CORRECTED COPY-AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LA PAZ 000021 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY--CORRECTING COMMENT TEXT SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2017 TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL SUBJECT: CORRECTED COPY-AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH VFM DORFLER ON NEW VISA SYSTEM LA PAZ 00000021 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Amb. Philip S. Goldberg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY ¶1. (C) The Ambassador met separately with Vice Foreign Minister Maurico Dorfler and Vice President Garcia Linera (Septel) on January 3 to discuss the GOB's presidential decrees requiring all American citizens to obtain Bolivian visas. The Ambassador acknowledged that the GOB is within its right to determine its own migration control systems, but lamented the apparent political motives behind the move and highlighted the lack of prior notification. VFM Dorfler defensively argued that it was a matter of reciprocity. End summary. MEETING WITH VFM DORFLER ¶2. (C) On January 3 the Ambassador met with Vice Foreign Minister Guillermo Dorfler to discuss the GOB's January 1 presidential decrees requiring all American citizens to obtain Bolivian visas. The Ambassador also raised the issuance of Bolivian consular cards to Bolivian citizens in the United States. VFM Dorfler started the meeting by saying that requiring visas was a matter of reciprocity and that the decree would be put on the books within seven days. The Ambassador highlighted the lack of notification and the confusion created by the surprise announcement, to which Dorfler replied "we'll publish the rules." The Ambassador stated that Bolivia has every right to determine its visa requirements, but that Bolivian handling of the matter - - including raising outrageous charges of U.S. "attempts to undermine" the government - - was a political message, not about reciprocity. Dorfler defended the GOB decision by citing the example of VP Garcia Linera's denied boarding and the fact that the U.S. requires Bolivians to obtain visas. The VFM told the Ambassador that "now you will know how Bolivians feel." The Ambassador replied that he had already gone over the vice president's incident with President Morales and that it was not justification for the GOB's actions. When pressed for details on how the visa scheme would be implemented, Dorfler hastily sent an assistant to bring him a piece of paper, looked at it, and then admitted that the procedures were "still being developed." He offered a few details (two of which are not required by the U.S. application system) and agreed that MFA would meet with Embassy officials to discuss the details. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador then moved on to the subject of the consular card that the GOB announced would be sold to Bolivian citizens in the United States. The Ambassador asked why the USG was not consulted about this issue. He also asked why Foreign Minister Choquehuanca was promising that the consular card would allow Bolivians to obtain American LA PAZ 00000021 002.2 OF 002 services, such as access to medical services. The Ambassador pointed out that the USG takes great pains to respect Bolivian sovereignty and questioned the appearance of the GOB trying to issue documents to be used domestically in the U.S. VFM Dorfler responded that "I suppose we should discuss whether the U.S. will accept the card." COMMENT ¶4. (C) VFM Dorfler is a career diplomat who stuck to his talking points. We will work with the GOB to try to make the new visa rules as palatable as possible. As with the hydrocarbons "nationalization", the GOB's rhetoric often outpaces its actions once reality sets in. With the visa system, the GOB has already received a deluge of criticism from the tourist industry, the media, and, in private, the U.S. Embassy. End Comment. GOLDBERG