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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
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C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 000474 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM PINR ENVR ASEC BL PTER
SUBJECT: MORALES ALLEGES USG INTERFERENCE, AGAIN 
 
REF: LA PAZ 470 
 
Classified By: A/EcoPol Chief Michael Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
¶1. (C) One day after Foreign Minister Choquehuanca assured us 
the GOB would not take actions to embarrass the U.S. 
administration and would resolve bilateral issues through 
diplomatic channels, President Evo Morales on March 26 
publicly and without proof accused the USG of "mobilizing" 
CIA and DEA agents to be in "permanent pursuit" of Morales 
administration officials "as it is an election year."  He 
went on to say that the USG would continue to "invent 
problems to accuse us."  Charge spoke with Foreign Vice 
Minister Hugo Fernandez March 27 about Morales' charges, and 
Fernandez replied that "it will take time to lower the 
rhetoric on both sides." 
 
¶2. (C) In his remarks, Morales further charged that CIA and 
DEA agents were responsible for an army lieutenant's 2008 
attack on a television station and used it "to say there is 
terrorism inside the (Presidential) Palace."  (Note: Morales 
is evidently referring to Lieutenant George Nava's June 21, 
2008 bombing of a Unitel television station in Tarija.  Nava 
had been assigned to the Presidential Palace, and opposition 
leaders accused the government of giving him weapons, 
explosives, and cash.  Senate President Oscar Ortiz presented 
evidence that Nava used a car rented by the Venezuelan 
Embassy to carry out the attack.  End note.) 
 
¶3. (C) On March 25, Charge met with Choquehuanca to confirm 
assurances provided by UN Charge Pablo Solon that the GOB 
would resolve bilateral issues through diplomatic channels 
and would not take actions designed to embarrass the USG 
(Reftel).  Choquehuanca confirmed Solon's assurances, and 
then asked for a meeting between Presidents Obama and Morales 
at or shortly after the April 17 Summit of the Americas. 
 
¶4. (U) In another outburst, President Morales on March 26 
accused Peruvian President Alan Garcia of using Peru's claim 
against Chile regarding maritime boundaries for "personal and 
partisan political gain," saying "perhaps he (Garcia) has 
become so fat that it has affected (his thinking).  I'll say 
it straight, he does not need to play with the patriotic 
sentiments of the Peruvian people.  We do not know what 
problems he has, but he is using this issue in a politically 
partisan way."  Morales lashed out after Garcia's statement 
that "since some time" Bolivia had given up its claim to 
access to the sea.  FM Choquehuanca said Garcia's statements 
"are not serious, they are irresponsible and disrespectful 
declarations.  We have learned to respect the decisions of 
our brother governments, and we expect reciprocal treatment." 
 
¶5. (C) Comment: Morales inflammatory and baseless comments 
once again underscore how difficult it is for the Bolivian 
president to abandon hostile rhetoric as far as the U.S. is 
concerned.  Whether Morales truly believes these charges or 
believes he needs to use them to rally popular support in an 
election year is a moot point -- it will be very difficult to 
reduce frictions between the two countries unless Morales 
moderates his tone.  End comment. 
URS