An International Diplomacy Quiz

Readers:

I am back in Bolivia and catching up on local news.

Here is a small quiz about international diplomacy. Below are two scenarios (note: one is true the other is not) and following those is a set of questions. Please offer your answers and thoughts, if you like, as comments to this post.

Jim Shultz

Scenario #1:

Last week the Bolivian Ambassador to the U.S., Gustavo Guzman, paid an official visit to leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to discuss the recent political confrontations between the Democratic Congress and the Bush administration over setting a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. The two houses of Congress passed a resolution earlier this month conditioning continued funding for the War to a timetable for withdrawal.

Following his meeting with Congress, Ambassador Guzman met with U.S. journalists and proclaimed the Bolivia government’s support for the right of the Congress to assert itself in U.S. decision making about the War. “Bolivia considers that no democracy can be strong if the powers of all branches of government are not respected. We are convinced that democracy is only strengthened when the views of all branches of government are respected.”

A year ago, following President Bush’s declaration that he would not commit to any date by which U.S. troops might be brought home, Bolivia President Evo Morales publicly declared his concern about “the erosion of U.S. democracy.”

Bush administration officials reacted quickly and unhappily to the Bolivian government’s declarations. The President himself told reporters, “I regret that Guzman, on the pretext of respect for the powers of the various branches of government, has sought to defend a policy of surrender to terrorists.”

Scenario #2:

Last week the U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, Phillip Goldberg, paid an official visit to members of Bolivia’s Supreme Court to discuss the recent political confrontations between the country’s judiciary and President Evo Morales over judicial opposition to the some of the government’s proposed policies. President Morales has accused some members of the Court of corruption and demanded their resignation.

Following his meeting with the Court, Ambassador Goldberg met with journalists and proclaimed the U.S. government’s support for judicial independence. “The U.S. considers that no democracy can be strong without respect for the independence of those powers. We are convinced that democracy is only strengthened when there is respect for its institutions.”

A year ago, following President Morales’ decree nationalizing Bolivia’s gas and oil, President Bush publicly declared his concern about “the erosion of Bolivian democracy.”

Morales administration officials reacted quickly and unhappily to the Bolivian government’s declarations. The President himself told reporters, “I really regretted that Goldberg, on the pretext of respect to powers independence, tries to defend corruption and injustice."

And now the quiz:

1. Which of the two scenarios above is true and which is false.

2. In the two cases above, was the action of the foreign diplomat appropriate or not appropriate and why?

3. Do some nations have more of a right to intervene in the domestic politics of others, and if so, why?

Your answers may be offered as comments to this post.