Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LAPAZ2764
2007-10-15 20:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy La Paz
Cable title:
BOLIVIA: MORALES RAISES THE RHETORIC
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C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 002764
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: MORALES RAISES THE RHETORIC
Classified By: Amb. Philip S. Goldberg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 002764
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: MORALES RAISES THE RHETORIC
Classified By: Amb. Philip S. Goldberg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (U) President Evo Morales, in a speech given to an
indigenous gathering (attended by Guatemalan Nobel Peace
Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu) in the Chapare on October 12,
continued to ratchet up his anti-American rhetoric. Morales
opened the speech by yelling "long live coca, death to the
Yankees" and having the crowd repeat it back three times so
that "Ambassador Goldberg can hear us." Morales reiterated
his call to move the United Nations outside of the United
States and accused the USG of funding opposition groups
through USAID. Morales also barred Ambassador Goldberg from
the Presidential Palace, saying "if the ambassador of the
United States does not apologize (for an ironic aside in
response to the Bolivian Government's "campaign" to move the
United Nations from the US) to the Bolivian people, to Evo
Morales as president, then the ambassador does not step foot
in the Palace and he is not a valid interlocutor." Morales
reminded the crowd that many other presidents such as Castro,
Chavez, and Kirschner support him and that "we are not alone,
we are not interested in the United States." Evo said the
airport in Chimore (Chapare) "was constructed by the United
States to put an end to coca" but instead of achieving that
objective, "they built an airport so that the president of
Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, the vice president of Cuba, Carlos
Lage, and indigenous leaders from the world could arrive in
Bolivia."
2. (U) Later that evening Foreign Minister David
Choquehuanca told the press that relations with the U.S.
would be conducted through diplomatic channels. A Radio
Erbol (government aligned) report on October 15, however,
stated that the MAS government and the Ministry of Foreign
Relations are considering declaring Ambassador Goldberg
"persona non grata."
3. (C) Comment: Morales' statements about the U.S. come
several days after the Vice Foreign Minister and the
Ambassador had "closed" the current diplomatic dispute
between the GOB and the Embassy with a handshake, a public
statement, and an exchange of diplomatic notes. The VFM had
said several times that the agreement had the approval of
Foreign Minister Choquehuanca. Moreover, the VFM had stated
publicly that the Ambassador's explanations were adequate.
It is clear, however, that this did not satisfy Morales
himself, who may be unaware -- and unconcerned -- that his
Foreign Ministry decided to end the matter. End comment.
GOLDBERG
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: MORALES RAISES THE RHETORIC
Classified By: Amb. Philip S. Goldberg for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (U) President Evo Morales, in a speech given to an
indigenous gathering (attended by Guatemalan Nobel Peace
Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu) in the Chapare on October 12,
continued to ratchet up his anti-American rhetoric. Morales
opened the speech by yelling "long live coca, death to the
Yankees" and having the crowd repeat it back three times so
that "Ambassador Goldberg can hear us." Morales reiterated
his call to move the United Nations outside of the United
States and accused the USG of funding opposition groups
through USAID. Morales also barred Ambassador Goldberg from
the Presidential Palace, saying "if the ambassador of the
United States does not apologize (for an ironic aside in
response to the Bolivian Government's "campaign" to move the
United Nations from the US) to the Bolivian people, to Evo
Morales as president, then the ambassador does not step foot
in the Palace and he is not a valid interlocutor." Morales
reminded the crowd that many other presidents such as Castro,
Chavez, and Kirschner support him and that "we are not alone,
we are not interested in the United States." Evo said the
airport in Chimore (Chapare) "was constructed by the United
States to put an end to coca" but instead of achieving that
objective, "they built an airport so that the president of
Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, the vice president of Cuba, Carlos
Lage, and indigenous leaders from the world could arrive in
Bolivia."
2. (U) Later that evening Foreign Minister David
Choquehuanca told the press that relations with the U.S.
would be conducted through diplomatic channels. A Radio
Erbol (government aligned) report on October 15, however,
stated that the MAS government and the Ministry of Foreign
Relations are considering declaring Ambassador Goldberg
"persona non grata."
3. (C) Comment: Morales' statements about the U.S. come
several days after the Vice Foreign Minister and the
Ambassador had "closed" the current diplomatic dispute
between the GOB and the Embassy with a handshake, a public
statement, and an exchange of diplomatic notes. The VFM had
said several times that the agreement had the approval of
Foreign Minister Choquehuanca. Moreover, the VFM had stated
publicly that the Ambassador's explanations were adequate.
It is clear, however, that this did not satisfy Morales
himself, who may be unaware -- and unconcerned -- that his
Foreign Ministry decided to end the matter. End comment.
GOLDBERG