AMBASSADOR GOLDBERG'S AND PDAS SHAPIRO'S MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001993

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2017
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR GOLDBERG'S AND PDAS SHAPIRO'S MEETING
WITH VICE PRESIDENT GARCIA LINERA

REF: LA PAZ 1862

Classified By: Ambassador Philip Goldberg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: During a one-day visit to La Paz July 11,
PDAS Charles Shapiro and Ambassador Goldberg met with Foreign
Minister Choquehuanca and Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera
to review bilateral relations. Shapiro laid down a strong
marker that better bilateral relations require rhetorical
restraint from the GOB. Following on the heels of the Donna
Dinh affair (Reftel),the meetings focused on fallout from
that issue, the extension of ATPDEA, and narcotrafficing.
Choquehuanca, implicitly recognizing that Dinh had committed
no crime by bringing 500 rounds of sporting ammunition in her
suitcase, offered to close the issue by having Dinh pay a
small fine. Garcia Linera repeated this offer. Shapiro
returned repeatedly to his central message, that the specific
case of Donna Dinh was not the issue; at issue is the GOB,s
continued failure to treat us as a friend, and not an
adversary. End Summary.

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ForMin on Dinh
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2. (C) PDAS Shapiro and the Ambassador first met with the
foreign minister, who was accompanied by his advisor,
Ambassador Pablo Solon. Shapiro expressed his &concern8
with the GOB,s response to the Dinh ammunition incident, and
the broader implications of this response. Minister
Choquehuanca reiterated GOB concerns about the quantity of
bullets and quoted form the note verbale the MFA had sent the
embassy the previous week. Shapiro deferred to the
Ambassador, who reviewed the facts, then moved to the larger
issue of the bilateral relationship. &Countries need to be
able to work out bilateral irritants8 argued Shapiro. &If
we can't work together to address a case like this, how do we
address the more complicated bilateral issues that inevitably
arise in every relationship?8


3. (C) Choquehuanca argued that the Dinh case was a violation
of Bolivian sovereignty, and demonstrated disrespect towards
Bolivia. Shapiro returned to his theme of the need to work
these problems out quietly, through diplomatic channels.
&Countries can only work together effectively if they treat
each other with mutual respect,8 he argued. Moreover,
these kinds of incidents happen every day around the world.
"It was a mistake, nothing more." Choquehuanca emphasized
that the GOB seeks good relations with the United States. In
this regard, (and in an implicit recognition that Dinh
violated no Bolivian law) Choquehuanca and Solon noted that
the maximum possible legal penalty that could be levied
against Dinh would be a small customs fine and said that once
the fine is levied and paid, the GOB would consider the
matter closed. The Ambassador reminded them that the GOB
prosecutor had already determined that there was no case;
this was an internal GOB problem, not a bilateral issue. As
for an administrative fine, Ms. Dinh is a private citizen and
we cannot speak for her, but we see no problem with the
proposed course of action.

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Vice President
Garcia Linera
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4. (C) Shapiro opened the meeting along the same line he took
with the foreign minister. Garcia said the had been briefed
by Choquehuanca and Solon on the previous meeting and was
pleased that an acceptable solution seemed to be at hand.
Shapiro said there will always be issues in bilateral
relations; the key is working through these issues
effectively. The Dinh affair was essentially an innocent
mistake. GOB statements had compounded the issue, and turned
it into a bilateral irritant. Friction is always present in
bilateral relationships; successful management of the
friction is the key to successful relationships. Noting that

this instance highlights a weakness in our relationship,
Shapiro again noted that there will always be problems; the
key is effective management. VP Garcia Linera acknowledged
that Dinh had no ill intent, and lamented the damage the
incident had caused to the relationship between our two
countries. Garcia Linera said the GOB had closed the issue
for now. In reference to President Morales, Garcia Linera
warned he was unable to guarantee that others will not bring
it up again in the months ahead.

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ATPDEA
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5. (C) The VP thanked the Ambassador and PDAS Shapiro for the
extension, but noted the GOB would have preferred a longer
term. Expressing the GOB's desire for a more long-term
agreement, he said that the extension was a friendly and
important gesture, but eight months leaves uncertainty.
Shapiro responded the eight month extension required
tremendous effort by USTR and was the longest possible for
now; further extensions were not out of the question. The
Ambassador explained that when negotiating a commercial
agreement, we also need the appropriate political context
with partner governments that show they are doing their part.

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Counter-narcotics Certification
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6. (C) The Ambassador and PDAS Shapiro expressed concern over
the UN-reported Bolivian increases in coca cultivation. The
Ambassador added that the USG was after net reduction, not
just the eradication of 5,200 hectares. Shapiro noted
different views in Washington regarding Bolivia's
counter-narcotics certification. The VP responded that
although cocaleros are making efforts to reduce coca
production, they are seeing their incomes drop with
eradication. He said that without providing them
"complementary development," they will return to planting
more coca. Shapiro responded that it was unlikely that the
USG would make up economic activity. A/DCM Yates explained
how USAID selects the geographic areas for its alternative
development programs. The VP closed the meeting by saying
that GOB also wants net reduction and that the President
believes they can get the number of hectares down to 20,000
without violence, but US assistance will be critical to
achieve this.

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Comment
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7. (C) The GOB may finally be in the process of realizing
just how much self-inflicted damage has been done by its
mishandling of the Dinh affair, but Garcia Linera,s refusal
to guarantee that President Morales will not revive the issue
demonstrates once again that in instances of U.S.-GOB
tension, the Bolivian President is oftentimes the least
constructive GOB interlocutor. Still, it was clear from
Shapiro,s meetings with both the vice president and with the
foreign minister that the GOB would like to put this matter
behind them. Whether the GOB has learned any lessons about
diplomatic crisis management is another question, and given
President Morales' instant accusations whenever the U.S. is
involved, the answer is not necessarily hopeful. (Note: As
of July 18 there has been no movement by the Bolivian
prosecutor on the case.)

PDAS Shapiro had cleared this cable.
GOLDBERG