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DE RUEHLP #1877/01 1872147
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P 062147Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
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UNCLAS LA PAZ 001877 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL
SUBJECT: BOLIVIA'S EASTERN DEPARTMENTS DEFINE AUTONOMY 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) To celebrate the one year anniversary of their vote 
in favor of "autonomy" large crowds gathered in the 
department capitals of Bolivia's four eastern departments on 
July 2.  Each of the four departments also unveiled their 
unilaterally formulated "Autonomy Statutes."  The statutes, 
essentially draft constitutions, if enacted would give the 
departmental governments vastly expanded powers, many of 
which are currently handled by the central government.  The 
most controversial feature in the Santa Cruz statute would 
grant the department government the power to regulate 
internal migration, a proposal that received much GOB 
criticism.  In a clear attempt to defuse the controversy that 
has pitted departmental autonomy against indigenous autonomy, 
Santa Cruz Prefect Costas and the leaders of five indigenous 
groups signed a "social and political pact" defending both 
forms of autonomy.  Until July 2 the eastern departments had 
never defined their vision for autonomy; the Movement Towards 
Socialism (MAS) still has not.  Now Constituent Assembly 
delegates and the Bolivian people have the opportunity to 
debate the two competing visions on autonomy, one which is 
clearly defined, the other of which remains nebulous.  End 
Summary. 
 
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Departments Declare Autonomy 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) To celebrate the one year anniversary of their vote 
in favor of "autonomy" large crowds gathered in the 
department capitals of Bolivia's four eastern departments -- 
Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz and Tarija -- on July 2.  Santa 
Cruz's rally overshadowed those of the smaller eastern 
departments.  According to Santa Cruz civic committee 
president Branko Marinkovic Jovicevic approximately 60,000 
people gathered in Santa Cruz (we estimate fewer, perhaps 
40,000).  At the rally, Department Prefect Ruben Costas 
unveiled Santa Cruz's Autonomy Statute.  (Note: The other 
three departments also presented their autonomy statutes, 
similar to the Santa Cruz statute.  End Note).  Referring to 
the statute, Santa Cruz Provisional Autonomic Assembly 
President (and PODEMOS deputy), Carlos Pablo Klinksy 
Fernandez declared "Santa Cruz is autonomous by the decision 
of its people and this statute is a fundamental step in our 
process of self government." 
 
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The Statutes (Constitutions) 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU)  The statutes, essentially draft constitutions, if 
enacted would provide the departmental governments vastly 
expanded powers, many of which are currently handled by the 
central government.  The Santa Cruz statute calls for a 
directly elected executive and legislative assembly.  Under 
current Bolivian law there is no legislative branch at the 
departmental level.  The statute's drafters envision a 
departmental judicial system, with locally appointed judges 
and prosecutors.  The Santa Cruz assembly would elect a 
departmental human rights ombudsman, as opposed to current 
practice in which the national human rights ombudsman 
designates a departmental representative.  Below are a few of 
the powers currently handled by the central government that 
would fall under the departmental government's control: 
 
- Passage and enforcement of departmental legislation; 
- Regulation of internal borders; 
- Management of the educational system; 
- Establishment of budgets; 
- The raising of taxes and contracting of public debt; 
- The issuance of concessions, licenses and permits; and, 
- Management of the police force. 
 
Vice Minister for Government Cooperation Hector Arce was the 
first GOB official to officially respond to the statute 
calling it "seditious" and an attempt to break the nation's 
"unity." 
 
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Controlling Internal Migration 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) The most controversial feature in the statute falls 
under article 8, attribution 21 which states the departmental 
government will have the exclusive right to "Regulate 
internal migration ...."  GOB officials have called the 
statement discriminatory, designed to block "collas" (people 
from the altiplano) from entering the department, going so 
far as to state that Santa Cruz will require passports of 
people traveling to the department.  Juan Carlos Urenda, an 
advisor to Prefect Ruben Costas, responded to the criticism 
stating, "We are not talking about individual restrictions 
such as passports, which the government has ... led you to 
believe."  Yet Urenda fed into the GOB's arguments by 
explaining the proposal simply attempts to prevent a 
recurrence of the massive 1950s migration from the west (the 
altiplano) to Santa Cruz. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Branko Marinkovic, in a July 3 conversation with 
Emboff, acknowledged the migration statement was poorly 
drafted.  His explanation that the proposal's intent was to 
merely give the department the ability to prevent migrants 
from entering Santa Cruz's many "protected areas, parks and 
indigenous territories" was weak.  A local media contact 
(from the UNITEL network), who met with Emboff on July 3, 
provided a more convincing explanation.  He explained that 
Santa Cruz city has grown by 700,000 inhabitants since 2001, 
exhausting the city's educational, health and utility 
systems.  The proposal, he argued, aims to prevent future 
shortages in critical services.  Klinksy publicly elaborated 
on this argument by stating the GOB has failed to transfer 
adequate funding (from hydrocarbon tax revenues) to Santa 
Cruz to cover the many recent migrants to the department. 
(Note: Other Crucenos have privately told Emboffs that the 
real motivation for controlling migration is that poor 
migrants tend to vote MAS, and in marginal electoral 
districts continued migration is bolstering support for 
President Morales.  End Note). 
 
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Pact with Indigenous Leaders 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) In a clear attempt to defuse the controversy that 
has pitted departmental autonomy against indigenous autonomy, 
Prefect Costas and the leaders of five indigenous groups ) 
Guaranis, Guarayos, Ayoreos, Chiquitanos and Mojenos -- 
signed a "social and political pact" at the Santa Cruz rally. 
 The pact promises to defend the rights and the communitarian 
territories (TCOs) of indigenous peoples within Santa Cruz 
while recognizing both departmental and indigenous autonomy. 
The pact also calls for the establishment of a fund to 
promote indigenous issues.  Guarani leader Carmelo 
Justiniano, the most outspoken indigenous leader at the 
rally, stated his people would defend departmental autonomy 
with "bows and arrows."  Nonetheless, the Confederation of 
Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia (CIDOB), a well-known umbrella 
organization that represents the thirty-four lowland 
indigenous groups, denounced the five leaders stating that 
they did not represent their respective indigenous groups and 
that they had been "expelled from the CIDOB leadership for 
irregularities."  A CIDOB leader accused Justiniano and the 
other indigenous leaders of being on the payroll of the 
prefect and agro-business interests. 
 
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Comment 
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¶7. (SBU)  Until July 2 the eastern departments had never 
defined their vision for autonomy; President Morales and the 
MAS still have not.  While there is debate as to whether the 
statutes are in final form or simply initial drafts, they 
represent the first clear definition of departmental autonomy 
and will serve as templates for the opposition's autonomy 
proposal before the Constituent Assembly.  Now Constituent 
Assembly delegates and the Bolivian people will have the 
opportunity to debate two competing visions on autonomy, one 
which is clearly defined, the other of which remains 
nebulous.  End Comment. 
GOLDBERG