VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLP #1840/01 2422034
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 292034Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8354
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 8284
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 5641
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 9582
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 6799
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3894
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 4184
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 5718
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 6513
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 1247
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0103
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001840 
 
SIPDIS 
 
IO/UNP FOR SUN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL OTRA OVIP KESP UNGA BL
SUBJECT: EVO'S UNGA DELEGATION DESPERATELY SEEKING OBAMA 
 
REF: A. LA PAZ 1824 
     ¶B. LA PAZ 1655 
     ¶C. STATE 72078 
 
Classified By: EcoPol Chief Mike Hammer for reasons 1.4 (b) 
and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) An MFA insider and senior staffer of the Bolivian 
MFA's Policy Planning Section provided PolOff with 
information about the Bolivia's UNGA delegation August 29 
that contradicts some publicly released information and 
discounts the possibility of a substantive bilateral meeting 
on the margins.  Our contact will be flying to New York 
September 1 as advance party for UNGA delegation, 
particularly to help hone and fact-check President Morales' 
UNGA speech.  He said, as in prior years, the speech would be 
drafted by the staff of Presidency Minister Juan Ramon 
Quintana, a strong critic of the United States, and senior 
palace advisors, such as Pablo Salon.  Although the content 
will assuredly be anti-U.S., it will be narrowly focused at 
criticism of the current administration in order to "make 
sure President Obama is not offended." 
 
Evo Wants to meet "President Obama," not us 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Our contact claimed he had not heard of "any interest" 
on the part of the Bolivian delegation to meet on the margins 
with State Department officials.  Although he claimed the GOB 
has a favorable opinion of A/S Thomas Shannon, and a meeting 
might be possible, he said the Bolivian delegation did not 
think such a meeting would be productive.  The delegation 
was, rather, pinning their hopes on a meeting with Democratic 
Presidential Nominee Barack Obama, or, barring that with Vice 
Presidential Nominee Joseph Biden.  Our contact asserted the 
Bolivian delegation has had "no luck" in this endeavor and 
that "Obama's people do not seem very enthusiastic about a 
meeting."  Instead of trying to make progress with the 
current administration, the MFA officer said "they are 
waiting for Obama to take over, when they think everything 
will change."  He said the MFA is taking a similar "freeze" 
stance generally, waiting to press their agenda and engage 
with the USG until after a change in administrations. 
 
Morales' Proposed U.S. Meetings 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Morales is scheduled to meet with "all east coast" 
union leaders in a major meeting organized by United 
Healthcare Worker East (1911 SEUI) leader Dennis Rivera.  He 
will also have meetings with many of the same political 
leaders (including members of the New York City Council) as 
he has in past UNGAs.  Our contact suggested we make the 
point that the Bolivian government protests when our 
Ambassador meets with opposition leaders, while President 
Morales is allowed "the freedom to talk to everyone and go 
anywhere in the United States."  He added that we should 
point out that the United States allows the Bolivian 
Ambassador in Washington the freedom to visit whomever he 
wants, including leaders opposed to the current 
administration, a right "anyone should have in a free 
country."  (Note: The Ambassador made exactly these points in 
the a meeting with Foreign Minister Choquehuanca on August 
¶26.  End Note.) 
 
North to Alaska Sept. 19; UNGA Sept. 21-23 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) The MFA insider said Morales' party would travel to 
Alaska September 19 and 20 to meet with more than 30 
indigenous chiefs, some from Canada.  The meeting would be 
used as a publicity event to convey Morales' credibility as 
the "spokesman" for all indigenous and a springboard for his 
elements of his UNGA speech dealing with environmental and 
sovereignty issues.  Morales would stay in New York September 
21-23, according to our contact.  This contradicts dates 
announced by Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca (reftel a). 
 
Evo's Dream Team 
---------------- 
 
¶5. (C) The delegation would consist principally of Morales, 
Minister of the Presidency Quintana, Foreign Minister 
Choquehuanca, Special Advisor Salon, and Director of 
Bilateral Affairs Jean Paul Guevara.  Although there is a 
legal requirement that both the Foreign Minister and Minister 
of the Presidency cannot be away from the country at the same 
time, our contact said the Morales Administration "does not 
care about such things." 
GOLDBERG