Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LAPAZ1401
2007-05-22 18:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy La Paz
Cable title:
GOB INSISTS VENEZUELAN ASSISTANCE IS NOT
how-toVZCZCXYZ0002 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHLP #1401 1421819 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 221819Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3646 INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6794 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4131 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 8021 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 5267 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2505 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 2640 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 3481 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4624 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 5135 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 9732 RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0332 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001401
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON MARR MASS MOPS BL VE
SUBJECT: GOB INSISTS VENEZUELAN ASSISTANCE IS NOT
INTERFERENCE
Classified By: Ecopol Counselor Andrew Erickson for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001401
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON MARR MASS MOPS BL VE
SUBJECT: GOB INSISTS VENEZUELAN ASSISTANCE IS NOT
INTERFERENCE
Classified By: Ecopol Counselor Andrew Erickson for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (U) In a meeting between the Bolivian and Venezuelan
militaries May 21, Venezuelan Ambassador Julio Montes
announced that his country donated $30 million last year to
Bolivia, part of which the GOB will use to improve military
barracks. Montes suggested revamping the Bolivian military
to defend Bolivia's natural resources. He said "we need to
state a new vision of security and defense for the continent
in the face of an even bigger and more developed enemy."
Montes further asserted that Bolivia and Venezuela "have the
responsibility to take on the daily fight to be liberated
from imperialism," comparing the present day "imperialist"
system to Spanish colonialism.
2. (U) The GOB defended its close relationship with Venezuela
in a string of May 21 statements. Unidentified GOB officials
said "the idea is to build a new nation-- Bolivia's relations
with Cuba/Venezuela are based on shared ideologies and on the
objective of building a new fatherland." Minister of
Government Octavio Rada said "we've never hidden the shared
ideas we have with Chavez... (and) Castro." Rada further
contended that Bolivia is not subordinate to or dependent on
Venezuela. "You're not going to find examples of
subordination or dependence like there was in the neoliberal
governments that each year were examined by the IMF, the
World Bank and the U.S. Embassy in order to know what one had
to do in Bolivia," he said. Rada's father-in-law, MAS Deputy
Gustavo Torrico added that "we maintain good relations with
Venezuela, with Cuba, with other countries in Latin America
also, because we share a dream of building a new fatherland,
the great South American fatherland." Defense Minister Walker
San Miguel said rumors of "Venezuelan expansionism in all of
Latin America and other crazy ideas .... are meant to attack
the real process we are living, because integration is not
equal to subordination, solidarity is not interference,
respect for sovereignty doesn't have anything to do with
expansionism." GOB spokesman Alex Contreras echoed these
views, stating that Bolivia is not dependent on Venezuela but
enjoys Venezuela's unconditional support.
3. (U) Opposition politicians lost little time in
criticizing the increasingly close ties between Bolivia,
Venezuela and Cuba. Podemos leader Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga
accused President Morales' government of being "submissive"
in the face of President Chavez' "hegemonic hemispheric
project, the most dangerous in Latin America." Quiroga
concluded by calling for Morales to "divorce Hugo Chavez and
wed Bolivia."
4. (C) Comment: The GOB's energetic responses to criticisms
of its relationship with Venezuela come across as defensive.
Also, many of its comments about shared ideologies with Cuba
and Venezuela and creation of a South American fatherland
raise more questions than they answer. While several
opposition leaders denounced Venezuelan interference in
internal Bolivian affairs, the public outcry on this issues
remains somewhat faint. End comment.
GOLDBERG
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON MARR MASS MOPS BL VE
SUBJECT: GOB INSISTS VENEZUELAN ASSISTANCE IS NOT
INTERFERENCE
Classified By: Ecopol Counselor Andrew Erickson for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (U) In a meeting between the Bolivian and Venezuelan
militaries May 21, Venezuelan Ambassador Julio Montes
announced that his country donated $30 million last year to
Bolivia, part of which the GOB will use to improve military
barracks. Montes suggested revamping the Bolivian military
to defend Bolivia's natural resources. He said "we need to
state a new vision of security and defense for the continent
in the face of an even bigger and more developed enemy."
Montes further asserted that Bolivia and Venezuela "have the
responsibility to take on the daily fight to be liberated
from imperialism," comparing the present day "imperialist"
system to Spanish colonialism.
2. (U) The GOB defended its close relationship with Venezuela
in a string of May 21 statements. Unidentified GOB officials
said "the idea is to build a new nation-- Bolivia's relations
with Cuba/Venezuela are based on shared ideologies and on the
objective of building a new fatherland." Minister of
Government Octavio Rada said "we've never hidden the shared
ideas we have with Chavez... (and) Castro." Rada further
contended that Bolivia is not subordinate to or dependent on
Venezuela. "You're not going to find examples of
subordination or dependence like there was in the neoliberal
governments that each year were examined by the IMF, the
World Bank and the U.S. Embassy in order to know what one had
to do in Bolivia," he said. Rada's father-in-law, MAS Deputy
Gustavo Torrico added that "we maintain good relations with
Venezuela, with Cuba, with other countries in Latin America
also, because we share a dream of building a new fatherland,
the great South American fatherland." Defense Minister Walker
San Miguel said rumors of "Venezuelan expansionism in all of
Latin America and other crazy ideas .... are meant to attack
the real process we are living, because integration is not
equal to subordination, solidarity is not interference,
respect for sovereignty doesn't have anything to do with
expansionism." GOB spokesman Alex Contreras echoed these
views, stating that Bolivia is not dependent on Venezuela but
enjoys Venezuela's unconditional support.
3. (U) Opposition politicians lost little time in
criticizing the increasingly close ties between Bolivia,
Venezuela and Cuba. Podemos leader Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga
accused President Morales' government of being "submissive"
in the face of President Chavez' "hegemonic hemispheric
project, the most dangerous in Latin America." Quiroga
concluded by calling for Morales to "divorce Hugo Chavez and
wed Bolivia."
4. (C) Comment: The GOB's energetic responses to criticisms
of its relationship with Venezuela come across as defensive.
Also, many of its comments about shared ideologies with Cuba
and Venezuela and creation of a South American fatherland
raise more questions than they answer. While several
opposition leaders denounced Venezuelan interference in
internal Bolivian affairs, the public outcry on this issues
remains somewhat faint. End comment.
GOLDBERG