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RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 000708 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR LAC/AA D. KENNEDY-IRAHETA, E. LANDAU; LAC/SA J. LAWRENCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2019 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL PHUM PINR ENVR BL
SUBJECT: USAID BOLIVIA: IN THE CLEAR OR IN THE CROSSHAIRS? 
 
REF: LA PAZ 674 
 
Classified By: A/EcoPol Chief Joe Relk for reasons 1.4 (b,d.) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Ten days after several El Alto leaders called 
for the expulsion of the United States Agency for 
International Development (USAID) from their city (ref), 
other leaders, including the mayor, are coming to the 
organization's defense. Oscar Chirinos, an El Alto Movement 
Towards Socialism's (MAS) congressman, claimed in a radio 
interview that he and "thirty thousand" residents signed a 
petition for the removal of the organization and sent it to 
President Evo Morales. Our El Alto contacts contend the 
figure is a "complete lie" and that most neighborhoods in El 
Alto resented Chirinos "driving away" projects from the city. 
El Alto Mayor Fanor Nava defended USAID's programs in El Alto 
and personally called USAID Country Director to say he 
supported the work being done by USAID and affiliate 
organizations. Meanwhile, Eva Golinger, whose El Alto 
presentation on "U.S. Interference in Latin America" sparked 
Chirinos' anti-USAID campaign, gave an interview with Telesur 
on May 13. Minister of the Presidency Juan Ramon Quintana 
also gave an interview with Telesur the same day. Both 
attacked USAID and said it was an "arm of the USG" aimed at 
"dividing the country." END SUMMARY. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
EL ALTO'S USAID DECISION 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (C) Four days after the initial threats to expel USAID, El 
Alto held a scheduled-election for president of the 
neighborhoods association (FEJUVE). Ruben Mendoza won the 
position and is a known as a "friend" of USAID. Mendoza has 
worked with USAID programs in infrastructure development, 
Food for Work programs, and more.  Contacts say that further 
community meetings have shown anger and resentment towards 
Chirinos' attempts to "drive away" development projects from 
El Alto. Mayor Nava defended the non-profit presence in El 
Alto and confirmed his support with a call to USAID Country 
Director. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
CHIRINOS' "GRINGO" GRUDGE 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶3. (C) Chirinos' radio interview criticized USAID and the 
U.S. in general. He claimed that USAID was a "political arm" 
of the USG and wants to divide the city. Parroting claims 
originally made by Minister Quintana in August 2007, he added 
that only 20 percent of the U.S. Congressionally-delegated 
funds for Bolivia actually arrive in the country. He claimed 
that he and "thirty-thousand" others had signed a letter 
delivered to Morales. When asked about the President's 
response to the letter Chirinos said that Morales "is aware 
of it." 
 
¶4. (C) Emboffs have met with Chirinos several times in the 
past few years; he consistently asked for USAID support for 
his projects. In a meeting in December 2007, he complained to 
poloff about the "20 percent" only reaching the Bolivian 
people and said he wanted to organize a "fact-finding mission 
to USAID" to further investigate. Poloff explained the figure 
was not true and had been incorrectly stated by Minister of 
the Presidency Quintana. Surprisingly, Chirinos harshly 
criticized Quintana, saying he was "dangerous, couldn't be 
trusted, and mislead the (MAS) party, Morales in particular." 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
USAID: QUINTANA'S WHITE WHALE 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶5. (C) Quintana himself has not given up his fight against 
USAID. Both he and Golinger gave interviews May 13 to Telesur 
regarding USAID's "support of the opposition." Golinger 
claimed that "USAID funded the opposition in the name of 
democracy," but "really sought to divide the country." 
Quintana said the Bolivian government was "not surprised...by 
Eva's revelations regarding USAID's work to politically 
undermine the GOB." Quintana further said the government 
"rejected the strategy of political suffocation" of USAID and 
highlighted Chirinos' campaign to expel the organization from 
El Alto. 
 
- - - - - 
COMMENT 
- - - - - 
 
¶6. (C) Chirinos' long-held mistrust of USAID never stopped 
him from asking for funding. The lack of funding for his 
projects and the chance at political glory likely propelled 
his interest in removing USAID. As the situation has 
progressed, other El Alto community leaders have made their 
opinion known, albeit in more subtle, civic ways. While Post 
does not feel that Chirinos' threats alone are a serious 
danger to the USAID mission in Bolivia at this time, public 
support from Quintana could further encourage Chirinos and 
his followers to give Morales an ultimatum on the issue. One 
USAID grantee with long-standing presence in El Alto (Save 
the Children) discovered anti-U.S. graffiti on their building 
May 5. USAID considers this an isolated incident, however it 
has taken steps to create a specialized "warden system" to 
communicate to all USAID partner offices in El Alto in the 
event of further incidents. END COMMENT. 
URS