VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0145/01 0501556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191556Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4454
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 3779
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2290
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 1294
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0690
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1950
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 5967
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4234
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2160
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000145 
 
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 - FEBRUARY 19 
 
Leading Stories 
--------------- 
¶1.  Chile and Bolivia scheduled a meeting of Foreign Affairs 
officials to lower the tension over the impasse created by Fidel 
Castro's endorsement of Bolivia's sea access claim and Evo Morales' 
subsequent remarks that he would like the international community to 
become involved.  Dailies also report that polls conducted in the 
region indicate Chile is the region's best prepared country to face 
the international crisis. 
 
U.S.-Related News 
----------------- 
¶2.  Customs figures show that the United States is again the largest 
recipient of Chile's exports, displacing China.  In January, 19.5% 
of total Chilean exports went to the United States, and 15% to China 
(El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 
129,000, 2/19). 
 
¶3.  The American Chilean Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) reports a 7% 
decrease in Chilean exports to the United States in 2008.  Exports 
to the U.S., however, have grown 125% compared to 2003.  On the 
other hand, U.S. exports to Chile grew 51% in 2008, primarily due to 
petroleum oils (Estrategia, business and financial, circ. 30,000, 
2/19). 
 
¶4.  Photo coverage of the luncheon hosted by Ambassador Simons with 
prominent Chileans to watch and discuss President Obama's 
inauguration on January 20 (Poder, monthly magazine, 2/19) 
 
¶5.  Money Morning from the United States placed Chile among the five 
most promising emerging economies in the region, noting that 
although it has net assets of only US$ 112 million, it has built up 
a reserve equal to 12% of its GDP (El Mercurio, 2/19). 
 
¶6.  The United States began its conversion to digital television on 
February 18, which is equal in importance to the change that 
occurred when black and white television was replaced by color TV. 
A March 2007, U.S. law established that all television sets sold 
should include the digital standard and that stations should be 
airing using the digital standard (ATSC) by February 2009.  The 
Federal Government, however, extended the deadline to June 12, since 
disinformation has prevented several million Americans from claiming 
the US$ 40 dollar government bond to help pay for the conversion (La 
Tercera, conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 2/18). 
 
¶7.  Editorial:  "Obama's Plan" -- "In his first month of office, 
President Obama has been making enormous efforts to bring confidence 
to the markets....  The President's words have combined hope, the 
kind he instilled in his campaign, with strong elements of caution. 
Along those lines, he has warned that things could become worse 
before they get better and the current trend is reversed....  The 
world is confident that the public policies of the Democratic regime 
will adjust to the needs of the global economy so that the extension 
of the negative stage shortens" (Estrategia, 2/19). 
 
¶8.  Editorial:  "Obama's Tough First Month":  "In his first thirty 
days in office, Obama has announced his third emergency plan..... 
But in spite of the President's efforts there are still no signs of 
progress.   Dow Jones ... and the treasury bonds...  have renewed 
their fall, showing that investors are still looking for refuge.... 
Obama can at least say that he has fulfilled his promise of risking 
everything in trying to resolve the crisis.  But this has been a 
tough first month and there are still issues pending" (Diario 
Financiero, business and financial, circ. 30,000, 2/19). 
 
Bolivia 
-------- 
¶9.  Chilean and Bolivian Foreign Affairs Under Secretaries will meet 
"in the next few days" to help resolve the impasse created by Fidel 
Castro's endorsement of Bolivia's claim for a passage to the sea and 
President Evo Morales' rQarks that he wants the international 
community to have a role in that discussion.  Chile wants to 
persuade Bolivia to keep the claim as a bilateral issue and give 
assurance that the talks will continue using the mechanism of 
political consultations established by both countries last year (La 
Tercera, 2/19). 
 
Chile and other countries 
------------------------- 
¶10.  Ecuadorian Congressman Fausto Lupera asked his country's 
judicial authorities to issue a warrant to prevent Chilean Juan de 
Dios Parra from leaving Ecuador.  Parra is the Director of NGO 
Asociacion Latinoamericana de Derechos Humanos (Aldhu), which 
allegedly has ties to the Colombian FARC.  Following the government 
of Ecuador's announcement that it had annulled the agreement of 
immunity with the Aldhu due to these alleged ties, Parra said that 
he and several other members of his organization would leave the 
country (El Mercurio, 2/19). 
 
SIMONS