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Viewing cable 06LAPAZ1956, EDUCATION CONGRESS ENDORSES SECULAR EDUCATION

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06LAPAZ1956 2006-07-19 17:42 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy La Paz
VZCZCXYZ0038
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLP #1956 2001742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191742Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9990
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6005
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 3323
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7172
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 4434
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1712
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 1721
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 1752
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 3928
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 4343
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 8904
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS LA PAZ 001956 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/AND AND A/OPR/OS/CS BSCOTTI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASCH APER AMGT PGOV PREL SOCI BL
SUBJECT: EDUCATION CONGRESS ENDORSES SECULAR EDUCATION 
 
REF: LA PAZ 1795 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Days of contentious debate ended July 14 
with the National Education Congress' endorsement of a 
secular education system that "respects the beliefs and 
spirituality of indigenous nations and the Bolivian people" 
and "rejects all dogmatic impositions."  The Catholic Church 
accused delegates of ignoring the GOB's promise to respect 
religious education and joined other groups, including 
teachers and professors, in opposing the proposed reforms. 
Most observers have declared the congress a failure, and 
Minister of the Presidency Juan Ramon Quintana criticized the 
education minister for failing to achieve consensus.  While 
the MAS got what it wanted on paper, Bolivian educational 
reform appears far from settled.  End summary. 
 
2. (U) Days of heated debate ended July 14 with the National 
Education Congress' endorsement of a secular education system 
that "respects the beliefs and spirituality of indigenous 
nations and the Bolivian people" and "rejects all dogmatic 
impositions."  The role of religion (and especially of the 
Catholic Church) was a particularly contentious issue, but 
reforms calling for the "decolonization" of education 
(reftel) and greater emphasis on indigenous cultures and 
languages also generated debate.  The congress endorsed the 
changes without full support, as 177 of its 628 delegates 
walked out July 10 to protest the GOB's heavy-handed 
management of the week-long meeting. 
 
3. (U) The Catholic Church accused delegates of ignoring the 
GOB's July 13 promise to respect religious education and 
joined other groups, including teachers and professors, in 
opposing the proposed reforms.  La Paz Archbishop Edmundo 
Abastoflor said in his July 16 homily that it would be 
"silly" to stop allowing Bolivians to be guided by God, and 
Santa Cruz Auxiliary Bishop Estanislao Powlaszewicz remarked 
that the GOB wanted to eliminate "not only religion, but also 
God" from national education.  Teachers, university 
professors, and other groups objected to a perceived lack of 
representation in the congress and complained that the event 
was unfairly controlled by the Movement Toward Socialism 
(MAS) party, attacking the GOB for seeking to stifle dissent. 
 
4. (SBU) Most observers, including Confederation of 
Neighborhood Committees Secretary General Benjamin Caceres, 
have declared the congress a failure.  Caceres told EconOff 
July 18 that the walk-out of key groups weakened the 
congress' legitimacy and would lead to new confrontations 
between the GOB and civil society.  Minister of the 
Presidency Juan Ramon Quintana criticized Education Minister 
Felix Patzi for failing to achieve consensus and suggested 
the congress was "not the best venue" for debate, lamenting 
the withdrawal of important institutions.  The GOB, he said, 
"would have liked to obtain better results." 
 
5. (SBU) Comment: While the MAS got what it wanted on paper 
(delegates made few changes to the MAS proposal), Bolivian 
educational reform appears far from settled.  The MAS could 
be taking on more than it can handle by opening an internal 
front against the Church, universities and urban teachers. 
In addition, some say the education congress is a preview of 
what could go wrong in the Constituent Assembly.  We will 
continue to monitor how planned reforms will impact the 
American Cooperative School and work with the diplomatic 
community to press the GOB to moderate its position.  End 
comment. 
GREENLEE