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C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 000019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/26 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM BL
SUBJECT: BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES CABINET CHANGES 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: William Mozdzierz, Political and Economic Counselor, 
State, La Paz; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Bolivian President Evo Morales announced January 23 
sweeping changes to his cabinet, replacing fourteen of twenty 
ministers, including the key posts of defense, government and the 
presidency.  Foreign Minister Choquehuanca and Economy and Finance 
Minister Arce were among the six re-confirmed for Morales's second 
term, signaling some measure of continuity in foreign affairs and 
economic policy.  The departures of Presidency Minister Quintana 
and Government Minister Rada, both hard-liners opposed to improved 
relations with the U.S., came as welcome news, but their 
replacements are not expected to bring significant changes to 
policy.   The overhaul of the cabinet, which is now divided evenly 
between men and women, and includes more indigenous and social 
group representatives, reflects Morales's determination to effect 
the "renovation" of the Bolivian state.   End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Just a day after pronouncing his cabinet "the greatest in 
history," President Morales January 23 announced that the great 
majority of them would be replaced, effective immediately. 
Morales sacked thirteen of his twenty ministers, including 
Presidency Minister Juan Ramon Quintana, Government Minister 
Alfredo Rada, and Defense Minister Walker San Miguel, and elevated 
one, Hydrocarbons Minister Oscar Coca Antezana, to replace Quintana 
at the palace.   In their place, Morales named a diverse but 
largely unknown group of technocrats, social group representatives, 
and loyalists, creating a new cabinet that, according to the GOB, 
reflects Bolivia's "plurinational" character and gender equality. 
 
¶3. (C) Some new ministers are known to us, while others have even 
Bolivian political analysts scratching their heads.  Oscar Antezana 
is widely regarded as a capable official, having served previously 
as Hydrocarbons Minister and Planning Minister, with roots in the 
Bolivian Communist Party and Morales's stronghold Chapare region. 
New Government Minister Sacha Llorenti was nominated by Morales in 
2006 as ambassador to the U.S. (forced to withdraw because of lack 
of Senate support), has served as Vice Minister for Coordination 
with Social Movements, and participated in last year's bilateral 
talks on a framework agreement.  Llorenti is regarded as close to 
hard-line Marxist Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera and 
frequently echoes the vice president's stridently anti-American 
views.  Much less is known about other new appointees.  Some, such 
as Planning Minister Elba Caro Hinojosa and Defense Minister Ruben 
Saavedra Soto, have good professional reputations, but we have 
little direct experience with which to gauge their interest in 
bilateral cooperation.  We have little information at all beyond 
official biographic sketches on several new ministers. 
 
¶4. (C) Quintana's and Rada's departures were hailed by both the 
opposition and MAS-affiliated social groups who had become 
alienated by their heavy-handed approaches and had demanded their 
removal.  Both had long been regarded as members of Morales's inner 
circle, and as fierce opponents of improved relations with the 
United States.   Rada's dismissal was no doubt influenced by his 
failure to prevent former opposition candidate Manfred Reyes Villa 
from fleeing the country, which Rada himself acknowledged. 
Quintana's removal seems more complicated, especially given his 
apparent strength until recently.  Whether he departed due to 
pressure from social groups, Morales's wariness of his accumulated 
power or some other reason (his stated one of resigning for 
personal reasons) we may never know.  Still, we expect that 
Quintana will continue to play an "unofficial" role in shaping GOB 
policies. 
 
¶5. (C) Comment: Despite Morales' s effusive praise for his cabinet 
during January 22 inauguration ceremonies, the Bolivian president's 
decision to bring in a largely new team is consistent with his 
efforts to demonstrate the "renovation" of the state, through 
sweeping personnel as well as legal and symbolic changes.  His MAS 
party's majority delegation in parliament is composed almost 
entirely of new members, with substantially higher representation 
from indigenous and social groups.  He has also "renovated" the 
national police and military commands (septels).   From our 
perspective, keeping FM Choquehuanca (a proponent of dialogue with 
the U.S.) in place is better than the likely alternatives.   We are 
pleased to see Quintana and Rada go, but Garcia Linera's continued 
key role means that their successors (who have vowed to continue or 
improve upon their predecessors' work) will likely continue their 
hard-line policies. 
Creamer