BOLIVIA: AMB MEETING WITH NATIONAL UNITY MAYORS

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 000625 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018 TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL EMIN BL PINR SENV SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: AMB MEETING WITH NATIONAL UNITY MAYORS Classified By: Acting EcoPol Chief Joe Relk for reasons 1.4b,d ¶1. (SBU) At the invitation of the head of National Unity party leader Samuel Doria Medina, the Ambassador and officers from EcoPol and USAID met with 22 of the Bolivia's 23 National Unity mayors (one mayor was unable to attend.) Doria Medina organized the gathering of his party's mayors so that they could meet with the Cuban Ambassador, the U.S. Ambassador, and the EU Ambassador to present their communities' needs. The mayors represent municipalities in seven of Bolivia's nine departments (states). ¶2. (C) During the meeting, a select group presented descriptions of their municipalities and needs. A common complaint was that USAID's large projects often do not reach small municipalities (Note: Since USAID works in over 200 municipalities, roughly two-thirds of Bolivia's total, this perception seems skewed. End note.) Several mayors made requests for heavy machinery or road building, projects outside the scope of USAID's programs in Bolivia. Also impossible for USAID is the request that the money be handed out directly to the mayors, as is Venezuelan practice. The assembled Mayors and Doria Medina stated that every one of the municipalities had received Venezuelan aid in the form of checks handed out by President Evo Morales. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Medina Preempts Conspiracy Charge - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) Meeting the same day with the Cuban and EU missions and opening our meeting to the press insulated both National Unity and U.S. participants from charges of "conspiracy," as the central government has previously described our meetings with opposition groups. When the question of conspiracy between the UN and U.S. was raised by a reporter, Doria Medina said, "Yes we are conspiring: we are conspiring against poverty and for a better life for our people." The press-release for the event stated that the goal was to establish strategic alliances and gain international support rejected by the central government, and Doria Medina made a point of saying, "If the government expels USAID from the Chapare, USAID should come to the towns run by National Unity." (Note: On March 6, President Morales asked cocalero followers in a public meeting whether USAID should be expelled from the Chapare, and then answered his own question 
in the affirmative. End note.) - - - - - - - - - - UN Party Background - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (SBU) The National Unity (Unidad Nacional or UN) party formed in 2003 and elected its internal leadership in 2004. Many in the party are former members of ex-President Jaime Paz Zamorra's MIR party. In regional and local elections, National Unity has won representation at low but consistent levels: one senator, seven congress members, six Constituent Assembly members, twenty-three mayors in seven of Bolivia's nine departments (states),and 120 municipal council members. National Unity holds just under ten percent of the country's mayorships. Samuel Doria Medina, elected president of the National Unity party in 2005, owns Bolivia's most successful cement business and the country's Burger King franchise. - - - - Comment - - - - ¶6. (C) The UN party is perhaps the most professionally-run political party in Bolivia. While the ruling Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party and the main opposition party PODEMOS are political umbrella organizations joining disparate groups with at times conflicting political demands, the National Unity party has tried to form a legitimate political party with a unified vision. That has not prevented breaks within National Unity, however, as in the case of respected Constituent Assembly member and former National Electoral Court member Jorge Lazarte. Doria Medina continues to position his party as a middle-ground peacemaker in the Bolivian political scene, often trying to mediate between the opposition and the ruling MAS party. Many in the main opposition party PODEMOS, however, distrust Doria Medina and feel that he is too conciliatory to the MAS, while others criticize him for putting his business interests before the needs of his country and party. These critics argue he was too willing to compromise with the MAS in the Constituent Assembly in exchange for protection (or fair compensation) for his businesses. While the MAS does occasionally attack him publicly, his conciliatory tone and frequent calls for dialogue have made him a much smaller MAS target than PODEMOS' leadership. This may change as he has begun campaigning against the MAS constitution, particularly in La Paz, which Doria Medina views as Bolivia's "swing vote." He argues that the opposition (the "no" vote) is sure to win in the lowland opposition departments, while the MAS is practically guaranteed a win in the altiplano, with only La Paz left as a deciding voice. ¶7. (C) Samuel Doria Medina is known as a good organizer and manager, and his initiative to bring all his party's mayors to La Paz to meet with multiple international missions highlights his managerial skills. Doria Medina ran for president in 2006, finishing a distant third with 7.8 percent of the vote, and he has continued hopes for the highest national post. As a rich, white businessman, however, Doria Medina lacks the populism and background currently needed to gain the presidency in Bolivia. Doria Medina also lacks President Evo Morales' charisma: in large public events, Doria Medina generally exudes the charm of a technocrat. Although he is likely to continue on the political scene, Post does not expect Samuel Doria Medina to be elected president any time soon. End Comment. GOLDBERG