Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LAPAZ1085
2007-04-18 19:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy La Paz
Cable title:
OPPOSITION PREFECTS SIGN AUTONOMY PACT
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C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001085
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION PREFECTS SIGN AUTONOMY PACT
REF: A. LA PAZ 859
B. LA PAZ 103
C. LA PAZ 96
D. LA PAZ 84
E. LA PAZ 83
F. LA PAZ 75
G. LA PAZ 54
Classified By: Ecopol Chief Andrew Erickson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.
-------
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001085
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION PREFECTS SIGN AUTONOMY PACT
REF: A. LA PAZ 859
B. LA PAZ 103
C. LA PAZ 96
D. LA PAZ 84
E. LA PAZ 83
F. LA PAZ 75
G. LA PAZ 54
Classified By: Ecopol Chief Andrew Erickson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) The opposition prefects of Beni, Cochabamba, Pando,
Santa Cruz, and Tarija met on April 15 and all except
Cochabamba signed a pact to defend departmental autonomy. The
pact calls for respect for existing departmental borders,
endorses moving the executive and legislative branches from
La Paz to Sucre, demands direct elections for department
executive and legislative offices, and requests that
departments be able to raise their own funds. During the
meeting, the prefects accused President Morales of paralyzing
key infrastructure projects and directly disbursing
Venezuelan assistance checks to municipalities (reftel A) to
thwart both their regional development plans and their
autonomy campaign. The prefect's meeting and the resulting
pact were not unexpected, but did lay down, yet again, a
clear marker for the Constituent Assembly (CA) that the
eastern departments will reject any constitution that fails
to include autonomy. End Summary.
-------------- --
Opposition Prefects Meet and Sign Autonomy Pact
-------------- --
2. (SBU) The opposition prefects of Beni, Cochabamba, Pando,
Santa Cruz, and Tarija met on April 15 and all except
Cochabamba Prefect Manfred Reyes Villa signed a pact to
defend departmental autonomy. Reyes presumably did not sign
because voters in his department voted "no" in the July 2006
autonomy referendum. Also, his last attempt to call for a new
autonomy referendum in Cochabamba sparked January's violent
protests where pro-GOB supporters tried to oust him (reftels
B-G). The pact calls for respect for existing departmental
borders and intra-departmental units (provinces and cantons),
endorses moving the executive and legislative branches from
La Paz to Sucre, demands direct elections for department
executive and legislative offices, and requests that
departments have the right to raise their own funds.
--------------
GOB Blocks Prefects' Plans
--------------
3. (SBU) During the meeting, the prefects accused President
Morales of paralyzing key infrastructure projects to thwart
both their regional development plans and their primary
objective of autonomy. Beni Prefect Ernesto Suarez noted the
GOB has not progressed on an Andean Development Corporation
financed USD 40 million road paving project. Tarija's Cossio
stated that the GOB has hindered the construction of roads
and a natural gas pipeline in his department. Responding to
the criticism, Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera (acting as
interim president while Morales was in Venezuela) stated that
Tarija, as Bolivia's richest department, should contribute
more funds (up to seventy percent) to road construction.
Cossio countered by stating that his prefecture was willing
to invest more in roads, but that under current laws
departments are legally barred from contributing funds to
national road projects.
4. (SBU) The prefects also asserted that President Morales'
direct disbursement of Venezuelan assistance checks to
municipalities, circumventing the departmental governments,
undercuts them politically (reftels A). Press reports
indicate that Venezuela has committed up to USD 30 million
for this program. According to the Minister of Interior, the
GOB has distributed USD 6.7 million to 145 of Bolivia's 328
municipalities; USD 4 million has been authorized for 27
municipalities in Beni and Pando.
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (C) The prefects' meeting and the resulting pact were not
unexpected, but did lay down, yet again, a clear marker for
the CA that the eastern departments will reject any new
constitution that fails to include departmental autonomy.
The pact also demonstrates the Morales' failure to build
relationships with Bolivia's prefects, instead exacerbating
the already wide gulf between them. End Comment.
GOLDBERG
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION PREFECTS SIGN AUTONOMY PACT
REF: A. LA PAZ 859
B. LA PAZ 103
C. LA PAZ 96
D. LA PAZ 84
E. LA PAZ 83
F. LA PAZ 75
G. LA PAZ 54
Classified By: Ecopol Chief Andrew Erickson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) The opposition prefects of Beni, Cochabamba, Pando,
Santa Cruz, and Tarija met on April 15 and all except
Cochabamba signed a pact to defend departmental autonomy. The
pact calls for respect for existing departmental borders,
endorses moving the executive and legislative branches from
La Paz to Sucre, demands direct elections for department
executive and legislative offices, and requests that
departments be able to raise their own funds. During the
meeting, the prefects accused President Morales of paralyzing
key infrastructure projects and directly disbursing
Venezuelan assistance checks to municipalities (reftel A) to
thwart both their regional development plans and their
autonomy campaign. The prefect's meeting and the resulting
pact were not unexpected, but did lay down, yet again, a
clear marker for the Constituent Assembly (CA) that the
eastern departments will reject any constitution that fails
to include autonomy. End Summary.
-------------- --
Opposition Prefects Meet and Sign Autonomy Pact
-------------- --
2. (SBU) The opposition prefects of Beni, Cochabamba, Pando,
Santa Cruz, and Tarija met on April 15 and all except
Cochabamba Prefect Manfred Reyes Villa signed a pact to
defend departmental autonomy. Reyes presumably did not sign
because voters in his department voted "no" in the July 2006
autonomy referendum. Also, his last attempt to call for a new
autonomy referendum in Cochabamba sparked January's violent
protests where pro-GOB supporters tried to oust him (reftels
B-G). The pact calls for respect for existing departmental
borders and intra-departmental units (provinces and cantons),
endorses moving the executive and legislative branches from
La Paz to Sucre, demands direct elections for department
executive and legislative offices, and requests that
departments have the right to raise their own funds.
--------------
GOB Blocks Prefects' Plans
--------------
3. (SBU) During the meeting, the prefects accused President
Morales of paralyzing key infrastructure projects to thwart
both their regional development plans and their primary
objective of autonomy. Beni Prefect Ernesto Suarez noted the
GOB has not progressed on an Andean Development Corporation
financed USD 40 million road paving project. Tarija's Cossio
stated that the GOB has hindered the construction of roads
and a natural gas pipeline in his department. Responding to
the criticism, Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera (acting as
interim president while Morales was in Venezuela) stated that
Tarija, as Bolivia's richest department, should contribute
more funds (up to seventy percent) to road construction.
Cossio countered by stating that his prefecture was willing
to invest more in roads, but that under current laws
departments are legally barred from contributing funds to
national road projects.
4. (SBU) The prefects also asserted that President Morales'
direct disbursement of Venezuelan assistance checks to
municipalities, circumventing the departmental governments,
undercuts them politically (reftels A). Press reports
indicate that Venezuela has committed up to USD 30 million
for this program. According to the Minister of Interior, the
GOB has distributed USD 6.7 million to 145 of Bolivia's 328
municipalities; USD 4 million has been authorized for 27
municipalities in Beni and Pando.
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (C) The prefects' meeting and the resulting pact were not
unexpected, but did lay down, yet again, a clear marker for
the CA that the eastern departments will reject any new
constitution that fails to include departmental autonomy.
The pact also demonstrates the Morales' failure to build
relationships with Bolivia's prefects, instead exacerbating
the already wide gulf between them. End Comment.
GOLDBERG