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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLP #0163/01 0302146
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 302146Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9893
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 8771
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RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 4352
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RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 6996
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 1760
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 1650
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS LA PAZ 000163 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: MORALES: "DEA PLANNED MY ASSASSINATION" 
 
REF: A. LA PAZ 155 
     ¶B. LA PAZ 93 
 
¶1. Summary: President Evo Morales and his ministers are 
calling for improved bilateral relations even as he continues 
to state publicly that the USG has tried, is trying, and will 
try to kill him.  In the World Social Forum in Belem, Brazil, 
Morales called for a "world revolution to end the 
north-American interventionism" while also attacking the 
Catholic church as "one of the new enemies."  End summary. 
 
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FM Choquehuanca Hopes for Improved Relations 
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¶2. On January 27, Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca sent 
the Secretary a congratulatory note on her appointment.  The 
letter included Choquehuanca's hope for "improved and 
extended relations...based on mutual respect" (ref A). 
 
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Morales To International Press: "DEA Planned Assassination" 
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¶3. On January 28, President Morales renewed his claims that 
the USG is trying to kill him (ref B), telling a group of 
international reporters that "the DEA planned my 
assassination" without providing evidence but adding that 
when the time was right, all would be known.  Although 
Morales' presentation to the international press was 
disjointed and without details, he stated that the DEA 
planned to kill him in "2000, 2002, in 97, 98, 96.  I didn't 
have much information, but I felt that they were following 
me."  Moving to the present, Morales added that, "I had 
information about the past week that including a nationalized 
Bolivian-American, they have brought an expert sharp-shooter 
and under the control of the intelligence, although they are 
such specialists, they're experts.  They disappear, appear, 
this travel is impressive.  Of some of them, I don't know if 
they are criminals, murderers, expert sharpshooters." 
 
¶4. After outlining a supposed plot in 2005 in which "there 
were instructions from the U.S. Embassy to militarily 
surround La Paz, no matter who died," Morales then implied 
that there are ongoing plots against his life: "How could 
there not be?  Imagine now, after expelling the U.S. 
Ambassador, after breaking diplomatic relations with Israel. 
It's easy for me to discover it.  But I also know and am 
convinced that this will be seen and I don't have any fear. 
When one is committed, one is committed.  And when I am 
committed, I am fully committed."  Morales added "the 
uniformed, armed DEA was dangerous, very dangerous; I 
accepted the direction of the unions" (it is not clear if 
Morales meant that the unions told him to expel DEA) "I knew 
that there was a risk.  And it's not because I wanted it. 
Because my ancestors' fight, that of my grandfathers, a 
permanent fight against distinct empires, Roman empire, 
Spanish empire, English empire.  Now it is our turn to fight 
against the north-American empire.  It has consequences, 
obviously.  I am convinced of that.  But the most important, 
my experience...Evo Morales serves the people, the people 
defend Evo Morales.  My people must know that there will be 
no betrayals." 
 
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At World Social Forum, Morales Repeats Himself 
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¶5. According to international press reports, at the "World 
Social Forum" in Brazil, Morales called for "a world 
revolution to put an end to north-American interventionism" 
while repeating his catch phrase that "before the peoples 
took arms against the empire, but now the empire takes arms 
against the peoples."  Morales asserted that "We ourselves 
were victims--the same as our armed forces--of the military 
enclave of Washington in (the coca-growing region of) 
Chapare."  Bolivian state news service ABI said that Morales 
considered it essential that the Forum take "concrete 
actions" to eliminate "U.S. military inverventionism." 
 
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USG Not Alone in Crosshairs 
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¶6. At the Forum, Morales also attacked the Catholic church as 
one of the "new enemies", declaring that "another faith, 
another religion, another church is possible."  Morales 
proposed a number of campaigns at the Forum, including 
campaigns for peace and justice, a new international economic 
order, the salvation of planet Earth, dignity, identity, and 
cultural diversity.  On the topic of cultural diversity, 
Morales proposed that the symbol of the campaign be the coca 
leaf, "because never has a symbol of a people been so 
insulted and persecuted." 
 
LAMBERT