VP RATIONALIZES RULING PARTY'S ACTIONS TO DIP CORPS

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 000465 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL BL SUBJECT: VP RATIONALIZES RULING PARTY'S ACTIONS TO DIP CORPS Classified By: A/DCM Mike Hammer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The Bolivian government invited the entire diplomatic corps to lunch March 3 to explain its position regarding recent events. On February 28, the ruling Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) rammed through legislation to convoke a national referendum on its draft constitution while pro-MAS mobs prevented the opposition parliamentarians from entering Congress. Representing the government was Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca, Ambassador Pablo Solon, and the President of the Lower House of Congress Edmundo Novillo. ¶2. (C) The Vice President delivered a 30-minute monologue on the government's efforts to reach an agreement with the opposition; his colleagues were mostly mute. Likening present-day Bolivia to the United States during the Civil War, Garcia Linera explained the MAS was attempting to restore rights to indigenous peoples, broadening civil rights for the society in general, and redistributing power across the various territories within the country. The Vice President argued that despite recent events that the process had been "peaceful," although he did express regret for the two opposition congresswomen who were assaulted on February ¶28. (Note: the Vice President's remorse contradicts the Vice Minister of Justice who argued the two women provoked the pro-MAS mobs who assaulted them. End Note). ¶3. (C) Garcia Linera acknowledged the country had reached a delicate point, but stressed the MAS was ready to compromise and prepared to re-open virtually any topic. The Vice President explained that he himself had stated repeatedly that 50 percent of the MAS constitution could be changed and that the MAS was prepared to revisit the two laws passed on February 28, during the opposition lock-out. To emphasize the MAS' readiness to work with other parties he lauded both the National Unity (UN) and National Revolutionary Movement (MNR) their willingness to compromise with the MAS, singling out UN leader Samuel Doria Medina in particular. Garcia Linera explained that the MAS accepted the opposition department's autonomy statutes, stating the only questions that remain are the contents of statutes and who can convoke a referendum on them. (Comment: In other words, the MAS accepts departmental autonomy provided the statutes change and the MAS-dominated Congress controls the vote on the statutes. End Comment). ¶4. (C) Foreign Minister Choquehuanca )- the only other government representative who spoke -- kept his comments brief repeating his recent accusations that Senate President Oscar Ortiz (of the opposition PODEMOS party) was trying to get the diplomatic corps to "revise relations" with the Morales administration. Members of the diplomatic corps first corrected the foreign minister's statements that Ortiz had met with the entire corps minus Venezuela, Cuba, and the United States over the weekend. They explained only an EU delegation and representatives from the diplomatic board (the five senior diplomats in Bolivia) had met Ortiz and two of his colleagues. The German Ambassador explained that meeting with the opposition is what diplomats do and cited that in the past that members of the diplomatic corps met with the MAS. The French DCM stated that the EU had offered to help with the dialogue on numerous occasions, only to be rejected each time. He explained that the EU was considering releasing a statement regarding last week's events in the coming days. (Note: The EU Ambassadors said that the usual coordination problems were holding up the issuance of the declaration. End Note). ¶5. (C) Comment: The Vice President explained he had invited the diplomatic corps "to inform" them of the socio-political factors behind recent events. The real reason for the lunch appeared to be damage control, as the government is worried that the international community recognizes that Morales' MAS crossed a democratic red-line in actions last week. This is no doubt why Foreign Minister Choquehuanca will be traveling to Washington and New York March 4-5 on a public relations tour meant to erase the images of his party's thuggish actions the week of February 25, and to counter any opposition efforts to highlight the actions. Our EU colleagues were not satisfied with the Vice President's offers of dialogue with the opposition as he never responded to their questions about how and when a real national dialogue will begin. End Comment. GOLDBERG