This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTIAGO 001539 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA 
AMEMBASSIES FOR PAO, IO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC PREL KMDR KPAO CI VE AR BR PE UY
SUBJECT: VICE-PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA'S "TELESUR" SPEAKS 
TO CHILEAN JOURNALISTS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED---PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  The executive vice-president of 
Venezuelan-Latin American TV Channel "Telesur," Aram 
Aharonian, visited Chile July 8-11 to promote Venezuela's 
regional TV project.  Aharonian met with Minister-level 
government spokesman Osvaldo Puccio on July 8, and spoke 
to an audience of over 130 journalists at the annual 
Professional Journalists' Association Congress (Colegio 
de Periodistas) in the coastal city of Vina del Mar on 
July 9.  Although the details of Aharonian's agenda in 
Chile have not been publicized, center-left "Diario 
Siete" reported he was unable to meet with the executives 
of Chile's principal cable television operator VTR. There 
have been no government or private sector reactions or 
comments regarding his visit.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) Mr. Aharonian gave a 30-minute presentation on 
the proposed Latin American TV channel "Telesur" at the 
July 9 closing session of the Professional Journalists' 
Association Annual Congress in Vina del Mar.  The 
presentation included a 15-minute speech followed by a 15- 
minute promo-tape. Both his remarks and the tape stressed 
that "Telesur" was created to counter the hegemony of 
large transnational media conglomerates "from the North," 
which present a black and white --"but mostly black--" 
picture of the situation in the region. 
 
¶3. (U) Aharonian underscored that "Telesur" was not a 
government organization, but rather a "multinational 
initiative financed by donations from participating 
countries."  Its goal is to build a bridge for Latin 
American people to heighten understanding, highlight the 
variety and richness of regional cultures, present a view 
of the region from a Latin American perspective, and 
provide a more informed vision of the reality of 
countries in the region. 
 
¶4.  (U) The promo-tape contained several references on 
the need to counter news coming from huge media 
conglomerates serving elite political and economic 
interests.  The tape featured President Hugo Chavez, 
Fidel Castro, rallies with red flags, and footage of U.S. 
troops, as it posed questions such as: "Who prosecutes 
U.S. soldiers involved in arms and narcotic trafficking?" 
or "Discover the black strings behind Plan Colombia...." 
 
¶5.  (U) Approximately 130 journalists representing the 13 
regional professional journalism associations in Chile 
listened attentively to Aharonian's presentation. 
However, due to the tight schedule, there was no exchange 
of opinions, or Q&As.  Therefore, except for polite 
applause, there were no immediate reactions to 
Aharonian's remarks.  Aharonian was one of three speakers 
invited to participate in the closing session of the 
conference.  There were no prominent Chilean journalists 
from mainstream local media participating in the 
discussion, and the press did not cover the closing 
session of the conference. 
 
¶6.  (U) On July 9, center-left "Diario Siete" ran an 
interview with Aharonian.  In the interview, Aharonian 
said he had met with government spokesman Osvaldo Puccio 
on July 8, and that he had issued "the first invitation 
to Chile to join the (Telesur) project," in the meeting 
with Puccio. 
 
¶7.  (U) The interview noted that Aharonian had arrived in 
Chile from Peru on July 8, after a long meeting with 
president Alejandro Toledo.  Reportedly, as a result of 
that meeting, Peru joined Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil 
and other countries in support of the "Telesur" 
initiative.  "Diario Siete" reported that Aharonian would 
depart Santiago on Monday, July 11, without meeting any 
executives at Chile's main cable TV operator, VTR. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment: The lack of a meeting with VTR 
suggests "Telesur" is not getting much traction in Chile, 
or is not ready to broadcast.  In a conversation with an 
Embassy press assistant, a senior VTR executive said that 
VTR had no plans to incorporate "Telesur" its current 
grid of channels available in Chile.  He noted that VTR 
had just implemented a major modification of its grid and 
the addition of a new channel would imply zero-sum 
elimination of a current signal.  He also said that he 
was not aware of any contact between VTR and 
representatives of "Telesur."  (Note: VTR is the largest 
cable operation in Chile, with 92 percent of the 
country's pay TV market.  VTR is 80 percent owned by the 
U.S. company UnitedGlobalCom, a subsidiary of Liberty 
Media International.  The remaining 20 per cent is owned 
by Crotalarias Chile, owned by Chilean businessman 
Ricardo Claro.  End note.) 
 
YAMAUCHI