BOLIVIA: TRUCE REJECTED, CONFRONTATION EXPECTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 000434 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2018 TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL ASEC BL SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: TRUCE REJECTED, CONFRONTATION EXPECTED Classified By: Acting EcoPol Chief Brian Quigley for reasons 1.4b,d ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Vice President Garcia Linera's call for a two-month truce has been rejected by the opposition and by social groups aligned with the ruling Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. Sporadic violence around the country has left a number of people injured, and both the MAS and the opposition are warning that increased violence is likely. Departments desiring autonomy have sworn to continue the autonomy process, with Santa Cruz scheduled for a referendum on autonomy on May 4 and Beni having announced a tentative referendum date of June 1. MAS-aligned civic and indigenous groups have surrounded Congress to pressure for passage of referendum legislation on the MAS constitution, and opposition congress-members and senators are being harassed. End summary. - - - - - - - - Truce Rejected - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) On February 26, Vice President Garcia Linera called on the opposition departments and MAS-aligned social sectors for a two-month truce to allow time for a consensus that could avoid eventual confrontations over the autonomy statutes and the MAS draft constitution. Both sides rejected the call. Garcia Linera's stipulation that the autonomy process should be put on hold is viewed by many opposition leaders as an obvious ploy: "This process cannot be stopped," said Santa Cruz Prefect De Costas, "it is irreversible and no one can hold it back." Fidel Surco, leader of the MAS-aligned indigenous organization Confederation of Colonizers of Bolivia in response said, "We don't believe the Vice President's sixty day truce is pertinent, because we know that this (the autonomy referendums) will cause more division in the country." - - - - - - - - - Pressure Tactics - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (SBU) Social movements aligned with the MAS on February 26 began to take up positions around the government buildings and Congress in La Paz, demanding passage of legislation scheduling two referenda on the MAS draft constitution. Traffic in the center of the city came to a standstill. The crowd intimidated and blocked two opposition PODEMOS senators from entering the building. Later the senators were able to enter amidst insults and threats. (Note: on previous occasions when MAS-supporters surrounded congress to block the entry of opposition members, MAS congress-members soon took advantage of the opposition's forced absence to call in "suplente" replacement congress-members to achieve the necessary quorum to pass MAS-sponsored legislation. End note.) ¶4. (C) Senator Fernando Romero (MNR - Beni) told Emboff that he has not had any problem entering Congress so far. He believes the real issue at stake is the May 4 Santa Cruz autonomy referendum and that if MAS-aligned mobs try to use force against the Senate this will only generate even more regional resistance to the Morales government. However, Senate President Oscar Ortiz (PODEMOS) pointed out that with one to two thousand protesters surrounding the congressional buildings and with the police unwilling to interfere, it could soon be impossible for opposition members to enter. In a discussion with Emboff, Ortiz characterized this strong-arm tactic as "barbaric" and illegal, something he plans to bring up in his meeting February 27 with Vice President Garcia Linera, although he doubts the Vice President can do anything. Ortiz also pointed out what he views as MAS hypocrisy: the MAS forbid a small protest by animal rights groups who were offended by the MAS-aligned Red Poncho militants' torturing and killing of street dogs in a threat to the opposition; however, "shutting down Congess is okay." - - - - - - - - - - Threat of Violence - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (SBU) Meanwhile, SAMUEL Doria Media, head of the opposition party National Unity, warned that "there are only sixty-eight days until May 4th (the Santa Cruz autonomy referendum). I believe it's clear that if we don't find a solution in the upcoming days, we won't see any progress: it will be more and more difficult to have dialogue because they are eliminating interlocutors." Garcia Linera also obliquely warned of upcoming violence, saying that the government could soon impose "actions and not reason." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sporadic Violence Already Occurring - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (SBU) Already, isolated incidents of violence are being reported. On February 26, MAS-aligned indigenous and social groups blocked access to Congress to call for passage of the MAS constitution. An indigenous farmer, Juan Choque Apaza, was there protesting against the government, with a sign that said "The television ads are changing, Evo delivers (a play on the GOB propaganda campaign "Bolivia is changing, Evo delivers),but they are only illusions; really the Bolivian people are hungry and need help..." Amidst insults from the crowd, Choque Apaza denounced President Morales for ignoring dissent, alleging that Morales has stolen petitions with almost 40,000 signatures questioning the internal and external politics and actions of the President. Choque Apaza added, "We ask the international community to pay attention, because in Bolivia freedom of expression is at risk." In response, MAS-followers in the crowd beat him unconscious. ¶7. (SBU) Meanwhile, in Santa Cruz, Youth Union members blocked MAS supporters from reaching a protest in favor of the government. The Youth Union members burned a copy of the MAS draft constitution while other opposition protesters used the MAS draft constitution as toilet paper. Meanwhile the media are reporting burning of the Santa Cruz autonomy statute by pro-MAS protesters. Various members of the MAS and government officials have publicly complained about the anti-MAS protests in Santa Cruz. In contrast, La Paz newspaper La Razon cites MAS congressman Gustavo Torrico saying that the anti-MAS protester who was beaten by MAS adherents in La Paz provoked the crowd, basically blaming the victim. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Prospects for Compromise Compromised - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (C) According to opposition Senator Roger Pinto, Vice President Garcia Linera told opposition leaders last week he was willing to "burn the constitution" to reach a compromise. At the time there was some optimism that key changes could be made and autonomy resolution would be part of the agreement. Pinto feels that the Vice President was negotiating in good faith, but that Minister of Presidency Juan Ramon Quintana and other inner-circle extremists are sabotaging his efforts. The Vice President still has influence with MAS congressmen and Pinto said that, left to their own devices (without extremist intervention) they probably could work something out. (Note: As previously reported, Vice President Garcia Linera himself admits that he is losing influence over President Evo Morales and Evo's inner circle of firebrands. End note.) ¶9. (C) Comment: The situation in Bolivia now looks much as it did in late November and early December of 2007, when further outbreaks of violence seemed almost inevitable. Then, Christmas and Carnival provided a popular excuse for delaying confrontations; it remains to be seen if any "Easter miracle" can further stave off violence. In a private conversation, opposition Senator Roger Pinto confessed to Emboff that he thinks violence is inevitable in heavily pro-MAS and pro-Opposition areas (such as El Alto and Santa Cruz, respectively). From statements on both sides of the political divide, it is obvious that dialogue is almost dead, with only the most slender of chances that talks could yield positive results. The opposition and the government are ramping up their spin-doctoring in the hopes that the other group will be blamed for a failure of dialogue. As overall tensions in the country continue to rise due to increasing food shortages, rising prices, and continued intra-Bolivian divisive rhetoric, the likelihood of violent confrontation is increasing. End comment. GOLDBERG