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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LA PAZ 003229 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/FO FOR A/S SHANNON, WHA/AND 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2016 
TAGS: ECON MOPS PGOV PHUM PREL USAID BL
SUBJECT: WHA PDAS SHAPIRO MEETS VICE PRESIDENT GARCIA LINERA 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg for reason 1.4 (d). 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  (C) On November 29th WHA PDAS Charles Shapiro, the 
Ambassador and WHA Special Advisor Tamburri met with Vice 
President Garcia Linera to review recent developments in 
Bolivia and the bilateral agenda.  (President Morales was 
traveling abroad.)  Shapiro reiterated U.S. support for 
democracy and the rule of law in Bolivia, and heard Garcia 
Linera's views on recent developments, including the vice 
president's account of the previous night's late senate 
session (septel) which approved a controversial land reform 
bill, a military pact with Venezuela, the renegotiated 
hydrocarbons contracts, and other pending bills.  Shapiro 
and the Ambassador asked Garcia Linera about GOB intentions 
regarding the constituent assembly; the vice president 
replied with generalities.  Shapiro reiterated U.S. 
opposition to GOB trial balloons about expanding licit coca 
production above current ceilings, while Garcia Linera 
argued that Bolivian coca production is such a small part 
of the "continent-wide" coca problem as to be of negligible 
importance to the United States.  Finally, the vice 
president expressed gratitude for U.S. assistance and asked 
Shapiro and the Ambassador for an update on ATPDEA, with 
the U.S. side noting Administration support for ATPDEA, and 
the reality of congressional control of next steps.  The 
vice president said that the GOB was sending a team of 
entrepreneurs and government officials to Washington next 
week to lobby Congress for passage.  Finally, the vice 
president expressed an interest in pursuing military 
cooperation with the United States, and said he would 
happily defend U.S. military exercises in Bolivia before 
the Bolivian congress, if required.  End summary. 
 
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The Senate and the Constituent Assembly 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) On November 29th WHA/PDAS Charles Shapiro, 
accompanied by the Ambassador and WHA Special Advisor 
Tamburri, met with Vice President Garcia Linera. 
(President Morales was traveling abroad.)  Also present 
were Ecopol Counselor Andrew Erickson (notetaker) and 
Morales' trade advisor Pablo Solon.  Shapiro reiterated 
U.S. support for democracy and democratic practices in 
Bolivia, and heard Garcia Linera's account of recent 
developments, including the previous night's late senate 
session (septel) which approved the controversial land 
reform bill, a military pact with Venezuela, the 
renegotiated hydrocarbons contracts, and other pending 
legislation, stalled until yesterday by an opposition 
boycott. 
 
¶3.  (C) Garcia Linera defended the late night maneuvers 
that allowed passage of the land reform bill (septel).  He 
argued that the opposition's decision to boycott further 
consideration of a hard-fought bill negotiated over four 
months amounted to a "congressional coup" on the part of 
an  intransigent minority using parliamentary trickery 
(denying  the senate a quorum).  (Note: While the 
circumstances of the GOB's tools for breaking the 
opposition walk-out are unclear as of this writing, the 
government persuaded one sitting senator and two alternates 
from the opposition to switch sides late last evening. 
There has been considerable speculation about the 
inducements the GOB offered, and incendiary accusations of 
bribery.  End note.)  Shapiro carefully responded to the 
vice president that the broad U.S. concern is the 
 
LA PAZ 00003229  002 OF 003 
 
 
polarization of politics threatening to weaken government 
legitimacy and democratic processes.  The Ambassador added 
that this polarization was evident in increasingly 
incendiary rhetoric; this damaged democratic discourse and 
weakened institutions.  Shapiro noted that the GOB should 
take care not to damage democratic institutions as it 
sought to dismantle long-held privileges, a particularly 
dangerous approach was the GOB's willingness to call 
demonstrators into the streets in support of its policies. 
 
¶4.  (C) Shapiro and the Ambassador asked Garcia Linera 
about  GOB intentions regarding the constituent assembly; 
the vice  president replied with little specificity, 
reiterating the  government's position that the final draft 
constitution will need to be  approved by a two-thirds 
majority, while maintaining the  government's position that 
the bill's more controversial  provisions (the very issues 
that the opposition is most  concerned about) would 
ultimately be decided by a simple  majority in referendum 
should they fail to pass by the  legally required 
two-thirds majority.  (Note: a decision by the government 
to simply disregard the requirement in the constituent 
assembly's enabling legislation for two thirds approval of 
the constitution would in essence allow the government to 
push through whatever new constitution it chooses, as it is 
virtually certain to win a simple majority in a national 
referendum.  End note.) 
 
---------------------------- 
More Coca Means More Cocaine 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Shapiro reiterated U.S. opposition to GOB trial 
balloons about expanding licit coca production above 
current ceilings, while Garcia Linera argued that Bolivian 
coca production is such a small part of the 
"continent-wide" coca problem as to be of negligible 
importance.  Garcia Linera argued that never in Bolivian 
history had Bolivian coca production fallen below 20,000 
hectares, and rather than pursuing a quixotic quest to 
attain the unattainable, the GOB was considering 
recognizing this reality by increasing its legally allowed 
"floor" of legal coca agriculture from 12,000 to 20,000 
hectares.  Rejecting this view, Shapiro noted that once 
Bolivia's very limited licit coca market of tea and chewing 
coca is satisfied, every increase in coca results in more 
cocaine, in the final analysis.  Both Shapiro and the vice 
president noted that there would be more discussion of coca 
challenge in Santa Cruz when the CICAD conference opened on 
November 30th. 
 
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Trade and Aid 
------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Finally, the vice president noted that he has been 
reading the USAID information the Ambassador recently 
supplied him and was very impressed.  The vice president 
expressed gratitude for U.S. assistance and probed Shapiro 
and the Ambassador on ATPDEA, with the Shapiro and the 
Ambassador noting Administration support for ATPDEA, and 
congressional control of the process of passage.  The vice 
president said that the GOB was sending a team of 
entrepreneurs and government officials to Washington next 
week to lobby for passage.  Garcia Linera then noted his 
pleasure that GOB CHOD Vargas is visiting SOUTHCOM this 
week, and said that his government is open and interested 
in pursuing military cooperation with the United States. 
The vice president said that if required, he would happily 
go before the Bolivian congress to defend U.S. military 
exercises in Bolivia. 
 
LA PAZ 00003229  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
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Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (C) The tone of the meeting was cordial, despite 
Shapiro and the Ambassador's repeated inquiries about the 
government,s commitment to democracy.  The vice president 
was economical with the facts on the current GOB approach 
to the constituent assembly, which has been confrontational 
and uncompromising.  Shapiro laid down a clear marker on 
U.S. interest in respect for democratic norms, although 
only time will tell if the vice president was in a 
listening mode on this point.  Based upon the most recent 
actions of his government, both in the senate (septel) and 
in the constituent assembly, there is reason for 
skepticism.  On aid and trade, the vice president has 
clearly begun to open his eyes on the great value of USAID 
to Bolivia, and is clearly extremely interested in the 
future of ATPDEA. 
 
PDAS Shapiro cleared this message. 
GOLDBERG