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UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001051 
 
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STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL PGOV SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT:  CHILE MEDIA REPORT:  DECEMBER 2 
 
Lead Stories 
------------ 
¶1.  The front pages highlighted a Health Ministry epidemiology 
report that reveals the AIDS cases in Chile increased by 42% between 
2006 and 2007.  Separate headlines noted the government will submit 
a new education law to Congress today. 
 
U.S.-Related News 
----------------- 
¶2.  Experts concur that Hillary Clinton's "brand name" and Obama's 
international popularity will succeed in improving the U.S. image 
abroad (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, 
circ. 129,000, 12/2). 
 
¶3.  Obama did not improvise and appointed six highly-experienced 
individuals to his cabinet.  Although their names were no surprise, 
their appointment had a very powerful political effect (La Tercera, 
conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 12/2). 
 
¶4.  Editorial entitled, "The U.S. President-Elect's Foreign Policy 
Appointments": 
 
"The President-elect announced his National Security team, including 
those who will be responsible for foreign affairs and defense.... 
The appointment of the Senator of New York (Clinton)... is a signal 
for those who support and still believe in her leadership.  And the 
confirmation of the Secretary of Defense, whose work has been well 
evaluated, is a powerful sign of a bipartisan spirit....  Both 
appointments are important, because the two most important 
challenges that the new president will face will be in the 
international arena.  He will have to implement diplomacy to help 
repair the image of the United States in the community of nations 
and to withdraw successfully form Iraq....  The new president knows 
that his unprecedented international support is based on the belief 
that under his command Washington's foreign policy will be 
fundamentally different from that of his predecessor... that is, 
multilateral, with less emphasis on military resources and greater 
awareness of the interests of other actors....  The international 
challenges for the new White House will be to carry out the changes 
promised, while still protecting U.S. interest abroad" (La Tercera, 
12/2). 
 
¶5.  General Electric (GE) regional CEO Alejandro Bottan says that 
the region's economic growth in the past five to ten years has 
increased demand for consumer products that GE produces.  Bottan 
noted the company is especially active in the area of alternative 
energies and hopes to incorporate eolic and solar energy technology 
in the future and nuclear energy in the midterm (El Mercurio, 12/2). 
 
 
¶6.  Finnish company Stuk Radiation and Nuclear Safety won the 
government's bid a few days ago to draft the regulatory framework 
for the possible use of nuclear energy in Chile.  Julio Vergara of 
Chile's National Energy Commission underscored Finland's experience 
in the construction of nuclear reactors.  He said that in Finland a 
license is issued to build the reactor and another to operate it, 
while in the United States a combined license is issued to build and 
operate the reactors.  The U.S. process "is more direct and 
predictable for investors, while under the Finnish model the terms 
can change," said Vergara (La Tercera, 12/2). 
 
Cuba 
---- 
¶7.  President Bachelet said that as in previous official trips, she 
expected opposition congressmen to join the delegation traveling 
with her to Cuba.  Opposition Senators Jovino Novoa (UDI) and Sergio 
Romero (RN) said they see no problem with this "if and when" the 
President met with Cuban dissidents.  Novoa also said the President 
should give assurances that she will discuss human rights and the 
release of political prisoners with the Cuban government (La 
Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ. 33,000, 12/1). 
 
¶8.  Current Ambassador to Cuba Jaime Toha, recently appointed 
Intendente for the VIII Region, said he would have liked to see more 
initiative on the part of Chilean investors to seize the business 
opportunities on the island under the framework of the bilateral 
Economic Strategic Cooperation Agreement.  Toha said that the 
President's upcoming trip to Havana is a good chance to explore 
those opportunities (El Mercurio, 12/2). 
 
AIDS 
---- 
¶9.  A Health Ministry epidemiology report shows that from 2006 to 
2007 HIV cases increased 42%.  A total of 18,000 people have 
contracted the virus.  One third of the cases are people between 
30-39 years of age who have a high level of education. 90% of the 
cases were sexually transmitted.  33.8% of the cases are the result 
of heterosexual relations (La Tercera, 12/2). 
 
Education 
--------- 
¶10.  The new education bill will be presented to the lower chamber 
today, two years after massive student demonstrations demanded the 
elimination of the existing law.  The new bill transfers the 
administration of public schools, from the municipalities to 
government agencies in each region exclusively focused on education 
(La Nacion, government-owned, editorially independent, circ, 4,200, 
12/2). 
 
¶11.  The mayors of municipalities that have been successful in 
administering public schools in their communities said the new bill 
will be a setback, because it will undermine the progress achieved 
thus far.  They also criticize the Executive Office for not 
discussing or consulting the bill with them (El Mercurio, 12/2).