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DE RUEHLP #2192 2831322
ZNR UUUUU ZZH  (CCY TEXT AD00E67044/MSI0457 510)
O 091322Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8789
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 8437
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UNCLAS LA PAZ 002192 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y(PARA 5 IS UNCLAS) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ETRD BL
SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: MORALES ON ATPDEA, CASTRO, AND CHE 
 
¶1. (U) Bolivian President Evo Morales spoke to supporters on 
October 7, downplaying recent USG decisions regarding ATPDEA, 
lauding Che Guevara, and citing the advice of his friend and 
ally Cuban President Fidel Castro. 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
ATPDEA: "Won't Affect Us At All" 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (U) Morales announced to his followers that the suspension 
of ATPDEA benefits "is not going to affect us at all" because 
many other markets will open for Bolivia.  Morales added, 
"Yesterday I was meeting with the representative from Iran. 
On the instructions of the Iranian government, he wants to 
know the list of textiles that will be prohibited (sic), 
surely so that they don't enter the United States.  They want 
to buy them."  (Note: President Bush's decision to suspend 
ATPDEA trade benefits would not "prohibit" the export of any 
product, a fact that has been made clear by the Embassy and 
seems to be understood by Morales' Ministers in their public 
comments.  End note.) 
 
¶3. (U) The government announced separately that a mission led 
by Finance Minister Arce will travel to the United States to 
participate in the October 23 public hearing on the proposal 
to suspend ATPDEA benefits to Bolivia.  Vice Minister Guzman 
explained Bolivia's decision to attend the USTR hearing: 
"Bolivia will present a dignified and sovereign defense, 
showing the country's efforts in the battle against drugs." 
The same day, press reports highlighted the fact that Morales 
has legalized more than ten thousand hectares of coca during 
his term in office, effectively doubling the amount of legal 
coca in the country.  This comes after Morales' October 2 
decision not to allow DEA overflights and recent threats to 
expel DEA from the country. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Name-dropping:  Castro and Che 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶4. (U) Morales also revealed to his listeners Cuban President 
Fidel Castro's advice to him when he was first a candidate 
for the presidency:  "There are always international events 
in Cuba.  I went there and I asked Fidel:  'What happens if 
tomorrow I'm president and the United States blocks 
Bolivia?'"  Morales said that Castro advised that there was 
no need to fear a U.S. "blockade" because "Bolivia is not an 
island like Cuba, because Bolivia has friendly countries like 
Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina, and because Bolivia 
has so many natural resources, like hydrocarbons and 
petroleum."  Morales concluded, "This grabbed me mentally. 
And truly, in this moment, the (counternarcotics) 
decertification and closing (markets) for textiles with 
ATPDEA will not affect us at all.  There are countries in 
solidarity with us." 
 
¶5. (U) Morales also commented on his program of "change", 
declaring it "unstoppable" and calling on his followers so 
that the Argentine-Cuban guerrilla Ernesto "Che" Guevara 
would not have died in vain.  Assuring his listeners at a Che 
remembrance ceremony that the government would continue with 
the process of change, Morales promised to follow "this road 
plotted by the fighters for equality, for social justice and 
the revolutionary identity." (Note: Che Guevara was killed by 
the Bolivian military opposing a Cuban-backed invasion. 
Morales' public celebration of Che in 2007 prompted anger 
among members of the Bolivian military, who felt Morales had 
insulted the Bolivian soldiers who died in battles with Che's 
forces. End note.) 
URS