Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LAPAZ2714
2007-10-09 22:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy La Paz
Cable title:
DFM INVOKES IRAN-CONTRA TO JUSTIFY VISA ON AMCITS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0014 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHLP #2714 2822252 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 092252Z OCT 07 FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5212 INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 7123 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4497 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 8391 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 5621 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2847 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 3039 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4893 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 5485 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0088 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0578 RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 002714
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2017
TAGS: CVIS PGOV PREL PINR BL
SUBJECT: DFM INVOKES IRAN-CONTRA TO JUSTIFY VISA ON AMCITS
REF: LA PAZ 2713
Classified By: Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg for reasons 1.4 b and d.
1 (C) The Ambassador met with Deputy Foreign Minister Hugo
Fernandez October 5 in an effort to further clarify the
Bolivian government's intentions and plans for implementing a
new visa requirement on American citizens (reftel). The
Ambassador again asked whether the new requirement was based
on reciprocity and if so, whether the Bolivian government had
any plans to impose visas on other countries, for example
Schengen countries that demand visas of Bolivian citizens.
Fernandez replied that there were no plans to require visas
from Schengen countries and acknowledged that the issue was
not reciprocity.
Extreme Paranoia: Resurrecting Iran-Contra
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
¶2. (C) The Ambassador then questioned whether the Bolivian
government was truly concerned about the security threat from
AmCits as President Morales frequently states in private, as
well as public. Fernandez awkwardly admitted that security
was not the issue as the new visa requirement would not
enhance security since some of Bolivia's borders with its
neighbors are not policed at all. So, the decision is
politically motivated, the Ambassador pressed on. Fernandez
then explained that "there has not been a revolutionary
movement in Latin American history that the United States has
not tried to suppress." When asked to explain what he meant
by this, the Deputy Foreign Minister said that he remembers
"Iran-Contra" and "we do not want that to happen here (in
Bolivia)." Flabbergasted by Fernandez' comment, the
Ambassador dismissed this concern as preposterous. Fernandez
in turn shrugged his shoulders and raised his arms as if to
say, "one never knows."
¶3. (C) Comment: Fernandez' Iran-Contra comment reflects a
level of paranoia about U.S. intentions even deeper than we
have come to expect. Evo is always at the ready to blame the
United States for his inability to advance his domestic
"change" program and firmly believes that we are attempting
to stymie his revolutionary agenda. It is now becoming
evident that Morales and his inner circle are convinced that
the United States will do something to remove them from
office no matter what assurances we provide to the contrary.
GOLDBERG