COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR OPIC'S JEAN ADEN

UNCLAS LA PAZ 003148 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/AND LPETRONI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT AORC EINV OTRA OPIC BL SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR OPIC'S JEAN ADEN REF: STATE 189889 ¶1. Embassy La Paz is pleased to grant country clearance to Jean Aden, Director, OPIC Office of Accountability, to travel to Santa Cruz, Bolivia December 2-4, 2006 to speak at "Strengthening Environmental Law and Enforcement in the Americas," an OAS-sponsored side event to the December 4-5 Ministerial Meeting on Sustainable Development. Clearance is granted on the understanding that Ms. Aden has read and understood the security and medical warnings in paragraphs six and seven of this telegram. Commencing travel serves as confirmation that none of these restrictions apply. Ms. Aden has a Top Secret security clearance. ¶2. The U.S. Embassy has received reports from official visitors and tourists of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano domestic and international flight cancellations, with resultant delays and other inconveniences for travelers. Given Lloyd's severe financial difficulties and reduced number of aircraft, delays and flight cancellations have been and will likely remain common. Official visitors and tourists should keep this in mind when making travel plans. ¶3. Ms. Aden's control officer will be Economic/Commercial Officer Colleen Crenwelge, who can be reached at 591-715-30321 (cell) and 591-2-216-8225 (office). ¶4. Visa requirements: Personnel traveling with Official or Diplomatic passports must obtain a visa before they commence travel. ¶5. Funding: Each visitor, regardless of length of stay, must bring/forward fiscal data to pay for direct costs of the visit. Each agency, organization or visiting delegation will be charged for the actual costs attributed to its visit. Direct charge costs include, but are not limited to: airport transportation and expediting; driving services; American and LES overtime (for such services as airport expediting, cashier accommodation exchange, control room staffing, representational event support); travel and per diem costs incurred by post personnel in support of visitor's field travel; rental of vehicles and other equipment; long distance telephone calls; office supplies, procurement/small purchasing; departure tax and other airport fees. Post will not provide service if fiscal data is not provided for the direct charges. For TDYers remaining at post over 30 days, there is a charge for ICASS support services. This charge is for the following ICASS services: Basic Package, CLO and Health Services. The charge per month is approximately $86.00. Agencies will not be billed until the accumulated invoice cost for TDY support exceeds $2,500 for the fiscal year. If your sponsoring agency is not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be prepared to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for ICASS support services upon arrival. The agency should provide post with a written communication, generated by the traveler's headquarters, that confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provides the agency ICASS billing code to which the TDY support charges should be applied, and authorizes the traveler to sign the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY module. Where travel is urgent, the TDYer should bring this documentation with him/her to ensure there are no interruptions in the provision of service. Post will not provide any service to a TDYer staying in excess of thirty days without provision of this documentation before day 31 of the TDY. ¶6. Security Advisories: 6A) Bolivia is currently rated at medium to high threat level for crime. 6B) Although there have been no recent terrorist incidents targeting U.S. Mission Personnel, visitors are advised to maintain a high level of security awareness and take normal precautions, such as varying times and routes, while in Bolivia. 6C) Demonstrations frequently occur in La Paz, occasionally involving violence between police and demonstrators; visitors should avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place. 6D) Pick pocketing, purse snatching and car theft are common and all personnel are advised to limit the cash, credit cards, jewelry and other valuables they carry on the city streets. 6E) Because of recurring incidents of civil unrest and violence in the Chapare area (between Cochabamba and Santa Cruz),all visitors to the Chapare must check with the Embassy Regional Security Office before traveling to that area. ¶7. Medical -- Attention! Very Important! 7A) Altitude: The altitude of La Paz is between 10,000 feet and 13,400 feet (4,075 meters) above sea level. The altitude alone poses a serious risk of illness, hospitalization, and even death, if you have a medical condition that affects blood circulation or breathing. 7B) State Department's Office of Medical Services (M/MED) strongly advises against any travel (including temporary duty) to La Paz if you have: 7B1) Sickle Cell Anemia or Sickle Cell Trait: at least 30 percent of persons with Sickle Cell Trait will have a crisis at elevations of more than 8,000 feet. In the U.S., sickle cell trait occurs in 7 to 10 percent of the African-American population and in 0.046 percent of persons of other origin. 7B2) Heart Disease: If you are a man 45 years or older, or a woman 55 years or older, and have two of the following risk factors (Hypertension, Diabetes, cigarette smoking, or elevated cholesterol),it is highly recommended to have a cardiologist evaluation before coming. 7B3) Lung Disease: If you have asthma and are on maximum dosage of medication for daily maintenance, or have been hospitalized for your asthma within the last year, it is highly recommended to have a doctor's evaluation before coming. 7B4) Diabetes: If you have diabetes, please note that only the One Touch Ultra Meter, One Touch Fast Take Meter, and the One Touch Surestep have been tested and labeled for use up to 10,000 feet. Other models may give inaccurate readings of blood sugar levels at high altitude. 7C) Adjustment to Altitude: All people, even healthy and fit persons, will feel symptoms of Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) upon arrival at high altitude. Most people will have increased respiration and increased heart rate. Many people will have headaches, difficulty sleeping, lack of appetite, minor gastric and intestinal upsets, and mood changes. To help prevent these complications: 7C1) The Health Unit strongly/strongly recommends taking Acetazolamide (Diamox),125 mg twice a day -- starting one day before traveling, on the day of the trip, and two to three days after arriving at high altitude. This medication has a slight diuretic effect, and stimulates respiration. It is available only by prescription in the U.S., but can be obtained from M/MED (located in Columbia plaza across from Main State in WASHDC). Diamox cannot be taken by pregnant women and nursing mothers. Consider that many health care providers in the U.S. are not familiar with high-altitude medicine, don't let them dissuade you from taking the Diamox. If you have a severe allergy to sulfa, you may not be able to take Diamox. One possible alternative is Ginkgo Biloba at 80 - 120 mg twice a day. Ginkgo Biloba has experientially shown to be effective but does need further study. Do not take Ginkgo Biloba if you take blood-thinning medications. 7C2) Avoid alcohol and smoking for at least one week after your arrival. 7C3) Limit physical activity for the first 36 to 48 hours after your arrival. 7C4) For those who exercise, expect that you will not be able to perform your normal routine for several weeks. Please start slowly! 7D) Vaccinations: All routine childhood immunizations should be up to date. Yellow Fever vaccine is mandatory for all personnel who will travel to tropical areas. TDY personnel coming from the Washington, D.C. area should consult the immunization clinic in M/Med (phone: 202-663-1707) for current medical information and immunization recommendations. Please obtain this prior to arrival to assure immunity. Travelers from other areas should consult a travel medicine clinic in their area. If you plan to visit Brazil following your trip to Bolivia, you will be required to show immunization with the Yellow Fever vaccine. Bolivia is considered a Yellow Fever endemic country. 7E) If you plan on spending time in the malarious areas of Bolivia, please obtain your malaria prophylaxis prior to arrival. 7F) Medical Evacuation: Medical facilities in La Paz are not adequate to handle serious medical problems. There are no adequate facilities for the treatment of cardiac problems in La Paz. It is extremely important that TDY personnel not eligible for medical evacuation at U.S. Government expense take out medical evacuation insurance prior to travel to Bolivia. As FAA regulations prevent most U.S. registered air ambulances from landing at the La Paz airport, your insurance must cover the cost of travel from La Paz to other cities in Bolivia by non-U.S. registered aircraft. This is in addition to coverage for return to the United States. It is also important to be sure that your health insurance covers you overseas. You will be expected to pay up front for all medical bills incurred. 7G) Check-In: Please report to the Embassy Health Unit within the first 24-48 hours after arrival to receive further health related information concerning Bolivia. ¶8. Please contact post if you require further information at telephone number: (591) (2) 216-8000. GOLDBERG