Alleged U.S. Espionage Angers Bolivia

President Labels Embassy Worker "Undesirable" Over Reports He Solicited Intelligence

(AP)  President Evo Morales declared a U.S. Embassy security officer to be an "undesirable person" on Monday after reports that the officer asked an American scholar and 30 Peace Corps volunteers to pass along information about Cubans and Venezuelans working in Bolivia.

It was not immediately clear whether Morales intended to seek the expulsion of the official, Vincent Cooper, who according to the U.S. Embassy was recalled to Washington for consultations.

Morales said Cooper is, "for Bolivia, for the government, an undesirable person," and accused him of sending U.S. citizens in Bolivia out as spies. "I feel that this man has not only violated the rights of these citizens, but also violated, offended and attacked Bolivia," the president said.

The embassy released a statement Monday explaining that Peace Corps volunteers had been mistakenly given a security briefing meant only for embassy staff, asking them to report "suspicious activities."

"Nobody at the embassy has ever asked American citizens to participate in intelligence activities here," U.S. ambassador Phillip Goldberg said during a flood relief visit to the eastern city of Trinidad. "But I want to say that I greatly regret the incident that was made known this weekend."

The ambassador's statement referred only to the Peace Corps briefing in July. Embassy officials said they could not confirm whether Cooper also gave improper instructions to a Fulbright scholar in a one-on-one briefing in November.

Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca said he would seek a meeting with Goldberg to discuss recent tensions over intelligence operations in Bolivia, but the embassy has yet to receive a formal summons.

On Friday, Fulbright scholar Alex van Schaick told The Associated Press that Cooper, the embassy's assistant regional security officer, asked him to pass along the names and addresses of any Venezuelan and Cuban workers he might encounter in the country. "We know they're out there, we just want to keep tabs on them," Schaick quoted Cooper as telling him on Nov. 5.

ABC News reported that Cooper made a similar request to 30 newly arrived Peace Corps volunteers on July 29, angering the organization's programming and training officer for Bolivia, Doreen Salazar, who told Cooper that the request violated policy and told the volunteers to ignore it. Salazar would not talk to the AP about the incident.

The U.S. State Department said Friday that any such request would run against U.S. policy. In a more strongly worded statement, the Peace Corps said that by law, volunteers cannot be asked to gather intelligence for the U.S. government.

"Any connection between the Peace Corps and the intelligence community would seriously compromise the ability of the Peace Corps to develop and maintain the trust and confidence of the people in the host countries we serve," the agency said.

[mark_e3]

And they said John Perkins was a liar when he told the world USAID and the peacecorps did this stuff..

[j-whitman]

I wonder what Bolivia''s policies on waterbording are ??

[missingamerica]

"Any connection between the Peace Corps and the intelligence community would seriously compromise the ability of the Peace Corps to develop and maintain the trust and confidence of the people in the host countries we serve,"

Not to mention jeopardizing the lives of our Peace Corps volunteers.

But the people this Administration likes to hire don''t have such things as worrying about Americans who are abroad very high on their list, or else they wouldn''t engage in torture.

[mcvet]

In my neighborhood we''''ve had a crime watch program for 10 or 12 years. Only one neighbor actually works in law enforcement as far as I know. I don''''t know everybody. Point is, there is nothing wrong with a citizen reporting suspicious activity. There is a problem with the government coercing people to spy, but there is no problem with asking people to report something if they see something suspicious.


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Posted by runningralph at 10:10 AM : Feb 12, 2008
+ report abuse

IF they are a citizen YES. OUR people are VISITORS in that Country and should UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES be doing things like this without THAT governments knowledge and approval. It''s become obvious to me that our present Nazi Leadership is turning the entire world, friend and foe, against us with their Arrogance and Superior Attitude. If you have a FRIEND, which Brazil has been, you treat them with RESPECT! This is deploriable but in this day and time with the God Awlful Piece of Trash we have in our White House, is not out of the ordinary! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[runningralph]

In my neighborhood we''ve had a crime watch program for 10 or 12 years. Only one neighbor actually works in law enforcement as far as I know. I don''t know everybody. Point is, there is nothing wrong with a citizen reporting suspicious activity. There is a problem with the government coercing people to spy, but there is no problem with asking people to report something if they see something suspicious.

[gce65]

PS to wesley:
Did you miss the last two paragraphs of the story?

The U.S. State Department said Friday that any such request would run against U.S. policy. In a more strongly worded statement, the Peace Corps said that by law, volunteers cannot be asked to gather intelligence for the U.S. government.

"Any connection between the Peace Corps and the intelligence community would seriously compromise the ability of the Peace Corps to develop and maintain the trust and confidence of the people in the host countries we serve," the agency said.

[gce65]

hey wesleyjl:
I don''t think people generally join the Peace Corps or study under a Fullbright scholarship to become spies and gather intelligence for the US government. They do it to directly help out people in those countries. If you think it''s everyone''s duty to "watch and inform" on others, then you belong in the Stasi in East Germany...or in the Bush Administration.

[quetzal0666]

I Wonder if the SHRUB Twins are spying as well for the Gov,......

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush II is disturbed that his little "spy" ring has been discovered in Bolivia.

The Emperor is deeply concerned that there are Cubans and Venezeulans in the country and doesn''t feel they should be there. After all, the Great Emperor hates Castro and hates Chavez even more (NO ONE calls the Great Emperor "EL DIABLO" and gets away with it!), so suspects that both the feeble old Castro and the wicked Chavez are subverting the Emperor''s efforts to conquer South America!

In an effort to salvage whatever he can of the situation, the Great Emperor has instructed the CIA not to approach Peace Corps workers (JFK would have kittens if he were alive today!) about anything having to do with spying, but instead, have CIA agents "infiltrate" the Peace Corp to determine if the Corp is a "terrrrrrrrrorist" plant!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!

[oeangus]

Democrats hate American. - Posted by demslie

No. Intelligent people - not just Americans, but around the world - despise George Bush and his administration. To pawn the problem off on the people who actually THINK about these things - is as disingenious as it is contemptible.

[jlwesley]

If those peace corp people don''t want to assist our government in its attempts to keep track of people seeking to injure or thwart our efforts in Bolivia, then they should get out and let someone do the job that will truly work for our efforts.

[glossypan]

".... Democrats Hate Republicans, Christians, Heterosexuls, and anyone who might like to fly the American Flag...."
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Posted by demslie at 07:36 AM : Feb 12, 2008
+ report
** ** ** **
Are Republicans, Christians and heterosexuals mutually exclusive or is there some overlap among the groups?

[brianbwb-2009]

"Nobody at the embassy has ever asked American citizens to participate in intelligence activities here...." U.S. ambassador Phillip Goldberg

So during the background checks necessary by law for obtaining security clearances, Goldberg means to asy that nobody in the approval chain noticed that the people on the list didn''t belong there?

I''d like to see some heads rolling over this.

[demslie]

Democrats hate American. I notice that the story about China spys in American got Democrats mad at George Bush. And here, Democrats are mad at George Bush. And the story about Russian planes flying over a NAVY ship and Democrats are mad a Bush. And the tiger that got out of his cage and killed someone, and Democrats are mad a Bush. Democrats Hate Republicans, Christians, Heterosexuls, and anyone who might like to fly the American Flag. Sounds just like an anti-American terrorist group.

[joyous88]

Well, Well, Bolivia finally wakes up to what the american capitalist pig is really after,

if it makes money our conservative evangelical pig republicans will steal it from you.

[tulcak]

Nobody at the embassy has ever asked American citizens to participate in intelligence activities here.

U.S. ambassador Phillip Goldberg


HOW CAN PEOPLE LIKE THIS SO BLATANTLY LIE AND RECEIVE NO CONSEQUENCES? WAR IS PEACE... white is black, alice in wonderland world...

[gce65]

It''s no wonder that foreign governments are worried about US diplomats, the CIA and other intelligence agencies; they really ARE out there trying to recruit people to spy. Trying to get Peace Corps volunteers to pass on information??? Shameful! I hope all those Peace Corps people told this embassy person to shove off! Scumbag!