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id: 144905
date: 3/7/2008 20:06
refid: 08SANTIAGO221
origin: Embassy Santiago
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
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----------------- header ends ----------------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 000221 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ECON ECPS CO VE EC CI
SUBJECT: CHILE'S SPOKESMAN PREFERS URIBE TO CHAVEZ 
 
REF: A. SANTIAGO 194 
     ¶B. SANTIAGO 207 
     ¶C. 07 SANTIAGO 1983 
     ¶D. SANTIAGO 70 
     ¶E. 07 SANTIAGO 417 
     ¶F. 07 SANTIAGO 458 
 
Classified By: Paul Simons for reasons 1.4 (B&D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  Government spokesman Vidal told the 
Ambassador the GOC considered Uribe an ally, and an 
alternative to Chavez in South America.  This friendship made 
the current Colombia/Ecuador conflict "complicated" for the 
GOC given Chile's historical respect for the inviolability of 
settled borders.  He also commented on Chilean internal 
politics, expressing confidence in the ruling coalition 
Concertacion's chances of winning 2008 municipal elections. 
Vidal was critical of Chile's "right-wing" press as unfair to 
the GOC.  The Ambassador advocated for the U.S. ATSC digital 
television standard.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The Ambassador met with Secretary General of the 
Government Francisco Vidal on March 6.  Vidal, who is a 
Minister and the Administration's spokesperson, was appointed 
in December after the previous Secretary General, Ricardo 
Lagos Weber, stepped down to run for the Senate.  Vidal held 
the same position under former President Ricardo Lagos.  The 
Ambassador was accompanied by E/POL Counselor and E/POLoff. 
 
GOC Perspective on Colombia and Ecuador 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C)  Vidal described the tension between Colombia and 
Ecuador over Colombia's incursion into Ecuadorian territory 
(refs A & B) as "complicated for the Chilean government." 
Chile, he said, in a clear allusion to its ongoing dispute 
with Peru, obviously considers borders and sovereignty issues 
sacrosanct.  However, the GOC's friendship with Uribe is also 
important.  Uribe, he said, is an ally in providing a 
non-"Chavista" model for South America.  As spokesman, Vidal 
had been asked the GOC's opinion on Chavez's role in this 
conflict, but explained he refused to answer to avoid 
escalating the tension.  The GOC might, however, speak out 
more on Chavez's "interference" in the months ahead when the 
situation is more calm.  (Note: Foreign Minister Foxley 
already issued a veiled criticism of Chavez's interference in 
a statement earlier this week - ref B.  End note).  The 
Ambassador acknowledged Chile's helpful role in working with 
Brazil and others to de-escalate tensions.  He and Vidal 
agreed that the Organization of American States had been 
helpful in defusing the crisis. 
 
ATSC Digital Television (DTV) Standard 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) As part of the Embassy's full-court press to all 
relevant decision-makers (ref C & D), the Ambassador 
advocated on behalf of the ATSC standard for DTV, and gave 
Vidal a one-page fact sheet on the advantages of ATSC.  The 
Ambassador noted the principal ATSC advantages of low cost 
and reliability, and its rigorous field-testing in the 
demanding U.S. market.  He encouraged the GOC to select a 
standard carefully so as to avoid another public relations 
crisis like Transantiago (Santiago's mass-transit system; ref 
E & F), eliciting a laugh from Vidal.  Vidal offered no 
substantive response on the merits of the ATSC system. 
 
Internal Chilean Politics 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Joking with the Ambassador about the fact that the 
Ambassador had already met two Ministers of Interior during 
his three months in Chile, Vidal predicted Bachelet's third 
cabinet would stay through Bachelet's term.  He expressed 
confidence that the ruling center-left Concertacion coalition 
would win the municipal elections in October 2008, in part 
due to support from the Communist Party, but was less 
confident about the December 2009 presidential election. 
Vidal noted that the center-right Alianza coalition's only 
hope of Presidential victory was in the first round -- if no 
candidate gained a first round victory, the expected shift of 
Communist party votes to the Concertacion candidate in the 
second round would probably ensure a Concertacion victory. 
 
¶6. (C) Vidal lamented the bitterness of the current political 
debate in Chile and the lack of any concrete policy proposals 
from the opposition.  Alianza was "exaggerating" problems of 
corruption and Transantiago, and that the press, "owned by 
the right," would never print a pro-government story.  He 
pointed out that state-owned newspaper La Nacion has a Sunday 
readership of around 35,000 compared to El Mercurio's almost 
350,000 and La Tercera's 300,000.  (Note: Actual figures are 
La Nacion: 17,000; El Mercurio: 263,000; and La Tercera: 
222,000.  End note).  Despite Chile being ranked equal to the 
U.S. in corruption levels by Transparency International, and 
Transantiago is improving, Concertacion is portrayed by the 
press as ineffective and corrupt. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Vidal expressed some concern about the world 
economy, but said Chile's reserves (thanks to GOC saving and 
high copper prices) would protect it from a crisis. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (C) Vidal, who is close to both Bachelet and former 
President Lagos, was brought in to help increase order within 
the GOC and improve coordination with the Concertacion 
political parties.  He is a lightning rod for the opposition, 
who believe he epitomizes the arrogance and "corruption" bred 
under 18 years of Concertacion governments.  A master 
politician who is smooth as silk, Vidal was very positive 
about the GOC's relationship with the USG and expressed views 
very similar to our own on the conflict between Ecuador and 
Colombian and his concern over Chavez's interference.  His 
views reflect a growing consensus within the GOC in support 
of free trade and increasing concern about Chavez's influence 
in the region. 
 
Biography of Vidal 
------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) Vidal (54) replaced Ricardo Lagos Weber as Secretary 
General of Government on December 6, 2007.  He is a 
third-time minister, previously serving under former 
President Lagos as Minister of Interior (succeeding Insulza 
when the latter resigned to run for OAS SecGen) and Secretary 
General of Government (2001-2005).  As Minister of Interior, 
he oversaw security and intelligence services.  More 
importantly, he directed President Lagos, three-minister 
"political committee" (Interior, Secretary General of the 
Presidency, and Minister/Spokesman) to shepherd Lagos, 
legislative agenda.  President Bachelet,s ability to restore 
order to La Moneda will depend in part on Vidal,s 
willingness to defer to current Interior Minister Perez Yoma, 
as well as his ability to cooperate with Perez Yoma and 
Minister Viera-Gallo -- a political heavyweight in his own 
right and no shrinking violet. 
 
¶10. (C) He is a long-time political associate of former 
President Lagos and the two remain very close.  He is also 
close to President Bachelet, who appointed him as director of 
TVN (National Television) shortly after she assumed the 
presidency.  Vidal is respected within the Concertacion 
coalition and is described by Concertacion contacts as 
ambitious, politically shrewd and loyal.  He was accessible 
to the Embassy and generally supportive of bilateral security 
and intelligence cooperation during his brief stint as 
Interior Minister at the end of the Lagos presidency. 
 
¶11. (U) His academic and NGO positions include Dean of the 
Economic Science and Administrative faculty of Universidad 
Central (1998-1999) and Executive Director of Chile 21 
Foundation (1994-2000), a center-left think tank that advises 
Socialist Party and Party for the Democracy government 
officials, political figures and members of Congress. 
 
¶12. (U) A member of the PPD, Vidal served as the party's 
vice-president from 1996 to 2000.  Vidal is a professor of 
history and geography with a master's degree in history from 
the University of Chile.  Vidal does not speak English. 
SIMONS 

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