NATIONWIDE STRIKE CLOSES BOLIVIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 003014 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL SUBJECT: NATIONWIDE STRIKE CLOSES BOLIVIA REF: LA PAZ 2823 Classified By: EcoPol Chief Mike Hammer, reasons 1.4b,d ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Spot report, 1400. By coincidence, both the Santa Cruz airport and the Bolivian ground transportation unions decided to hold a 24 hour strike on November 14. The transportation strike, protesting diesel shortages and rising inflation, has turned confrontational in Santa Cruz and La Paz, with blockading protesters attacking vehicles and drivers in some areas. In Cochabamba, the stoppage is nearly total. In La Paz, a blockade on the road from El Alto near the gasoline distribution zone has meant travelers coming in to La Paz face many miles on foot, while fuel to the city is at least temporarily cut off. The Bolivian government is providing military transportation between El Alto and the far south neighborhoods of La Paz. Heightened police presence is attempting to keep a route open between La Paz and the international airport in El Alto, however, flights from Miami into Bolivia have been canceled for the duration of the Santa Cruz airport strike (currently American Airlines is planning to run its evening flight into La Paz and Santa Cruz the night of November 14.) Meanwhile, the eastern indigenous group CIDOB and various altiplano groups in favor of the ruling Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party have announced plans to converge on Sucre in support of the Constituent Assembly: it is unclear if they will be delayed by the nationwide transportation strike. End Summary. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Santa Cruz Airport Closed, Again - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. At 8:00 PM on November 13, more than 230 workers from the Santa Cruz branch of the office of airport services (AASANA) followed through on their threat to strike for twenty-four hours, despite a full day of negotiations with the national government. The strike was in response to the freezing of the branch's accounts by the national branch, leaving AASANA Santa Cruz employees without salaries for two months. The full shut down of the airport forced the cancellation of all flights into and out of Santa Cruz's International Airport. The strike was just another incident of many involving AASANA Santa Cruz, including a military takeover of the Santa Cruz airport after AASANA Santa Cruz employees began demanding cash (reftel) from airlines. Santa Cruz Prefecture official Roly Aguilera and Civic Committee member Mario Bruno both said they were disappointed with the results, citing AASANA Santa Cruz members for being too impatient and the national government for not releasing the funds necessary to operate. As of 11:30 AM on Wednesday November 14, AASANA Santa Cruz officials had re-entered negotiations with Transportation and Communication Minister Kinn. If the negotiations are successful, the strike will end as planned at 8:00 PM November 14. If they are not, there is a possibility the strike will be extended. This will mean continued cancellations of both domestic and international flights in and out of Santa Cruz, and with Santa Cruz closed, American Airlines also cannot fly into La Paz. - - - - - Union No - - - - - ¶3. (C) The transportation unions are demanding an increase in prices they are allowed to charge, due to increased fuel prices and what they describe as inadequate maintenance of infrastructure. The government denied the price-increase and is not supporting the strike, trumpeting instead (via state media) the fact that some transportation is still moving in various cities. Despite Evo's history as a strike and blockade organizer, his government is taking a hard line against this protest, announcing that the government will not permit interruption of traffic and accusing the striking transport workers of protesting in their own interests for political gain. (Note: The government has also declared that many of the strikers are drunk. End note.) With a striking lack of strike solidarity, government scabs in the form of military vehicles and drivers are crossing the picket lines to provide transportation options between El Alto and the far-southern neighborhoods of La Paz (beyond the residential area of Zona Sur.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Police Say "Firmness" Needed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (C) The National Commander of the Police has ordered all police officers to be on call and has sent officers to the main roads to eliminate blockades. Commander Vasquez stated, "What is not permitted is to affect the rights of the rest of the people, because we have to be able to transport people from place to place...here authorities who act with firmness are needed." The police have been mobilized into Santa Cruz and Sucre. In Sucre, two opposing camps of protesters (one in favor of continuance of the Constituent Assembly and one pushing for inclusion of the question of the full capital in Sucre) and incoming groups of MAS-aligned indigenous groups have set the scene for potential violence. (Comment: The additional presence of police forces could serve to lower the risk of violence in Sucre, or it could serve as backup for the MAS-aligned groups in the case of confrontation with the opposition. End Comment.) - - - - - - - - - Fuel for the Fire - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) One of a list of reasons in the call for a strike was the increasing scarcity of diesel. After the Superintendent of Hydrocarbons promised that the diesel shortage would be solved by November 12, he has now announced the "guaranteed" arrival of 13 thousand cubic meters of diesel destined for Santa Cruz. The state hydrocarbons company YPFB is prioritizing imports of fuel from Argentina and Paraguay, and reportedly approximately 57 thousand cubic meters of diesel will arrive by Friday to be distributed nationwide. - - - - - - - - - - Flames Burn Higher? - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (C) Comment: President Morales' achilles heel is the economy. Although still popular in the polls, Evo is clearly aware of the fact that rising inflation and localized shortages of food and fuel are hurting him. His attempts to distract attention away from domestic crises (his accusations of a USG "plot" against him, the Minister of the Presidency's recent allegation that the opposition Partido Popular party in Spain and Spain's ex-president Aznar are also plotting against Evo) show increasing desperation and, to the extent that Evo believes his own accusations, paranoia. As things heat up in Sucre, watch for more wild accusations from Evo and the MAS. GOLDBERG