PRESIDENT MORALES' STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH

UNCLAS LA PAZ 000168 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL SUBJECT: PRESIDENT MORALES' STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH REF: LA PAZ 125 SUMMARY ¶1. President Evo Morales marked his first year in power on January 22 by giving a rambling four-and-a-half-hour State of the Union speech attended by the Ambassador and DCM. Morales triumphantly highlighted his government's accomplishments (hydrocarbons nationalization and macro-economic growth) and outlined his plans for this year (mining nationalization and education reform). Throughout the disjointed speech, Morales repeatedly praised Cuban and Venezuelan aid while taking swipes at the United States (Morales did praise a U.S. justice sector project). Other than the GOB's intention to sign commercial agreements with Libya, India, Iran, and South Africa, Morales offered little new substance. End summary. REVIEWING THE PAST, LOOKING FORWARD ¶2. President Morales marked his first year in power and the opening of the 2007 congressional term on January 22 with a four-and-a-half-hour State of the Union speech attended by the Ambassador and DCM. The main opposition party, Podemos, walked out of the session when Morales opened his speech with a joke about the Podemos senator who had him expelled from congress five years ago, and quipped that he owed his current position as president to this senator's action then. ¶3. Morales said that necessary economic and political changes remain with the Constituent Assembly, calling it "the best instrument for change for the country, to unite the national territory." The president reviewed the successes of his first year in office (hydrocarbons nationalization and macro-economic growth) and laid out his goals for this year, among them mining nationalization and education reform. Morales also threatened to nationalize any multinational company that does not "fulfill its promised investment or where there is proof of corruption." He also raised the MANPADS case, exhorting congress to bring responsible parties to justice. PRAISE FOR CUBA AND VENEZUELA ¶4. Throughout the speech Morales repeatedly praised Cuban and Venezuelan aid, at one point saying "the country that has suffered the most aggression (Cuba) from the empire is the one who has helped us most in public health." The president did give credit to the United States for USAID-financed justice centers but took other swipes. Citing the highly unusual case of a mentally-disturbed Amcit who traveled to Bolivia on a non-existent country's passport and blew up a hostel (Reftel),Morales justified his decision to require visas from American tourists. OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS ¶5. Morales announced a new push upon the World Health Organization to get the United Nations to de-list the coca leaf as a controlled substance. The president also announced that his government would sign commercial agreements with Libya, India, Iran, and South Africa. Morales said that his supporters are "very welcoming of such accords." There was no mention of ATPDEA or of pursuing any kind of trade agreement with the United States. COMMENT ¶6. Morales did not offer much new substance during his long and often disjointed speech. At one point, when Morales discovered the MAS congressional party chairman had fallen asleep, he publicly called for someone to give the congressman coca tea to keep him awake. While mentioning the United States in favorable terms once, clearly the darlings in his eyes are Cuba and Venezuela. End comment. URS