VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLP #1980/01 1991350
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181350Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4350
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6934
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4282
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 8170
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 5415
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2645
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 2805
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 3538
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4727
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 5276
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 9883
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0415
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS LA PAZ 001980 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL
SUBJECT: LIMITING DISCOURSE: AN AUTHORITARIAN BENT IN THE 
GOB'S LATEST DECREE 
 
REF: LA PAZ 1537 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On June 20, 2007 the Government of Bolivia 
issued Supreme Decree 29174, which expands the coverage of 
telecommunication technologies in rural parts of Bolivia. The 
decree also includes articles affecting community-based radio 
stations. While government-funded communitarian-stations will 
continue to broadcast overtly political content unaffected, 
independent stations are beginning to feel the noose tighten. 
Critics warn that the GOB could use it as a tool to limit 
freedom of expression. Vague programming guidelines and new 
licensing requirements open the door to unilateral government 
closures based on political decisions similar to the closure 
of RCTV in Venezuela. Given President Evo Morales' earlier 
pronunciations and authoritarian tendencies, fears of this 
type may not be ill-founded (reftel). End Summary. 
 
---------------- 
Expanding Access 
---------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) President Evo Morales approved Supreme Decree 29174 
on June 20th, subsequently presented to the public on June 
¶26. The decree expands access to telecommunication 
technologies in the rural parts of Bolivia, which have 
historically lacked access because of their isolation. Vice 
Minister of Telecommunications Roy Roque explained that "the 
decree looks to expand the communications network in the 
countryside of which only .6% is currently covered" (informal 
translation). The GOB has set about increasing that coverage 
to 80% by 2010.  In a country with low print media 
circulation, poor television coverage, and even worse 
internet access, radio broadcast is by a large margin the 
principle source of information for most Bolivians. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Restrictions on Community Radio Stations 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The decree includes many articles that negatively 
impact community-based radio stations. It bans legislative 
and judicial authorities, as well as other public 
funcionaries, from owning either whole or part of a radio 
station. More importantly, political party representatives or 
union leaders are also banned from owning community stations. 
 The decree prohibits anyone "that exercises control, 
direction, or administration in another station" from 
obtaining a community station license, the implications of 
which are to limit the influence of individual owners. It 
also limits the broadcasting radius of these stations to only 
one municipality. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The decree prohibits stations from airing political 
messages of any nature and limits them to only cultural and 
educational programming. According to the decree, programming 
should be directed towards strengthening local culture and 
promoting indigenous languages. Any station that fails to do 
so will have its license revoked. The decree does not define 
the difference between a cultural or political message. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Significantly, the decree does not affect the 30 
radio stations inaugurated by Morales' government with 
Venezuelan funding, because their programming ostensibly 
contains only educational and cultural content, according to 
the GOB. This is disingenuous because these stations 
rebroadcast blatantly political, pro-MAS content from Radio 
Patria Nuevo, the state owned radio station. By categorically 
defining these stations as exempt from the new decree while 
tightening the noose around independent stations, the GOB is 
restricting full access to the airwaves to broadcasters known 
to promote its message. 
 
----------------------- 
Reactions to the Decree 
----------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) NGO's and broadcasters alike are critical of the new 
 
decree. The Association of Bolivian Radio Broadcasters 
(ASBORA) held a series of meetings July 6-7, where 
representatives expressed concerns that the new regulations 
would make their operations unprofitable. The operators claim 
that the new regulations would inhibit their ability to 
spread cost by broadcasting in multiple markets. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Operators are also concerned that the new licensing 
procedures restrict the decision making process to only the 
Ministry of Public Works and the Vice Minister of 
Telecommunications. Since the GOB can decide what is cultural 
and what is political, critics argue that broadcasters will 
be vulnerable to politically motivated attacks. The 
government has dubbed the decree as part of "the 
democratization of media outlets," seemingly indifferent to 
the rights of broadcasters. The reality is that fewer 
stations will likely be available to listeners since single 
municipality stations are generally unprofitable. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) President Evo Morales uses indigenismo (the 
promotion of indigenous cultures) as a political tool, thus 
blurring the line between cultural and political messages. 
The decree's provisions resemble the Venezuelan regulations 
that enabled President Hugo Chavez to unilaterally close 
RCTV. While it is apparently OK for President Morales to mix 
cultural and political messages, it seems his government will 
not be so forgiving when it comes to granting or revoking 
licenses of community radio stations. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Decree 29174 can be seen as part of President 
Morales' pattern of hostility towards the media, e.g. as 
expressed at the 5th World Encounter of Leftist 
Intellectuals, May 22-25 (reftel). At the conference, he 
characterized media outlets as the principle sources of 
resistance to change and signed an agreement with the 
Venezuelan and Cuban governments establishing an observer 
organization to monitor "hegemonic interests" in the media. 
End Comment. 
GOLDBERG