US embassy cable - 04CARACAS338

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 000338 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, VE 
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ CARRIES BOLIVIA'S WATER IN CHILE SEA SCUFFLE 
 
 
Classified By: Mark Wells, Acting Political Counselor, 
 for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) Three months ago President Hugo Chavez began a 
rhetorical offensive in support of Bolivia's claim to its 
historic Pacific coastline, seized by Chile in 1879. 
Chavez's campaign has made international headlines, and 
resulted in Venezuela and Chile recalling their ambassadors 
for consultations.  Chavez has incorporated the Bolivian sea 
claim into his self-styled Simon Bolivar mythology, 
frequently portraying the Chileans as oligarchs.  MFA 
officials claim everything is fine under the surface and hope 
for relations to normalize.  Meddling in Bolivia's sea claim 
is a win-win for Chavez as a "Bolivarian" foreign policy 
issue, a distraction from his domestic political problems, 
and a helping hand to Bolivian ally Evo Morales.  End Summary. 
 
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Plowing Toward the Sea 
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2. (U) President Hugo Chavez began in October to press 
publicly for Bolivia to regain sovereign access to the 
Pacific coast, land which Bolivia lost to Chile in 1879 
during the War of the Pacific.  In several public comments 
Chavez spoke of his dream of swimming in "a Bolivian beach." 
He subsequently elaborated on the theme by declaring that 
that Simon Bolivar, liberator of Bolivia and Venezuela, had 
bestowed access to the sea on the Bolivians when drawing the 
map of Gran Colombia during the independence era.  But, 
Chavez adds, the "Chilean oligarchy" seized the coast for 
"economic reasons" during the war.  Chavez claims that the 
Venezuelan president in 1879 opposed the land grab, and that 
it has been Venezuelan state policy ever since. 
 
3. (U) Chavez cited recent statements by UN Secretary General 
Kofi Annan, former President Jimmy Carter, and Brazilian 
Formin Celso as growing international support for resolution 
of the issue.  He announced he would raise Bolivian access to 
the sea at future summits, a promised he fulfilled during the 
Monterrey Summit (though only in press encounters, we 
understand).  Chavez requested on January 7 that the Chilean 
government to take "a more humble attitude" with Bolivia, 
which has suffered economically from not having a port. 
Bolivian indigenous leader Evo Morales has thanked Chavez for 
his public support on the issue. 
 
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Chile Takes Exception 
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4. (C) In reaction to Chavez's statements, Santiago recalled 
its ambassador, Fabio Vio, on November 15 for consultations; 
the Venezuelans reciprocated shortly thereafter.  The Chilean 
Charge d'Affaires had told poloff in December that Vio 
expected to return at the beginning of the year, thinking 
that the issue would cool over the holidays.  Plans changed 
during the Monterrey Summit, however, after Chavez accused 
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos of misrepresenting the facts 
of Chile's "occupation" of Bolivia's coastline.  Lagos denied 
lying, pointing out that Bolivian access to the sea is a 
bilateral issue.  Both the Venezuelan MFA and the Chilean 
Embassy confirmed to poloff that their respective ambassadors 
would not return to their posts in the near future. 
 
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MFA Hopes All Will Blow Over 
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5. (C) The MFA's Chile Desk Officer Romero Dimas told poloff 
January 14 the GOV hoped relations with Chile would be 
"normalized" once the public spotlight on the issue passes. 
He said that despite the mud slinging between its presidents, 
Venezuela and Chile enjoy good relations, citing 
 
accomplishments by an ad hoc bilateral working group (which 
last convened in 2001).  He characterized support for 
Bolivia's maritime claims as one of traditional solidarity 
among Latin American countries, though he admitted that 
President Chavez has pushed the issue more than previous 
presidents.  Romero was not aware of any attempt at 
discussing the issue privately at the Monterrey Summit, a 
fact confirmed by the Chilean Embassy. 
 
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Comment 
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6. (C) Like most Chavez political plays, there is a 
self-serving interest under the surface of this issue.  His 
recounting of the War of the Pacific is revisionist, cast as 
a struggle between "the people" of Bolivia and "the 
oligarchy" of Chile.  Chavez has found a low-risk issue to 
flog around his neighborhood, giving him the appearance of a 
statesmen, at least among his core supporters.  He seems 
willing to sacrifice relations with Chile, though he has thus 
far stopped short of formally breaking ties.  Casting the 
issue as poor Bolivia at the mercy of rich (by comparison) 
Chile, Chavez looks like a champion for the underdog.  And, 
certainly his efforts have the practical objective of 
boosting support for Evo Morales, his ideological ally in 
Bolivia. 
 
7. (C) That said, we believe most other Latin American 
presidents must wonder why Chavez, whose country has 
outstanding territorial differences with Colombia and Guyana, 
would go out on a limb for Bolivia. 
MCFARLAND 
 
 
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