VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0564 0952049
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 052049Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1282
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY 2895
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 3566
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0198
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ APR 5124
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 5009

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000564 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/BSC, OES/ENV AND OES/PI - LSPERLING 
BRASILIA FOR HUB OFFICE 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO EPA - TPRATHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PGOV ECON KSCA CI
SUBJECT: CHILE CREATES NEW CABINET-LEVEL MINISTRY OF 
ENVIRONMENT 
 
REF: A. SANTIAGO 500 
 
     ¶B. 06 SANTIAGO 2369 
 
¶1. Summary. As part of the cabinet shuffle on March 26, 
President Bachelet also announced the appointment of Ana Lya 
"Uriarte" as Chile's first Minister of Environment.  Uriarte 
has been serving for almost a year as the highest-ranking 
environmental official in the GOC, as Executive Director of 
the National Commission for the Environment (CONAMA).  She is 
well thought of by environmental officials at the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs but is viewed less favorably by Chilean NGOs. 
 Uriarte has been given a year to design the framework and 
work plan of the new Ministry of Environment. End Summary. 
 
¶2. As part of the same announcement regarding the departure 
of four cabinet members (ref a), President Bachelet presented 
Ana Lya "Uriarte" Rodriguez as Chile's first Minister of the 
Environment.  The Ministry of Environment was created in 
early March 2007 through legislation that took nearly a year 
to work its way through Congress and the Constitutional 
Tribunal.  Previously, the lead agency for environmental 
issues in Chile was the National Commission for the 
Environment (CONAMA), which was created in 1994 and has been 
headed by Uriarte as executive director since April 2006.  In 
addition to her tenure at CONAMA, Uriarte has nearly 20 years 
of public service.  She is a lawyer who has taught law, 
including environmental law. 
 
¶3. Uriarte's appointment was welcomed by key environmental 
officials at the MFA.  The MFA's Director of the Office for 
Environment, Antarctic and Maritime Affairs, Ambassador 
Christian Maquieira, said he was "delighted" by the 
appointment.  He called Uriarte an "insider" who will make 
the transition easily from heading CONAMA to running a 
full-blown ministry.  The Chilean NGO environmental community 
has criticized Uriarte's lack of accessibility in the past. 
During the public session of the joint U.S.-Chile 
environmental talks in October 2006 (ref b), local NGOs 
complained bitterly that Uriarte left before answering 
questions from attendees.  NGOs are particularly concerned 
with the lack of progress on combating air pollution and the 
slow pace of passing further environmental legislation. 
 
¶4. On the administrative side, Uriarte has been given one 
year to develop a framework and work plan for the new 
ministry.  Coordinating multiple Chilean agencies to develop 
a coherent approach to environmental issues will not be a 
simple task.  With Chile's export-oriented economy heavily 
dependent upon the growth of its agricultural sector, issues 
such as global warming and more localized environmental 
challenges quickly run up against desires for continued 
economic growth and job creation.  The deputy director of 
MFA's Office of Environment, Antarctic and Maritime Affairs, 
Alejandro Rogers, said he anticipated the formation of the 
new ministry could take longer than one year and that the MFA 
was taking a "wait and see" attitude. 
 
¶5. Post Note:  Five years ago, environmental protection was 
not a topic taken very seriously in Chile.  The three-year 
old U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement has a strong 
environmental chapter that included eight joint initial 
projects.  All of those projects have either been completed 
or are underway.  U.S.-Chile environmental cooperation now 
continues under the Environmental Cooperation Agreement with 
a two-year work plan laid out to foster further cooperation. 
 
¶6. The Mission has also been working to facilitate a Sister 
Park Agreement between a U.S. and Chilean national park. 
These have all been important mechanisms for furthering 
Chilean concerns for and technical expertise in environmental 
issues.  We will continue to work diligently to broaden this 
often low-profile component of the bilateral relationship. 
KELLY