BOLIVIA: EVO CONTINUES TO LASH OUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001388

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ASEC BL
SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: EVO CONTINUES TO LASH OUT

Classified By: EcoPol Chief Mike Hammer
reasons 1.4b,d

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Twisting the Ambassador's Return to DC
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1. (SBU) Despite a public statement that outlined the
Department's concerns over the safety of the Embassy and the
Bolivian government's responsibilities under the Vienna
Convention, Evo and his ministers are now trying to twist the
Ambassador's recall to Washington to suit their own
propaganda needs. On June 17, Foreign Minister Choquehuanca
said that he hoped that upon his return to Bolivia, the
Ambassador "will be able to explain the reasons, the
motivations, and the fundamentals for why they have given
(former Defense Minister) Sanchez Berzain political asylum."
Evo added, "If the Ambassador has been convoked, I would have
wished that President Bush had also convoked USAID (so that)
in this manner they won't keep conspiring against the
(Bolivian) government and democracy." On June 17, the same
day the Ambassador returned to the U.S., Evo responded to a
press question about the attack on the Embassy, "It's not an
attack, it's a reaction of the people against the politics of
a U.S. government that protects criminals, harbors them. And
the people have a right to question." Government Minister
Rada told the press on June 18 that Ambassador Goldberg is
the problem and that the Ambassador should stop interfering
in Bolivia's internal affairs.


2. (SBU) Campesino groups allied with Evo's Movement Toward
Socialism (MAS) party called for the Ambassador not to return
to Bolivia. El Alto Workers' Federation secretary Edgar
Patana (one of the instigators in the June 9 attack on the
Embassy) said, "(Ambassador Goldberg) should stay for good in
his country, since we believe he is hurting Bolivia, due to
the support of the right against the government." In a
meeting in the coca-growing Yungas region, Evo repeated his
allegations of a U.S.-led conspiracy against him and
questioned those campesino leaders whom he views as siding
with USAID. "It is not possible that some ex-comrades or
current ones are behind USAID, when USAID leads a permanent
campaign against Evo, against the government, against the
people...There are enemies of the peoples of the world and
one of them is the empire (the United States.)"


3. (SBU) In reaction, opposition party PODEMOS Senator Roger
Pinto opined publicly that if the government "is always
accusing and blaming the United States for everything that
happens, why doesn't it break relations once and for all?"
Rising to the challenge, MAS senator Felix Rojas suggested
that the government might ask for a change of U.S. Ambassador
or expel the Embassy.

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Comment
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4. (C) Evo has a history of outrageous and unfounded
accusations against the USG, the Embassy, USAID, and the
Ambassador. With Evo increasingly blocked within Bolivia and
a worsening economy, his words are escalating as he attempts
to use us as a domestic distraction. (Note: For the third
time in six days, Evo was unable to attend an official event
in an opposition state--this time Tarija--due to popular
protests. Although Government Minister Rada claimed Evo
needed to be in La Paz for the Bolivia-Paraguay soccer game,
palace spokesman Ivan Canelas admitted the real reason for
Evo's cancellation and warned of the possibility of violence
if "criminal attitudes" continue. End note.) As we approach
the August 10 recall referendum that could put Evo's
presidency on the line, we worry about more attacks, both
verbal and physical. End comment.
URS