MEETING WITH MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT REGARDING

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 000559


DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/WHA, DS/IP/ITA, AND BOLIVIAN DESK
OFFICER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2019
TAGS: ASEC PGOV SNAR BL
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT REGARDING
LOCAL GUARD PROGRAM

Classified By: RSO Patrick J. Moore for reasons 1.4 (b)(d)


1. (SBU) On 04/07/09, Charge d,Affaires (CDA) Krishna Urs,
RSO Patrick Moore and Local Guard Program (LGP) Coordinator
Fernando Gonzalez met with the Minister of Government (MOG)
Alfredo ((RADA)); Vice-Minister of Interior Regime and
Police, Marcos ((FARFAN)); and Vice-Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Hugo ((FERNANDEZ)) to discuss the recent decision by
Rada to arbitrarily remove immediately the senior Bolivian
National Police (BNP) officers assigned to the U.S. Mission
and to attempt to establish an acceptable timeframe
transition to minimize the impact his actions will make on
the mission,s security operations. In addition, this
meeting was to address Rada,s decision to limit BNP officers
to serve a maximum of only two (2) years at the U.S. Mission
(yet they serve up to ten (10) years at other embassies).


2. (SBU) CDA Urs explained the reasons why it is of utmost
importance for the US Embassy to maintain a well trained,
experienced BNP security officers assigned the U.S. Mission
installations. CDA Urs provided details of the number and
functions of the BNP officers currently assigned to the U.S.
Mission from both the State and Private BNP Physical Security
Battalion (PSB). He provided details on the amounts of money
annually paid to the BNP (over USD $2 million) for the
various LGP operations and a breakdown of BNP officers
rotated over the past five years proving compliance to the
BNP regulations for the rotation of personnel.


3. (C) For continuity purposes, CDA Urs requested that BNP
officers assigned to the U.S. Mission remain for a period of
eight (8) years, during which the officers would have been
rotated every two (2) years among the different security
areas/groups within the Mission. This rotation allow the
officers to learn different aspects pertaining to the
security of the Embassy, such as serving as the Controlled
Access Centers (CACs),Mobile/Roving Patrol, Dispatchers, COM
Bodyguards, Regional Office Supervisors, and Group
Supervisors. Surveillance Detection (SD) was purposely not
mentioned in this meeting due to earlier accusations made by
MOG Rada that SD was used by the U.S. Mission to spy on the
Bolivian Government (but confusing their operations with the
name/roll of Roving Patrol).


4. (SBU) CDA Urs then requested that rotation of the five (5)
remaining senior BNP officers (down from six (6) officers
since one was sent back to his command the same day as the
meeting) be staggered in order to minimize the operational
impact of the security operations and to permit Post to
recruit and train their replacements accordingly. In an
attempt to show good faith, CDA Urs issued a personal
invitation to MOG Rada and the two attending Vice-Ministers
to visit U.S. Embassy La Paz for a tour and to show them the
BNP posts.


5. (SBU) MOG Rada responded by stating that the Government of
Bolivia (GOB) did not intend to weaken the security of the
U.S. Embassy. He denied our request to stretch out the
reassignment of the remaining five (5) officers with more
than ten (10) years of service at the U.S. Embassy, saying
that they would be transferred to their battalion immediately
for onward assignment. However, he committed to retain these
officers in La Paz and detail them part-time back to the
Embassy to help with the transition. While Rada said that he
would continue to apply BNP rules mandating a change in
posting every two (2)years, he said that he would not/not
remove another 25 officers at the Embassy that currently have
more than two (2)years service. He said that he wanted the
Embassy to have a pool of experienced officers to choose from
in selecting BNP leadership at the Embassy. He also stated
that there is a possibility of not removing more officers for
the time being and to consider allowing officers to remain at
the U.S. Embassy for more than 2 years since this is
something that he currently does with his own security detail.


6. (SBU) Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) and Eradication
As per NAS request, CDA Urs outlined the logistical support
NAS provides to GOB eradication efforts. He explained that
NAS continues to provide logistical support to both the
Chapare and Yungas regions. Rada stated that NAS had not
provided eradication support in the Chapare region since
February. CDA Urs countered that this was inaccurate and
that NAS never stopped supporting GOB eradication efforts and
that on February 18, NAS, in coordination with the GOB,
initiated a new rotation of eradicators in the Chapare and
Yungas regions. He said it is necessary to have the Letter
of Agreement (LOA) signed as soon as possible in order for
NAS to continue with their assistance. Rada then asked
Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs FERNANDEZ to ensure that the
LOA (which is signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs) was
signed as soon as possible. (Note: The Embassy received
signed originals of the LOA in Spanish and English on April

8. End Note.) A letter summarizing the most important
points discussed in this meeting (and an invitation to visit
the U.S. Embassy and Rada,s commitments) will be sent to MOG
Rada.


8. (C) SUMMARY: While the meeting was cordial, Post does not
know how long these senior BNP officers will be allowed to
help their replacements settle into their positions. In
fact, Post is not entirely certain that Rada will keep his
commitment to provide these officers on a part-time basis to
help their replacements settle in. In the past, some BNP
officers assigned to the U.S. Mission have been interrogated
and threatened by the MOG to provide sensitive information
for the GOB to exploit in the media against the US Government.

URS