VZCZCXYZ0150
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0216 0671123
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071123Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2875
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 1975
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0218
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0839
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1682
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAR LIMA 5487
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 1219
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 1822
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000216 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA, INR/R/MR, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL PTER VE CI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CHILE ON COLOMBIA-ECUADOR CONFLICT 
 
REF: A) Santiago 209, B) Santiago 207 
 
¶1.  Summary: Chile's media has given prominent coverage to Foreign 
Minister Foxley's comments and efforts to find a peaceful solution 
to the Colombia-Ecuador conflict.  While he echoed President 
Bachelet's emphasis on the sanctity of respecting borders, Foxley 
also condemned terrorism and guerrillas trespassing borders to 
conduct activities in third countries.  The media also focused 
attention on two Chilean Communists photographed with the FARC 
leader three days before his death.  The Communist Party 
acknowledged that the two Chileans, who visited the FARC camp in 
Ecuador, had returned safely to Chile.  These actions may help 
confirm the authenticity of the data on the FARC leader's computer. 
End Summary. 
 
Foreign Minister's Op-Ed 
------------------------ 
¶2.  Foreign Minster Foxley has been vocal about the Colombia 
military operation against FARC leader Raul Reyes in Ecuador.  On 
March 6, "El Mercurio" published Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley's 
op-ed titled: "Chile in the Regional Conflict." 
 
¶3.  "Chile is working actively with other countries in the region so 
that the crisis between Ecuador and Colombia can be resolved soon 
and dialogue between the two countries can be reestablished.... 
 
¶4.  "We insist that those who wish to contribute in this matter... 
must only help to contain the conflict....  Chile has been 
extraordinarily clear in stating that it is essential to respect, 
under all circumstances, the principle of sovereignty and 
territorial integrity, avowed by international law and stated in the 
OAS Charter.  It is a principle that we will always strongly defend 
and one that we have reiterated this time with our explicit support 
of Ecuador.... 
 
¶5.  "But we have stated with the same determination that we condemn 
terrorism and reject any act associated with it.... And in the case 
that today affects the region, we strongly reject the incursion of 
the guerillas into another country and we condemn the 
kidnappings.... 
 
¶6.  "Chile has underscored that the insurrection of irregular forces 
can only make Colombia's challenge to find peace more difficult and 
threaten efforts underway in Latin America to join forces through 
concrete cooperation and integration.... 
 
¶7.  "Chile said at the OAS that it is necessary to reestablish trust 
and generate the conditions to find a solution to this situation, 
which affects a founding principle of the Inter-American system.... 
We have the highest desire to facilitate an understanding and will 
be cooperating with a positive attitude with the parties involved." 
 
Chilean Communists Visited FARC Leader 
-------------------------------------- 
¶8.  A Chile connection to Reyes has generated interest in Santiago 
dailies, including the FARC's longtime relationship with Chile's 
Communist Party.  Conservative "La Tercera" (circ. 101,000) 
published on March 6 an article about two Chileans whose photographs 
reportedly were found on a computer belonging to the dead Colombian 
FARC leader: 
 
¶9.  "The Colombian press published a photograph of Raul Reyes with 
Chileans Valeska Lopez and Manuel Olate next to him.  The Chileans, 
both Communist Party members, were with Reyes three days before his 
deaths.  Both had traveled to Ecuador for a Bolivarian conference. 
During that same trip, they took the opportunity to visit a 
Colombian guerrilla base in Ecuador, along with a delegation of 
Peruvians, Mexicans, Bolivians, and other Chileans."  Communist 
Party Secretary General Lautaro Carmona indicated that the two are 
not part of any armed group and had returned to Chile on Tuesday." 
 
SIMONS