Bolivian FM and US ambassador discuss spying case

(14 Feb 2008) SHOTLIST
February 13, 2008
1. Wide of Bolivian Foreign Ministry building
2. Pan across meeting between US Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca
3. Goldberg and Choquehuanca shaking hands
4. Wide of Goldberg, Choquehuanca and Bolivian Government Minister Alfredo Rada taking seats at news conference
5. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) David Choquehuanca, Bolivian Foreign Minister:
"Regarding the Fullbright Scholar, we, the Bolivian government, accepts the explanations given by the ambassador and would like to get past this problem."
6. Mid of Goldberg, Choquehuanca and Rada at table
7. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Philip Goldberg, US Ambassador to Bolivia:
"I also thank Bolivian officials for accepting our explanations about this incident. You (speaking to media) already have these explanations which we have made public several times. I would like to echo the minister's sentiments in that we always have every intention to improve relations between the United States and Bolivia and for that reason it is important to move past this incident and it is important that the government has accepted our explanations."
8. Mid of Bolivian flag
9. Pan left of Rada, Choquehuanca and Goldberg at news conference
10. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Alfredo Rada, Bolivian Interior Minister:
"It was officially communicated to us that Vincent Cooper will not return to Bolivia. Vincent Cooper has left the country and, I repeat, will not return to Bolivia."
11. Goldberg, Choquehuanca and Rada shaking hands after news conference
February 11, 2008
12. Various of Fulbright scholar Alex van Schaick during interview
STORYLINE
A US Embassy official accused of asking an American student and Peace Corps volunteers to spy will not return to Bolivia, a Bolivian Cabinet minister announced on Wednesday.
Bolivian Interior Minister Alfredo Rada announced that assistant regional security officer Vincent Cooper will not return to Bolivia, following complaints he asked a Fulbright scholar and 30 Peace Corps volunteers to collect information on Venezuelans and Cubans they encountered in Bolivia.
Rada told reporters that during a three-hour meeting on Wednesday with US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, "it was officially communicated to us that Vincent Cooper will not return to Bolivia."
Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca, who was also at the meeting, told reporters that he hoped the two countries could move past the issue.
"The Bolivian government accepts the explanations of the ambassador," Choquehuanca said. "We want to get past this problem."
He noted, however, that both Bolivian and US investigations into Cooper's requests continued.
Embassy officials had explained on Monday that last year Cooper had mistakenly given a group of Peace Corps volunteers a security briefing meant only for embassy staff, asking them to report "suspicious activities."
Embassy officials said that they could not confirm whether Cooper also gave improper instructions to a Fulbright scholar during a one-on-one briefing in November.
After Wednesday's meeting, Goldberg in public thanked Choquehuanca for hearing him out.
"We always have every intention to improve the relationship between the US and Bolivia," Goldberg said.
Last week, Fulbright scholar Alex van Schaick told The Associated Press Television that Cooper asked him to pass along the names and addresses of any Venezuelan and Cuban workers he might meet in the country.
The officer declined to speak to the AP about the incident.

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