BOLIVIA DEMARCHE REPLY: OPPOSING UNGA RESOLUTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 003136 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY (ADDING CLASSIFIED BY LINE) SIPDIS IO/UNP FOR ERIN MCLINN WHA FOR SHELBY SMITH-WILSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2017 TAGS: PREL UNGA UN IS BL SUBJECT: BOLIVIA DEMARCHE REPLY: OPPOSING UNGA RESOLUTIONS WITH ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS REF: SECSTATE 159386 Classified by : EcoPol chief Mike Hammer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) PolOff delivered reftel demarche November 28 to MFA Director of Multilateral Affairs Rubin Viduarre. Viduarre said matters pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are typically discussed with Latin American counterparts at the United Nations (Grupo Latina America). Although Bolivia will make its own decision, countries seldom break with the group consensus regarding voting on reftel votes and Bolivia is likely to follow suit. ¶2. (C) Viduarre listened politely to the arguments for terminating these UN bodies, but did not take notes, as he typically does, and stressed that the decision would be made by the Bolivian delegation in New York. He added, "It will not matter what we (MFA) tell them." This is consistent with a trend reported by various MFA contacts that careerist advice is routinely not asked for or ignored. Viduarre seemed frustrated with recent MFA attempts to influence UN decision-making being superseded by instructions from the Presidential Palace. GOLDBERG