P 051257Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4033
INFO AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 
AMEMBASSY LIMA 
AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 
AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 
AMEMBASSY ASUNCION

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001062 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI CI
SUBJECT: CHILE: Progressive Political Leader Hopes for Obama-Style 
Renewal 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: Claudio Orrego, the popular and recently 
re-elected mayor of one of the Santiago area's most diverse 
communities, told the Ambassador Nov. 25 that Chile is still looking 
for "the spirit of Obama" and needs to mobilize a new generation of 
voters.  Orrego expressed disappointment that Chile's potential 
presidential candidates -- Sebastian Pinera, Jose Miguel Insulza, 
Eduardo Frei, and Ricardo Lagos, among others - all represent the 
"old guard" of Chilean politics rather than fresh ideas.  Orrego 
also described his efforts to improve living conditions in his very 
diverse community through public-private partnerships, additional 
low-income housing, and supporting employment.  Orrego, a 
Harvard-educated member of the Christian Democrats, is seen as one 
of the leading lights of his party, having significantly increased 
his votes in a year in which the Christian Democrats as a whole did 
poorly.  End summary. 
 
"The Spirit of Obama Has Yet to Reach Chile" 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On November 25 Ambassador Simons, accompanied by Poloff 
and E/Pol Specialist, called on Mayor of Penalolen Claudio Orrego. 
Orrego, a rising political star within progressive circles, spoke at 
length of his impressions of the recent U.S. elections.   He was 
clearly well-informed and extremely interested, especially in the 
different internet and grassroots campaign strategies deployed.  He 
lamented that the same spirit of grassroots mobilization and change, 
"the spirit of Obama," has not reached Chile and that the younger 
generation of politicians is not given the space to participate. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Orrego illustrated his point, looking no further than his 
own party, the DC, which will most likely put forth a former 
president, Senator Eduardo Frei, as their 2009 presidential 
candidate.  This could possibly replicate the Concertacion primary 
held in 1993 between Eduardo Frei (who won and went on to become 
president in 1994) and Ricardo Lagos (who lost but went on to become 
president in 2000).  Orrego asked rhetorically how one can renew 
politics, which has lost prestige and legitimacy among citizens and 
especially young people, by turning to the past?  He pointed out the 
difficulty of change when elderly former presidents, like Patricio 
Aylwin, who just turned 90-years old last week, are still giving 
front-page opinions, and perhaps setting direction, for current 
party politics.  Orrego stated that, in his party, "you can get your 
head cut off" for promoting new ideas and change. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Orrego stated that Chile desperately needs the younger 
generation of its politicians -- who, he insisted, are neither so 
young nor so inexperienced -- to be involved in national politics. 
However, he does not see an opening for them, across political 
parties, anytime soon.  (Note: In a separate presentation to an 
international women's group on November 26, former Minister of 
Economy and fellow DC Alejandro Ferreiro echoed Orrego's concerns 
about the need for generational renewal in Chilean politics.  When 
asked by E/Pol specialist if the Concertacion would be able to 
generate such renewal if it wins another term in office, Ferreiro 
responded with a clear "no," and went on to say that he thinks that 
only taking a turn out of power will shake the Concertacion into 
seriously re-thinking its mission.  End note.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Orrego mentioned electoral reform -- particularly the 
implementation of automatic registration and voluntary voting -- as 
an interest of his.  (Note: Chile currently has voluntary 
registration and mandatory voting, with rates of registration of 18 
- 35 year olds at extremely low levels.  A registered voter that 
does not participate in an election can be fined.  End note.) 
According to the Mayor, there is a great deal of fear among 
politicians about changing the electoral registration system. 
Registered voters may be aging, but they are a known quantity, and 
politicians inevitably work for those who vote and fear any change 
that might bring unknown variables into their electoral equations. 
Orrego argues that bringing in automatic registration and voluntary 
voting could really "oxygenize" Chilean politics and stated that he 
would be involved in promoting electoral reform. 
 
A Popular Mayor of a Populous Urban Community 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Orrego (41) was re-elected in October's municipal elections 
with a ten-percent increase in votes compared to his first election 
in 2004.  This is a considerable achievement in an electoral cycle 
where his coalition, the Concertacion, lost 59 mayoral seats and his 
party, the DC, dropped from winning 21 percent in 2004 to just under 
14 percent of council member seats nationwide.  The total number of 
registered voters actually increased in Penalolen at a time when 
politicians and policy-makers are wringing their hands over Chile's 
aging and diminishing voting population.  Orrego, who received a 
Master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School, is 
seen as one of the up-and-coming young Concertacion politicians.  He 
served in government, including as Minister of Housing under former 
President Ricardo Lagos, before going into municipal politics. 
 
¶7.  (U) Orrego's community of Penalolen, located in the Andean 
foothills in eastern Santiago, is the eleventh most populous 
municipality in the country and growing, with roughly 240,000 
inhabitants.  Unlike other municipalities of the Santiago 
Metropolitan Region, it is very diverse in terms of socioeconomic 
status, with wealthy suburban developments located across the street 
from older neighborhoods that were originally squatter settlements. 
 
¶8.  (U) One of Orrego's goals has been the elimination of squatter 
settlements: according to the Mayor there are still 300 families 
waiting to be relocated into low-income housing projects.  Orrego is 
quick to note that, despite the eradication of traditional squatter 
settlements, poor families still live as large groups of 
"allegados," extended family that live in or add onto a main house 
because they cannot afford to live elsewhere.  He emphasized that 
the "easy work" of developing the municipality - paving roads, 
getting people on the electric and sanitary grid, building schools - 
is mostly done and now they are faced with the more difficult 
challenges of preventing teenage pregnancy and drug-use and dealing 
with obesity and other public health risks. 
 
¶9.  (U) Orrego explained that his philosophy for working to bring 
people out of poverty is based on the idea that the State alone 
cannot do anything about people's poverty.  The municipality has 
programs that are designed to empower individuals to find ways to 
help themselves. 
 
¶10.  (U) One example of the programs Orrego is pushing is aimed at 
"cartoneros" -- informal sector workers who traditionally traveled 
around the community on bike-carts looking for cardboard and other 
materials being thrown away -- who are now organized into an 
association of recyclers under the auspices of the municipality. 
Another program promotes citizen participation and organization in 
the recovery of public spaces.  Orrego underlined that this model 
sends the message that those who work hard can do well. The Mayor 
emphasized that, of course, they then have to be able to do well 
based on hard work and merit or the message of self-sufficiency is 
distorted. 
 
¶11.  (U) Orrego has also developed successful public-private 
partnerships, including with Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Intel.  He 
is known for his longtime promotion of "digital government," and 
stand-alone free internet kiosks are visible around the 
municipality.  Penalolen has one of Microsoft's first "innovation 
schools" and has just inaugurated a multi-purpose sports and event 
facility, made possible with significant fund-raising from the 
private sector. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Comment:  Orrego is an example of the younger generation 
of well-trained, globally aware, and technologically savvy Chilean 
politicians, many of whom have found a space in local politics.  He 
appears to have figured out how to make public-private partnerships 
work on the local level, which is uncommon.  His view that 
generational change within political party leadership is still a 
long way off is a message the Embassy hears with increasing 
frequency.  End comment.