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UNCLAS LA PAZ 000017 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT MORALES' NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU)  President Morales and his Movement Toward Socialism 
(MAS) party have been very active in the days leading up to 
and following the start of 2007.  On December 30, taking 
legal advantage of the Congress not being in session, Morales 
announced the appointment of four interim supreme court 
justices.  Following these questionable appointments, on 
January 2, Morales criticized the court system as corrupt, 
called the supreme court justices he had not appointed relics 
of past governments, and urged judges to cooperate and 
support the GOB's policies of "change."  On New Year's eve 
the president inaugurated a Venezuelan-financed coca-tea 
factory in the Chapare region, during which the vice 
president made statements that the MAS party's revolution 
will produce results in eight years although Morales' current 
mandate is only for five.  Later, Morales kicked off 2007 
with a midnight cabinet meeting where he signed off on five 
decrees, two of which directly impact the United States.  The 
first decree requires tourist visas for Americans traveling 
to Bolivia.  The second decree calls for Bolivian consulates 
in the United States to issue undocumented Bolivians 
"intelligent identification cards" that the GOB says will 
provide unspecified American health benefits, the ability to 
open bank accounts, and obtain driver's licenses in the 
United States.  Embassy La Paz was not advised of either 
measure in advance.  The GOB's hectic New Year's pace will 
continue at least through January 4 and 5 when the MAS will 
hold a meeting in Cochabamba to discuss its 2007 strategy and 
a possible cabinet reshuffling.  End Summary. 
 
---------------- 
Full Court Press 
---------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  On December 30, taking legal advantage of the 
Congress not being in session, President Morales announced 
the appointment of four interim supreme court justices.  The 
name of supreme court justices usually requires a two-thirds 
Congressional approval if Congress is in session.  The 
announcement fills the vacancies of four justices who 
stepped-down from the court in 2006 after the president had 
cut their pay as part of government-wide reduction in 
salaries.  The president argued he was forced to appoint new 
judges because of the extreme delays in Bolivia's judicial 
system.  He also stated his appointments were not MAS 
loyalists.  Opposition leader, and former president, Jorge 
"Tuto" Quiroga called Morales' appointments an "attack on 
democracy," and that the judges legally should have been 
appointed by Congress. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  At the January 2 opening of the new judicial year, 
Morales criticized the court system as corrupt, called the 
supreme court justices that he did not appoint relics of past 
governments, and urged judges to cooperate and support the 
GOB's policies of "change."  In a direct verbal attack on the 
president of the supreme court, Morales stated, "Justice is 
seen with fear, and as a business (corrupt). . . . If here, 
Mr. President of the Supreme Court of Justice, you do not 
feel the changes, the people feel the changes, they feel the 
social and structural changes."  He went on to attack 
ex-President Rodriguez (and former supreme court president), 
stating he lied regarding the decommissioning of Chinese 
MANPADS missiles.  Later he suggested that social sector 
groups hold a summit to discuss judicial reform. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Coca Tea Factory - Seven "MAS" Years? 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU)  On New Year's eve President Morales, Vice President 
Garcia Linera, and the Cuban Ambassador inaugurated a coca 
"industrialization" plant in the Chapare region.  The 
president announced that both Cuba and Venezuela were 
contributing to the project.  Morales said that Caracas is 
providing one million USD for the coca-tea plant.  He 
emphasized that the factory was an act of national 
sovereignty and that Bolivia did not have to ask the United 
States' permission to industrialize coca.  The vice president 
took the opportunity to outline the GOB's four primary goals 
for 2007 which include a more efficient bureaucracy, 
investment in disadvantaged regions, universal social 
security coverage, and increasing the GOB's share of mining 
revenues.  The vice president then inexplicably made 
statements that the MAS party's revolution will produce 
results in eight years, although Morales' current mandate is 
only for five. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Visas for Americans, "Intelligent Cards" for Bolivians 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Morales kicked off 2007 with a January 1 midnight 
cabinet meeting where he signed off on five decrees, two of 
which directly impact the United States.  The first decree 
requires tourist visas for Americans traveling to Bolivia. 
Previously, American tourists could travel to Bolivia 
visa-free for up to thirty days.  Embassy La Paz was not 
consulted regarding the new visa requirement.  On January 2, 
Juan Ramon Quintana, the Minister of the Presidency, 
explained the new visa requirement as a matter of 
reciprocity, national sovereignty, and as a way for the GOB 
to better protect its citizens.  Quintana justified the new 
visa requirement by citing the 2006 bombing of a La Paz hotel 
by a mentally unstable American.  (Note: The American entered 
Bolivia on a "World Service Authority Passport," not a United 
States passport.  End Note).  Bolivian companies (especially 
those involved in tourism) are critical of the GOB's new visa 
requirement.  The press has already noted inconsistencies in 
the reciprocity argument, noting that Cubans and Venezuelans 
are not required to get visas even though both countries 
require visas of Bolivians. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The second decree calls for Bolivian consulates in 
the United States to issue undocumented Bolivians 
"intelligent identification cards" that the GOB says will 
provide unspecified American health benefits, the ability to 
open bank accounts, and obtain driver's licenses in the 
United States.  The GOB states the cards will cost 
thirty-five USD.  According to Foreign Minister David 
Choquehuanca, the program will be piloted in the in the 
Washington, DC metropolitan area.  Choquehuanca has admitted 
that no USG authorities were consulted regarding the program. 
 
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Comment 
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¶7. (SBU)  In addition to the New Year's day visa and consular 
card decrees, Morales approved new labor rules and a 
universal health coverage program.  These measures are sure 
to be popular with his base.  The GOB's hectic New Year's 
pace will continue at least through January 4 and 5 as it 
holds a meeting in Cochabamba to discuss its 2007 strategy 
and a possible cabinet reshuffling.  The GOB denies a cabinet 
shake-up is in the works.  End Comment. 
GOLDBERG