BOLIVIA: EU DEMARCHES EVO ON DEA

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 002591 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR EFIN BL SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: EU DEMARCHES EVO ON DEA Classified By: EcoPol Counselor Mike Hammer for reasons 1.4 b,d ¶1. (C) Summary: On December 12, representatives from EU Embassies in La Paz demarched Bolivian President Evo Morales on the expulsion of DEA and the lack of availability of EU counternarcotics cooperation. EU delegate Ivo Hoefkens announced to the press that the EU is worried about the increase in coca cultivation and that the EU will not replace DEA's efforts: "As I have indicated, for the moment we are not considering (replacing the DEA) and while we will surely talk with the (Bolivian) government, it must be remembered that the EU does not have any experience on this subject and to create it would take a long time..." British DCM Steven Townsend told Emboff that the EU message "is starting to get through," although Morales emphasized that despite the problems the Bolivian government is now encountering in finding alternative counternarcotics support, "sovereignty is more important." The EU diplomats told Morales that expelling DEA had been a mistake and that the EU cannot replace the "money, skills, or global outreach of the DEA." Morales indicated that he expects help from UNASUR and "regional support" from Brazil, but Townsend discounted this possibility, because in private meetings the Brazilians have told him that they do not want to be "the new Yankees on the block" both for economic reasons and to avoid becoming Morales' new scapegoat. End summary. ¶2. (C) EU representatives (European Union, Britain, France, Spain, and Germany) met with President Morales December 12 to deliver a demarche on DEA's expulsion from Bolivia. After the EU diplomats had explained that the EU cannot replace the DEA, the British DCM told us that Morales made a specific request for "helos, light aircraft, radar, training, money for informants, and links with foreign drug agencies." The EU representatives pointed out that they were already helping with cooperation on counternarcotics intelligence, but that they cannot replace DEA's "money, skills, and global outreach." They asked Morales whether the publicly-touted cooperation with Russia (particularly the provision of helicopters) would still take place, and Morales indicated that this option had apparently fallen by the wayside because the Russian help would not arrive quickly enough for the Bolivian government's needs. British DCM Townsend opined that the Bolivians are discovering a "gap in expectations" in their relations with Russia and are therefore trying to "get closer to the EU." ¶3. (C) While Townsend described the meeting with Morales as "not an impressive performance for the Bolivians," he did say that the message seems to be getting through that the EU is not willing to step into the void created by the expulsion of DEA. According to Townsend, Morales seems to be realizing the problems caused by his decision to expel DEA (for example, Morales asked for EU money to pay informants, despite earlier plans for the Bolivian government to do this; Townsend suggested that Morales is discovering that his government cannot access money with the speed needed to pay off informants.) Nevertheless, Townsend reported that Morales firmly believes that "sovereignty and ideology" are more important. ¶4. (C) Townsend also suggested that the Bolivian government has burned bridges with regional neighbors. In conversations with the Brazilians, Townsend reports that they have told him that they are rescinding previous offers of loans for road corridors because of the Bolivian government's delays and because of the effects of the worldwide economic crisis hitting home in Brazil. Not only is Brazil reluctant to cooperate extensively on counternarcotics efforts because of "too many sensitivities", but they are pulling out of a number of previously-expected areas of cooperation due to internal budget pressures. ¶5. (C) Comment: Despite President Morales' claim that the Bolivian government and 'new friends' can take DEA's place in Bolivian counternarcotics efforts, no one seems eager to step into the fray once DEA leaves. UNASUR has no budget or expertise to take over DEA's work in Bolivia; the EU is not interested; and despite Morales' earlier bravado, it seems that Russia is not stepping up. Morales has not approached regional governments that may have the technical expertise (if not the funding) to help--i.e. the Colombians. Regardless, Morales can be expected to live up to his word that DEA will not return to Bolivia while he remains president, thereby sacrificing counternarcotics efforts in the name of "sovereignty" and standing up to "the empire". End comment. URS