VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #1092 3471832
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121832Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4124
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 3668
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2208
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 1179
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0573
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1875
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 5848
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4142
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2026
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001092 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT:  CHILE MEDIA REPORT - DECEMBER 12 
 
Lead Stories 
------------ 
¶1.  Headlines report that the Ministry of Health has been unable to 
notify 512 public hospital patients who tested positive for HIV. 
Dailies continued to highlight the suit filed by the Economic 
Prosecutor against the three largest pharmaceutical chains for 
conspiring to overcharge consumers. 
 
Local 
----- 
¶2.  The President of the PPD, Pepe Auth, said there is ample support 
in the party to rebuild a PS-PPD axis.  This alliance would allow 
both parties to proclaim OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza 
as their presidential candidate to run in the Concertacion's 
primary.  Meanwhile, PRSD Jose Antonio Gomez met with Insulza and 
confirmed his intention to also run in the primary.  The DC bloc, 
led by Gutenberg Martinez, will proclaim Eduardo Frei for the 
primary (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, 
circ. 129,000, 12/12). 
 
¶3.  The PS is pressing Insulza to announce his candidacy soon, but 
he has warned that before making that decision the PS and the PPD 
must strike a deal to present just one candidate (La Tercera, 
conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 12/12). 
 
¶4.  President Bachelet appointed attorney Patricio Rosende as the 
new Interior Ministry Under Secretary.  Rosende was Director of the 
Political and Institutional Relations Bureau of the Ministry 
Secretary General to the Presidency.  Politicians from both the 
Concertacion and the opposition underscored Rosende's negotiating 
skills (El Mercurio, 12/12). 
 
¶5.  The PPD was not happy with Rosende's appointment.  The reason is 
that although the new Under Secretary belongs to the party, he does 
not have strong ties to its leadership.  The view is that his 
appointment is a gesture from Bachelet to punish the party for a 
series of "disciplinary" issues.  For example, the PPD voted in 
Congress against the Executive's salary adjustment, which forced 
Bachelet to increase the adjustment to a two-digit figure, and it 
voted against the Education Law (La Tercera, 12/12). 
 
Chile - Other Countries 
----------------------- 
¶6.  The United Nations appointed Chilean General Ricardo Toro as the 
Deputy Force Commander of the multilateral organization's 
stabilization mission in Haiti, where Chile has a contingent of 514 
soldiers and police officers.  This appointment is in recognition of 
Chile's role in the process to bring stability to Haiti (La Nacion, 
government-owned, editorially independent, circ 4,200, 12/12). 
 
¶7.  Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley inaugurated the U.N. 
Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago, which 
supports the peace process in the Middle East:  "Chile supports the 
right of the Israeli and Palestinian people to create their own free 
and sovereign states, as established in the 1947 General Assembly. 
But we regret that this resolution has only been partially 
fulfilled... and that in spite of the time that has elapsed, the 
creation of an independent Palestinian state is still an unreachable 
objective.  It is also time for the people of Israel to be able to 
live in peace without the threat of destruction" (La Nacion, 12/12). 
 
 
¶8.  The government is closely observing the latest events in Cuba, 
because Bachelet will be traveling to Havana in February.  Plans for 
the Chilean President's visit could encounter complications if some 
type of incident, such as those that took place in December, occurs 
during her visit.  "Informative Bridge," a website directed by a 
Chilean journalist in the United States, reports that on December 8, 
Cuban authorities cracked down on human rights activists to prevent 
the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Human Rights 
Declaration (La Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ. 33,000, 
12/11). 
 
SIMONS