Evo Morales greets approach of Bolivia to Peru and U.S.

REDIRECTING • President Evo Morales in La Paz welcomed the approaches made by the Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca in meetings on Tuesday in Lima with their U.S. counterparts, Hillary Clinton, and Peru, José Antonio García Belaunde.

By EUGEN ROXAS

Bolivias's president Mr. Juan Evo Morales Ayma. Photo © ABI®. All rights reserved.

LIMA, Peru.— Relations between La Paz and Washington have soured since 2008 when Morales expelled U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg on suspicion of encouraging separatism of Santa Cruz department.

In return, Washington also expelled the then Bolivian Ambassador Gustavo Guzman.

Morales said:

"Choquehuanca told me some good progress in improving relations with the two countries.

I hope we can move forward. There is much hope that diplomatic relations can be improved, trade with Peru investment, cooperation with the U.S. as well."

But Morales rejected the recent appointment of Mark Feierstein, a former adviser of Sanchez de Lozada, (refugee Washington), as head of USAID in Bolivia.

Source: ABI^®