Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LAPAZ1675
2007-06-18 20:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy La Paz
Cable title:  

TARIJA LEADERS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT STATE OF AFFAIRS

Tags:  ECON PGOV PREL BL 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001675 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2017
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: TARIJA LEADERS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT STATE OF AFFAIRS

Classified By: CDA Kris Urs for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

-------
SUMMARY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001675

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2017
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: TARIJA LEADERS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT STATE OF AFFAIRS

Classified By: CDA Kris Urs for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Tarija political and business leaders expressed
pessimism and a growing concern about the state of Bolivian
affairs in a June 14 meeting with Emboff. The president of
the Tarija Civic Committee, president of the Tarija Chamber
of Commerce, and the governor's chief of staff all predicted
violence in the eastern half of Bolivia if the Constituent
Assembly (CA) does not include departmental autonomy in the
proposed new constitution. The three all complained that the
central government will not fund projects in
opposition-controlled Tarija and agreed that unless the
opposition is able to unite nationwide, Evo Morales and the
MAS party will continue to tighten its grip on power. End
summary.

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PESSIMISTIC AND WORRIED
--------------


2. (C) On June 14 Emboff met with Tarija Civic Committee
President Reynaldo Bayard, Tarija Chamber of Commerce
President Julio Kohlberg, and the Tarija governor's Chief of
Staff Adrian Oliva Alcazar. All three expressed pessimism
and a growing concern about the state of Bolivian affairs and
predicted that violence would break out in eastern Bolivia if
the CA does not include departmental autonomy in the proposed
new constitution. Civic Committee President Bayard said he
was in close consultation with pro-autonomy civic committees
from other departments and that undoubtedly there will be
more public pro-autonomy demonstrations in the coming weeks.
Bayard questioned whether Evo Morales realizes that Bolivia
may be on the brink of violence. Mr. Oliva lamented the lack
of coordination or support from the national government and
said the Morales administration "will not approve projects in
Tarija because we are not MAS-controlled." Bayard and
Kohlberg echoed the sentiment, with Kohlberg adding that
"Tarija prospers despite the central government."

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UNITED BUT DIVIDED
--------------


3. (C) Chief of Staff Oliva said he admires the MAS
communication apparatus and that the national government's
radio signal now reaches the entire department of Tarija. He
lamented the fact that although the opposition is united in
its support for departmental autonomy, "personal rivalries
keep us divided." (Comment: Tarija Governor Mario Cossio and
Mayor Oscar Montes are known rivals. End Comment.) Kohlberg
stressed the need for the opposition to get past "personal
interests" and unite as one front "for the sake of Bolivia".
Reynaldo Bayard said he realized the MAS is using a "divide
and conquer strategy" to tighten its grip on power. He added
that the old political leadership "like Tuto Quiroga" stands
in the way of the emergence of a new opposition leader.

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COMMENT
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4. (C) The Tarija leadership is worried that Evo Morales
and the MAS will push through a watered-down version of
autonomy, which favors "indigenous" autonomy over
"departmental" autonomy, in the CA. Contacts throughout the
country have echoed Tarija's concerns about the possibility
of violence resulting from the CA's outcome. Bolivia's
political opposition, meantime, remains divided and would
require a tremendous amount of personal and political will to
unite. End Comment.
URS