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TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT:  CHILE MEDIA REPORT - MARCH 31 
 
Leading Stories 
--------------- 
¶1.  There was extensive coverage on the scandal caused by the 
revelation that Chile's most prominent pharmacy chains Ahumada, 
Salcobrand, and Cruz Verde, colluded to hike prices on more than 200 
products since 2005.  The National Economic Attorneys' Office is 
investigating the alleged collusion.  Dailies also report on the 
Concertacion's first presidential debate last night between Eduardo 
Frei and Jose Antonio Gomez. 
 
Vice President Biden's Visit 
---------------------------- 
¶2.  Op-ed by American Chamber of Commerce President Ricardo Garcia 
on Biden's visit:  "An official visit to Chile is significant and 
shows that the new U.S. administration has confidence in Chile, 
which has shown institutional and economic stability and has proven 
to be a trustworthy commercial and political partner....  Chile and 
the United States are joined by more than just flourishing trade. 
There is also the way in we do business and the strong academic and 
cultural ties.  There is a solid argument for Chile to give priority 
to and strengthen ties with the United States.  We must not lose 
sight of the signals our most important commercial partner is 
sending us with the visit of its Vice President" (El Mercurio, 
conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 3/31). 
 
 
¶3.  Editorial:  "Jose Biden's visit is a valuable sign, although the 
intensity of Obama's proposed 'new alliance' with Latin America is 
unpredictable (La Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ. 33,000, 
3/30). 
 
¶4.  Interview with U.S. Ambassador Paul Simons:  "The visit of Vice 
President Biden is a reflection of the great interest (of the 
United) in listening to the leaders of the hemisphere and in trying 
to forge a common effort in the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad 
in mid-April," said Simons.  "The summit (in Vina) is a valuable 
opportunity for our Vice President and leaders of large number of 
South American countries to have a dialogue before the Summit of the 
Americas," he added.  Simons said that Biden's visit, "is the first 
of a high-ranking White House official to a Latin American 
country... and shows that the Obama administration has had a 
strategy of liaison with the hemisphere from the start" (Regional El 
Mercurio de Valparaiso, 3/27). 
 
Other U.S.-Related News 
----------------------- 
¶5.  Column by former Finance Minister Hernan Buchi:  "The direct 
involvement of President Obama and his admitting the role banks have 
played in the crisis could mark the beginning of a new attitude on 
the part of the United States government.  If this is the case, we 
could be near a path to the final solution to put this crisis behind 
us" (El Mercurio, 3/31). 
 
¶6.  The two Chilean college students murdered in February in 
Pensacola, Florida were in the United States as part of the World 
and Travel USA "full program," which guarantees jobs and average 
pay.  But upon arriving to the United States the students found the 
terms of the program were not being met and asked the Chilean 
Consulate for assistance.  They discovered that the agency was not 
listed as a 'full program" sponsor, which means that it was not 
obligated to provide jobs.  Reportedly, Work and Travel has the 
approval of the U.S. government (El Mostrador on-line news agency, 
3/31). 
 
¶7.  U.S. experts on intellectual and industrial property rights and 
border issues will participate in two seminars in Iquique, northern 
Chile, on March 30-31 and April 23 (Iquique digital on-line news, 
3/31). 
 
¶8.  U.S. beef exports to Chile stopped in 2008 due to labeling 
issues.  Now both governments clarified the provision on labeling 
and have agreed to renew these exports (El Mostrador, 3/30). 
 
¶9.  Chile and the United States agreed to open the U.S. market for 
Chilean oranges and grapefruit starting May, said the Foreign 
Ministry's International Economic Relations Bureau Director Carlos 
Furche (El Mercurio, 3/30). 
¶10.  Chilean Arturo Valenzuela, Director of Georgetown University's 
Center for Latin American Studies and former Clinton administration 
advisor, is the most likely candidate to head the bureau responsible 
of U.S. relations with Latin America (La Tercera, conservative, 
independent, circ. 101,000, 3/29). 
 
Local 
----- 
¶11.  Chilean Ambassador to the Czech Republic Marcelo Rozas wrote a 
column criticizing the purpose of international summits in general. 
In that column, Rozas made ironic comments about UK Prime Minister 
Gordon Brown's views on the objectives of the Progressive Governance 
Summit, which Bachelet was hosting.  Reportedly, Bachelet was 
irritated with Rozas' comments about Brown, one of her important 
guests at the summit, and asked for the Ambassador's resignation (La 
Tercera, 3/31). 
 
¶12. A bomb detonated outside a Cruz Verde pharmacy in La Serena on 
Sunday night causing minor damage (El Mercurio, 3/31). 
 
¶13.  March 29, the day of "the Young Combatant," concluded with five 
injured policemen, several arrests, and one wounded 12-year-old girl 
who was hit by a rubber bullet.  The night of the 29th was marked by 
violent clashes with the police, as they tried to lift barricades 
set on major streets and highways, stop the vandalizing of public 
property, looting, and the throwing of metal chains at light posts 
to cause power outages in many of the capital city's southernmost 
neighborhoods (All dailies, 3/30). 
 
SIMONS