CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY: VP'S VIEWS AND SANTA CRUZ

UNCLAS LA PAZ 001678

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL
SUBJECT: CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY: VP'S VIEWS AND SANTA CRUZ
BLUES

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Summary
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1. (U) La Paz daily newspaper La Prensa on June 17 published
an interview with Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera where
he opined on the Constituent Assembly (CA) and the CA's
hottest issue, autonomy. Garcia Linera reiterated his oft
stated remark that "departmental autonomy is guaranteed" and
then explained that the MAS has two competing visions
regarding "indigenous autonomy," an "easy" and a "difficult"
vision. The easy option maintains the country's existing
internal boundaries while the difficult solution would carve
up the country along historical indigenous lines. In neither
case did the vice president explain what authorities the new
indigenous territories would possess. While Garcia Linera
met with La Prensa, the "Provisional Assembly for Santa
Cruz's Autonomy" met and issued a ten point resolution on
June 16 outlining its plans for defending departmental
autonomy in the CA. End Summary.

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Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera's Views
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2. (U) La Paz daily newspaper La Prensa on June 17 published
an interview with Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera where
he opined on the Constituent Assembly (CA) and the CA's
hottest issue, autonomy. Garcia Linera argued that the
current tensions in the CA were foreseeable, noting he always
expected the last months of the CA to be the most difficult.
He called the concept of making Sucre Bolivia's complete
capital (to include the legislative and executive branch, not
just the judiciary) an "immoral and irresponsible" tactic by
certain opposition members to bargain for autonomy. The vice
president added that the opposition's strategy is to create
tension and obstacles within the CA.


3. (U) Garcia Linera reiterated his oft stated remark that

"departmental autonomy is guaranteed" and then explained that
the MAS has two competing visions regarding "indigenous
autonomy," an "easy" and a "difficult" vision. The easy
option he defined as the grouping of two to three majority
"indigenous" municipalities into an indigenous territory, or
various provinces into a "macro indigenous territory." He
added that where all provinces of a department are majority
indigenous, then the department could become an indigenous
department. He also floated the idea of "indigenous regions"
in the areas where indigenous groups cross departmental
borders. Garcia Linera explained that these indigenous
regions, departments, and municipalities could coexist within
Bolivia's current internal boundaries but failed to explain
what authorities they would possess. The difficult option,
according to the vice president, is the proposal to
reconstruct the country's internal boundaries along the
historical land frontiers of Bolivia's indigenous peoples.

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The Media Luna's Response
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4. (U) While the Garcia Linera met with La Prensa, the
"Provisional Assembly for Santa Cruz's Autonomy" met and
issued a ten point resolution on June 16 outlining its plans
for defending departmental autonomy in the CA. In the
resolution, the Assembly declares a "regional state of
emergency to defend the rule of law." The resolution calls
for Crucenos to fully support delegates who defend "Santa
Cruz's citizens sovereignty" and calls any CA delegate from
Santa Cruz who does not defend the July 2, 2006 autonomy
referendum a "traitor of Santa Cruz." It also calls on
residents to form "Autonomy Circles" (neighborhood groups) to
inform, mobilize, and defend the autonomy referendum and
encourages Crucenos to march on Sucre and establish a
permanent vigil until the CA commissions "reconsider" their
reports. The Prefect of Tarija Mario Cossio echoed many of

the sentiments in the resolution stating that, "What cannot
happen is that indigenous autonomy . . .has the same
authority as that of the department, which is in essence the
political plan that the MAS is promoting."

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Comment
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5. (SBU) While the vice president may have tried to diffuse
some of the passions over autonomy, most of his interview
statements will not satisfy the four eastern departments.
The June 16 Santa Cruz resolution illustrates that the east
is preparing for a fight. The fight may not simply be a
political debate in the halls of the Colegio Junin (where the
CA commissions are meeting),but also in the streets of
Sucre, Santa Cruz, and other cities around Bolivia. End
Comment.
URS