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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT:  CHILE MEDIA REPORT -FEBRUARY 3 
 
Leading Stories 
--------------- 
¶1.  Dailies highlighted that Chile will host the Summit of the 
Progressive Governance Network in Vina del Mar in late March, and 
the leaders of Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Argentina, 
and Brazil are expected to attend. 
 
U.S.-Related News 
----------------- 
¶2.  14-year old Marcos Rojas is an outstanding junior high school 
student with special interest in robotics and computers.  He was 
awarded a U.S. Embassy scholarship that will take him to Washington, 
D.C. in March.  Rojas will visit Microsoft and will have a guided 
tour of the White House, where he and other students will be greeted 
by President Obama and his wife (Las Ultimas Noticias, 
leading-circulation, popular, circ. 140,000, 3/2). 
 
 
Local 
----- 
¶3. The annual Progressive Governance Network Summit organized by 
British think tank Policy Network will take place March 27-28, in 
Cerro Castillo in Via del Mar.  Among those who have confirmed 
their attendance are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish 
government President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Australian Prime 
Minister Kevin Rudd, Presidents Cristina Fernandez and Lula da 
Silva, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (El Mercurio, 
conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 3/2). 
 
 
¶4. Summary of President Bachelet's busy agenda between March and 
May: 
March 8-11, Prince Charles and his spouse visit Chile 
March 16-20, state visit to India 
March 27-28, Summit of Progressive Governance Network 
April 17-19, Summit of the America in Trinidad and Tobago 
End of April, state visit to Russia 
End of April, UNASUR meeting in Via del Mar, where she will hand 
over her pro-tempore presidency 
May 14-16, Global Women's Summit in Santiago (El Mercurio, 
Estrategia, business and financial daily, circ. 30,000, 3/2). 
 
¶5.  ProChile, the government's agency responsible for promoting 
local exports, has instructed its offices abroad to monitor the 
impact of the international financial crisis in each country so that 
it can develop specific strategies. One of these strategies is for 
local producers to ally with large retailers -- such as Wal-Mart -- 
to take advantage of their worldwide distribution networks (Diario 
Financiero, business and financial, circ. 30,000, 3/2). 
 
¶6.  The Animal and Health Inspection Service (SAG) is trying to stop 
the smuggling of fruit and vegetables.  This illegal activity brings 
plagues into the country, which severely affects local production, 
exports, and drains local resources.  In just two weeks, the police 
have confiscated at the border with Bolivia tons of fruits and 
vegetables equivalent to one-fifth of what the SAG confiscated in 
2008 nationwide.  Laboratory tests on products coming from Bolivia 
confirmed the presence of three different plagues that are not 
present in Chile (El Mercurio, 2/3). 
 
Venezuela 
---------- 
¶7.  Excerpts of editorial entitled, "a Decade of Bolivarian 
Revolution": 
"Caracas has conducted over the last ten years a diplomacy that has 
often been the direct or indirect cause of international incidents. 
These include his intervention in the internal affairs of his 
neighbors -- the election in Peru, the FARC in Colombia, Bolivia's 
maritime aspirations with Chile -- ranging from aggressive 
confrontations ... with some of his counterparts... to an 
anti-American sentiment that borders on obsession and the 
introduction of foreign elements in the region such as Iran.  For 
Venezuelans, the Bolivarian revolution leaves in essence a negative 
balance after a decade and for the regions it leaves behind a clear 
example of what path not to take" (La Tercera, conservative, 
independent, circ. 101,000, 3/2). 
 
SIMONS