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TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL PGOV SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT:  CHILE MEDIA REPORT -- DECEMBER 5 
 
Lead Stories 
------------ 
¶1.  Front-page news highlighted Ricardo Lagos' announcement that he 
would not run as a presidential candidate for the Concertacion bloc. 
 Dailies also noted the ceremony in Punta Arenas between Presidents 
Bachelet and Fernandez to commemorate Pope John Paul II's successful 
mediation to prevent a war between the two countries in 1978. 
 
U.S.-Related News 
----------------- 
¶2.  Photo of Admiral Gary Roughead and Ambassador Simons at the Navy 
fair Exponaval 2008, which is taking place this week in Valparaiso 
(El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 
129,000, 12/5). 
 
Local 
----- 
¶3.  Ricardo Lagos called a press conference to announce that he 
would not run as a presidential candidate for the Concertacion bloc. 
 "I am not and will not be a presidential candidate," said Lagos. 
He hinted that his decision is because of the coalition's inability 
to unite behind any one candidate.  Lagos said he would campaign for 
the Concertacion's candidate, whomever that person is (La Segunda, 
conservative, afternoon, circ. 33,000, 12/4). 
 
¶4.  Lagos' decision has the PPD-PS bloc in disarray, because both 
parties will have to decide whether to endorse Eduardo Frei (DC) or 
Jose Miguel Insulza (PS) as their presidential candidate.  Senator 
Guido (PPD) proposed presenting a third alternative candidate. 
Eugenio Tironi, also PPD, said the bloc should try to reach a 
consensus by consensus without a primary.  Insulza, meanwhile, said 
one of his terms to become a presidential candidate is for the bloc 
to work united.  With Lagos' announcement, the UDI's perception is 
that the opposition's chances to win the 2009 presidential election 
have not changed (El Mercurio, conservative, 12/5). 
 
¶5.  Enrique Correa (PS) said he is certain that Lagos' decision is 
final and that the Concertacion's primary will be held between 
Eduardo Frei and Insulza (La Tercera, conservative, independent, 
circ. 101,000, 12/5). 
 
¶6.  "I am available as a candidate if it is an element of unity and 
with sufficient support in the Concertacion," said Jose Miguel 
Insulza after Lagos' announcement.  PS President Camilo Escalona 
urged Insulza to announce whether he intends to run as soon as 
possible (El Mercurio, 12/5). 
 
¶7.  Fundacion PROhumana conducted a survey on people's perception on 
how businesses, government, and civil society are doing in the area 
of social responsibility.  The Kellogg and Ford Foundations financed 
the project.  The survey showed that 54% do not know what the 
concept of social responsibility entails.  Therefore, the 
participants were read a definition and then asked to respond the 
survey. 
 
¶8.  Both the business and the government sectors were poorly rated, 
but citizens rated themselves as doing "significantly better" in 
this area.  The poor rating for the business sector is mainly 
because of the perception that companies in general are not 
concerned with the environment, while they are mostly responsible 
for pollution.  With regard to the government, public entities are 
generally perceived as honestly concerned with people's needs, but 
lacking the skills to do things right or to fulfill their 
commitments in this area.  The best graded public entities were 
municipalities, with 29% support.  In the area of social 
organizations, Greenpeace was by far the best rated entity (69%) 
(Que Pasa, weekly news magazine, 12/5). 
 
¶9.  Bachelet presented today the National Climate Change Action 
Plan, which includes an array of proposals for the 2008-2010 period. 
 The project has a thorough analysis on the impact of climate change 
on energy, agricultural and fishing resources, biodiversity, and the 
coastal area.  It also proposes strategies for better control of the 
Yellow Fever, Dengue, Malaria, the creation of a registry of 
glaciers, and the construction of desalinization plants up north to 
supply water (El Mercurio, 12/5). 
 
Chile and Other Countries:  Argentina, Cuba, Peru 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶10.  Presidents Bachelet and Fernandez meet in Punta Arenas and will 
travel to Monte Aymond in Argentina for a ceremony to commemorate 
the resolution of a border conflict that had both countries on the 
verge of a war in 1978.  The conflict was solved thanks to the 
intervention of Pope John Paul II.  Cardinal Odilio Sherer will 
speak on behalf of the Catholic Church and the two Presidents will 
set the first stone of a monument (El Mercurio, 12/5). 
 
¶11.  President Bachelet appointed Gabriel Gaspar (PS) Ambassador to 
Cuba.  Gaspar will replace Jaime Toha who was appointed Intendente 
of the VIII Region.  Gaspar went into exile a year after the 
military coup and lived in Mexico.  He was one of the founders of 
the MAPU and has close ties with political sectors on the island (La 
Tercera, 12/5). 
 
¶12.  Peruvian General Edwin Donayre, responsible for making 
inflammatory remarks about Chile, officially retired today.  The 
General, however, was not sanctioned for his remarks (El Mercurio, 
12/5). 
 
URBAN