PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIAN CONGRESS'S FOREIGN RELATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 000270

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR BL
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIAN CONGRESS'S FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE CALLS ON CHARGE

REF: LA PAZ 194

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Krishna Urs for reason 1.4 b
and d.


1. (C) In a February 18 call on the Charge d'Affaires,
President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of
Deputies (lower house of congress) Michiatki Nagatani
portrayed himself as a personal messenger from Minister of
Foreign Affairs David Choquehuanca. He said Choquehuanca had
asked him to intervene, knowing he has a good relationship
with the Embassy, but also warned him not to discuss his
mission with anyone else in the MFA, saying there were groups
within the organization loyal to other ministers and no one
could be trusted. (Comment: Nagatani is from the MNR, former
president Sanchez de Lozada's party, and is a native of Santa
Cruz. He might seem an unlikely emmissary from the Morales
government, but in fact he does have a good working
relationship with Choquehuanca. End comment) Nagatani's
message was that Choquehuanca wants to improve relations with
the U.S., but does not know how to go about it.


2. (C) The Charge assured Nagatani that the U.S. had received
the message that the GOB was interested in improved bilateral
relations through various channels, and we also wanted an
improved bilateral relationship. However, at the same time
the U.S. was receiving other, usually public, messages from
President Morales and other government ministers, who
continued to baselessly accuse the Embassy of conspiring to
undermine the government. He explained the expulsion of
Ambassador Goldberg and the DEA were serious actions and that
it would take time to rebuild the relationship.


3. (C) The Charge urged Nagatani to take back the message
that the Morales government should think about its vision for
the future relationship. Only when the U.S. understands what
Bolivia wants can we identify common interests. We
understand that Choquehuanca has good intentions, but there
are other forces in the government with different priorities.



4. (C) Nagatani is travelling to Asia February 20 to March

16. He promised to work on this issue upon his return. He
lamented that Choquehuanca is the administration's "fireman"
trying to repair the damage that President Morales and other
ministers have done. Nagatani claimed that the Senate
Foreign Affairs Committee President Guido Guardia (a MAS
dissident from Santa Cruz) and the Vice-President of his own
Committee, David Herrada (MAS-Cochabamba),were committed to
working with the MFA and with President Morales himself to
help improve the bilateral relationship.


5. (C) Comment: Nagatani's visit is the latest in a series of
extended olive branches, including the Charge's February 3
meeting with Chamber of Deputies President Edmundo Novillo
(MAS--reftel) and A/S Shannon's February 13 meeting with
Pablo Solon. (Nagatani discredited Solon as a person who
puts his own interests above Bolivian national interests, and
who had muddled negotiations with the European Union.)
Nagatani's visit represents another sign that the GOB, or at
least certain elements in it, are interested in seeing
improved relations with us, though they are not sure how to
achieve them. End Comment.
URS