with Tarija Mayor Oscar Montes, a
popular mayor who was re-elected in 2004. The mayor pointed
out to the Ambassador that Tarija is the only department that
voted to be a part of Bolivia. In 1547 the Tarija elected to
be a part of Bolivia versus Argentina, a decision that "at
the time seemed like the best one" according to Montes.
Montes stated that "we Tarijenos need to stop blaming La Paz
for all of our problems". He lamented the fact that there is
no united opposition to the MAS, saying "I am more worried
about the fact that there is no opposition to stop the MAS
than about the MAS itself. The MAS has a clear timetable and
an agenda to turn Bolivia into another Cuba, and it plans to
stick with it. If the MAS gets everything through the
Constituent Assembly then it will be too late."

A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL ALLIANCE?


4. (C) With this in mind, the mayor said, he has been
talking with Potosi Mayor Rene Joaquino about creating a new
group, an alternative to MAS and the "media luna" (Santa
Cruz, Tarija, Pando, Beni),called the Southern Alliance
(Alianza Sur). The Southern Alliance would be composed of
the departments of Tarija, Potosi, and Chuquisaca. The idea
is to break the east-west divide that has polarized Bolivia.
The Southern Alliance, according to Montes, will be a unifier
"encompassing the highlands of the west and the eastern
wealthier departments." "If we propose good projects for the
Southern Alliance", the mayor said, "then all of the other
departments will support it because it will be good for them
too." When asked about the possibility of Montes running as
vice president on a Joaquino ticket, Montes replied that he
had not decided.

RELATIONS WITH THE USG


5. (C) Ambassador asked Montes for his opinion of the
U.S.-Bolivia relationship. Montes said that the common
Bolivian associates the U.S. with cocaine. There is a
perception, he said, "that all aid is concentrated around the
drug growing area of the Chapare." He recommended that the
USG make democracy its priority in Bolivia and asked the
Ambassador to concentrate on reaching out to mayors
throughout the country. "If democracy is to be preserved in

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Bolivia, it will come from the mayoral level." He requested
support for democracy building programs.

MEETING WITH PREFECT


6. (C) In a subsequent meeting, Tarija Prefect Joaquin
Cossio thanked the Ambassador for the department's good
relationship with the USG, and especially for USAID support.
He told the Ambassador that "there needs to be change in
Bolivia." "The difference is what that change will be:
centralized totalitarism or democratic autonomy." Cossio
said his strategy for dealing with the national government is
to avoid direct confrontation, but rather "reinforce the
democratic prefectural process." Cossio expressed his
concern that the GOB want the prefects, who were directly
elected for the first time, "to fail so Evo can push us
aside." Cossio proudly explained to the Ambassador that
Tarija had just instituted free universal health care for all
citizens age 0 - 18. The Ambassador and Prefect then
participated in a signing ceremony for a $10 million MOU for
a USAID sponsored program to improve rural indigenous housing
and fight Chagas disease. The prefect told the Ambassador
that he looked forward to continuing to work with the mission
on future projects.

FULBRIGHTERS EXPRESS CONCERN


7. (C) The Ambassador also met with a dozen Fulbright
alumni who expressed their concern about the anti-democratic
tendencies. "We are very concerned about the future", one
alumni told Emboff, "those in Tarija with possibilities have
already bought their homes in Argentina in case something
happens here." "And yet more are going to Spain."

COMMENT


8. (C) Tarija, one of the wealthiest of Bolivia's nine
departments, is still run by the traditional elite. There is
a strong sense of concern about the anti-democratic course
the MAS appears to be taking and the implications for Tarija
autonomy. It should be noted that Tarija voted forty percent
for the MAS in the July Constituent Assembly election and
sixty percent in favor of autonomy. Both the mayor and the
prefect have designs on becoming national leaders and
presenting themselves as Evo alternatives. End Comment.

GOLDBERG