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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTIAGO 000299 
 
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: MEDIA REPORT: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN IN CHILE 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Vice President Biden's participation at the March 
27-28 Progressive Governance Summit in Vina del Mar and his 
bilateral with President Bachelet in Santiago produced extremely 
positive media coverage in Chile.  Articles and TV news highlighted 
Biden's stature as the "second man in the White House," the close 
U.S.-Chile relationship, and his state visit after the Summit.  The 
press noted his comments about the region, reflecting a "genuine" 
desire to "listen" to Latin America and take part in an open 
dialogue.  The coverage portrayed the Vice President as a candid and 
proactive leader who clearly conveyed the message that the United 
States has entered a new stage in its relations with Latin America. 
The coverage of the Vice President and his wife's private activities 
also resulted in positive and colorful photo coverage.  End Summary. 
 
 
Vice President Biden at La Moneda 
--------------------------------- 
¶2.  Headline:  "Biden Announces 'New Alliance' with Region after 
Meeting with Bachelet" 
At the dinner after the bilateral meeting with Bachelet, U.S. Vice 
President Jose Biden emphasized that his visit to Chile is "just the 
beginning of a renewal of an alliance with the Americas."  In the 
morning at the Summit in Vina, Biden had already offered to start a 
new relationship with Latin America. 
 
¶3.  At the dinner, Biden marked a strong difference with the 
previous administration:  "The time when the United States 
unilaterally acts and does not listen is over," he said.  The Vice 
President also stated Chile is one of the closest allies the White 
House has in the region, adding that his country hopes to strengthen 
cooperation and "make use of your good advice."  One of the topics 
addressed by Bachelet at the dinner was President Obama's invitation 
to visit Washington.  At the dinner, however it was confirmed that 
the meeting will take place soon.  The Vice President said that 
President Obama was "anxious to meet with her" (La Tercera, 
conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 3/29). 
 
¶4.  At the joint press conference with Vice President Biden, 
Bachelet said that the U.S. official's visit "Is a very strong sign 
about the determination to build a new political environment so that 
we can all, together, quickly overcome the global crisis."  The 
Chilean President also valued the "genuine desire of the United 
States to play a proactive role and in establishing a new global 
dialogue, which Chile believes is urgently needed."  She added: "the 
signals that the United States is sending to the world are the right 
ones," those that Chile was hoping to see.  "Your trip to Latin 
America, just two weeks before the Summit of the America, shows you 
are willing to you listen and share views, and look for 
opportunities to build agreements.  This marks a new day in the 
relationship between the United States with Latin America," said 
Bachelet (Government of Chile webpage, 3/29). 
 
¶5.  At 7:50 pm, Biden arrived at La Moneda to meet with Bachelet. 
Reportedly, in that meeting Biden confirmed that Bachelet and 
President Obama will meet bilaterally at the Summit of the Americas 
in Trinidad and Tobago.  Biden said Chile is "one of the closest 
partners of the United States in the region" (El Mercurio, (3/29). 
 
¶6.  Captioned photo:  As part of the GOC effort to commemorate the 
world's energy-saving "Earth Hour," Bachelet hosted a candlelight 
dinner for U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden (El Mercurio, 3/29). 
 
¶7.  Captioned photograph of the dinner at La Moneda for Vice 
President Biden:  "Under a soft candlelight... the Big Boss 
(Bachelet) and the gringo Vice President enjoyed dinner together (La 
Cuarta, popular tabloid, 3/29). 
 
Progressive Governance Summit in Vina Del Mar 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶8.  Photograph of the Chilean President, British Prime Minister 
Gordon Brown, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and Vice President 
Biden closing the summit:  "Bachelt closed the Progressive 
Governance Summit paraphrasing Obama: 'Yes, we can!!!'" (Las Ultimas 
Noticias, leading-circulation, popular, circ. 140,000, 3/29). 
 
¶9.  At the press conference, the Chilean President said the 
government of the United States "can count on the government of 
Chile to work enthusiastically in the urgent task of facing global 
and regional challenges and respond to what people expect from us: 
governments that can resolve people's problems" (Government of Chile 
webpage, 3/28). 
 
¶10.  At the end of the summit, Vice President Biden noted his 
country would not lift the embargo on Cuba for now.  Biden said the 
island must begin a democratic transition led by Cubans themselves. 
"We believe that Cubans must be the ones to determine their fate and 
whether they live free with the opportunity of economic prosperity," 
added Biden (El Mercurio, 3/29). 
 
SANTIAGO 00000299  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶11.  Headline: "Dinner for world leaders at Cerro Castillo" 
Photographs of Bachelet with the President of Brazil, the British 
Prime Minister, and Vice President Joe Biden "who will have a state 
visit" (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, 
circ. 129,000, 3/28) 
 
¶12.  Headline: "U.S. Vice President says at end of summit that this 
country would not lift the embargo on Cuba" 
Subheadline:  Bachelet met with Biden at 19:50.  Biden said Chile 
"is one of its (the U.S.) closets partners in the region" (El 
Mercurio, 3/29). 
 
¶13.  Vice President Biden is right now the highest-ranking Obama 
official in Latin America.  Biden held bilateral meetings with the 
Presidents of Uruguay and Argentina, where he emphasized the desire 
of the new U.S. administration to improve its ties with the region, 
which deteriorated during the Bush administration (El Mostrador, 
3/28). 
 
¶14.  On Friday, Vice President Biden told Argentine President 
Cristina Fernandez that President Obama is willing to discuss all 
issues concerning the region at the upcoming Summit of the Americas. 
 Biden and Fernandez met for about an hour at the Sheraton Hotel 
(Reuters, 3/28). 
 
Arrival in Chile 
---------------- 
¶15.  Photograph of Vice President Biden as he descended from the 
airplane:  "U.S. Vice President and British Prime Minister Already 
in Chile" 
Subheadline:  The U.S. Vice President arrived at 1:50 am and left 
for Vina where the Summit will take place (La Segunda, conservative, 
afternoon, circ. 33,000, 3/27). 
 
¶16.  The presence of the second highest-ranking White House official 
in Chile marks a new stage in U.S. international relations. 
President Clinton was one of the founders of the Progressive 
Governance Summit, but George Bush was never invited to participate 
in any of them (El Mostrador on-line news agency, 3/28). 
 
¶17.  Captioned photograph of the Vice President as he walked down 
the airplane staircase: "Biden up early" 
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived close to 2am on Friday.  Biden 
did not make any remarks and traveled to Vina directly in a 15-car 
motorcade (Las Ultimas Noticias, leading-circulation, popular, circ. 
140,000, 3/28). 
 
¶18.  British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrived in Chile to 
participate in the summit....  Other cools guys at the Summit were 
the chiefs of government of Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and 
also the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden (La Cuarta, 
popular tabloid, 3/28). 
 
¶19.  The President of the Spanish government, Jose Luis Rodriguez 
Zapatero, will meet tomorrow with several progressive leaders and 
with the Vice President of the United States, Joseph Biden.  This 
will be Zapatero's first personal encounter with an Obama 
administration official (Europa Press, 3/27). 
 
Dr. Biden's Activities 
---------------------- 
¶20.  The Vice President's wife, Jill Biden, visited the home of poet 
Pablo Neruda, "La Sebastiana," in Valparaiso, which is now a museum. 
 Articles ran photos of Dr. Biden at the museum with writer Antonio 
Skarmeta and the Museum Director Elisa Figueroa.  As she left, Dr. 
Biden said, "It's a beautiful and interesting place.  It was a great 
visit" (Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, 3/28; El Mercurio, 3/29; La 
Tercera, 3/29; Tercera on-line, Mercurio on-line, 3/29; El 
Mostrador, 3/29; La Segunda, 3/28). 
 
¶21.  Chile's leading newspapers published photographs of the Vice 
President and his wife after a mass they attended at the Saint 
Georges School.  The articles noted they talked to and offered fruit 
juice to the children at the school (El Mercurio and La Tercera, 
3/30). 
 
SIMONS