Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LAPAZ1403
2007-05-22 18:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy La Paz
Cable title:
FENCOMIN CONSIDERING FORMING OWN POLITICAL PARTY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001403
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2017
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: FENCOMIN CONSIDERING FORMING OWN POLITICAL PARTY
Classified By: Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001403
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2017
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: FENCOMIN CONSIDERING FORMING OWN POLITICAL PARTY
Classified By: Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (C) At the request of the National Federation of
Cooperative Miners of Bolivia (FENCOMIN),Emboffs met with
FENCOMIN President Andres Villca Daza and Press Relations
Coordinator Jose Antonio Condori on May 18. This is the
first time in some time that FENCOMIN has approached the
Embassy, and FENCOMIN told Emboffs that the federation is
considering forming its own political party, having grown
disillusioned with the policies of President Morales's
Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. Villca stated that
FENCOMIN currently is not politically allied with any group,
having broken with the MAS over recent proposed changes to
the mining code which would have been prejudicial to
FENCOMIN's independent miners. Villca anticipates that a
FENCOMIN-backed political party would not have the power to
elect a president, but would be able to elect at least one
senator, which would allow their grievances to be heard on a
national level.
2. (C) In the meeting, Villca commented that in the past
FENCOMIN had supported MAS but that now the federation feels
it has no say in the government it helped elect. He claimed
that in the recent violence in Huanuni, the MAS "militarized"
the conflict between FENCOMIN and salaried miners, leading to
violence. Villca suggested that the MAS may be trying to
eliminate the cooperatives completely. The cooperativist
miners have, in fact, recently been the cause of a very
public retreat on the part of MAS and President Morales (over
a question of increased mine taxes),and it is not hard to
imagine that MAS might wish for the disappearance of a
difficult former ally.
3. (C) Comment: A public break from MAS on the part of
FENCOMIN could be both a symbolic and practical blow to
President Morales. Further rupture between FENCOMIN and MAS
could hurt President Morales, since his popularity is based
in part on the backing of the disenfranchised sectors of
society. The independent miner in Bolivia is to some extent
a symbol of national pride, and the idea that this
prototypical Bolivian no longer supports the populist
president could cause difficulties for Morales. More
practically, FENCOMIN members are estimated to number between
45,000 and 60,000, and if FENCOMIN family-members also
support the new FENCOMIN-backed party, the MAS could lose a
significant block of votes. Additionally, FENCOMIN members
have in the past figured prominently in street protests
backing the MAS: the loss of a large number of
dynamite-tossing supporters could weaken the MAS's street
presence. End Comment.
GOLDBERG
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2017
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: FENCOMIN CONSIDERING FORMING OWN POLITICAL PARTY
Classified By: Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (C) At the request of the National Federation of
Cooperative Miners of Bolivia (FENCOMIN),Emboffs met with
FENCOMIN President Andres Villca Daza and Press Relations
Coordinator Jose Antonio Condori on May 18. This is the
first time in some time that FENCOMIN has approached the
Embassy, and FENCOMIN told Emboffs that the federation is
considering forming its own political party, having grown
disillusioned with the policies of President Morales's
Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. Villca stated that
FENCOMIN currently is not politically allied with any group,
having broken with the MAS over recent proposed changes to
the mining code which would have been prejudicial to
FENCOMIN's independent miners. Villca anticipates that a
FENCOMIN-backed political party would not have the power to
elect a president, but would be able to elect at least one
senator, which would allow their grievances to be heard on a
national level.
2. (C) In the meeting, Villca commented that in the past
FENCOMIN had supported MAS but that now the federation feels
it has no say in the government it helped elect. He claimed
that in the recent violence in Huanuni, the MAS "militarized"
the conflict between FENCOMIN and salaried miners, leading to
violence. Villca suggested that the MAS may be trying to
eliminate the cooperatives completely. The cooperativist
miners have, in fact, recently been the cause of a very
public retreat on the part of MAS and President Morales (over
a question of increased mine taxes),and it is not hard to
imagine that MAS might wish for the disappearance of a
difficult former ally.
3. (C) Comment: A public break from MAS on the part of
FENCOMIN could be both a symbolic and practical blow to
President Morales. Further rupture between FENCOMIN and MAS
could hurt President Morales, since his popularity is based
in part on the backing of the disenfranchised sectors of
society. The independent miner in Bolivia is to some extent
a symbol of national pride, and the idea that this
prototypical Bolivian no longer supports the populist
president could cause difficulties for Morales. More
practically, FENCOMIN members are estimated to number between
45,000 and 60,000, and if FENCOMIN family-members also
support the new FENCOMIN-backed party, the MAS could lose a
significant block of votes. Additionally, FENCOMIN members
have in the past figured prominently in street protests
backing the MAS: the loss of a large number of
dynamite-tossing supporters could weaken the MAS's street
presence. End Comment.
GOLDBERG