VZCZCXYZ0005
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0347/01 1051726
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151726Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4788
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2044
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2306
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000347 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC, INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV VE CI
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ CRITICISM BOLSTERS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR 
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S VISIT 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Chileans united behind President Bachelet 
following Hugo Chavez,s criticism of her invitation to Vice 
President Joseph Biden to join the Progressive Governance 
Leadership Summit.  Chavez,s statements provoked wide-spread 
public support across political parties for President 
Bachelet and the visit of Vice President Biden, including the 
approval of a unanimous resolution in the Chamber of 
Deputies.  Political leaders have been effusive in praise of 
the Vice President,s visit and the successful completion of 
the Summit, which has had the effect of bolstering Chilean 
political unity and pride.  Several political leaders 
described to the Ambassador how fruitful the visit was and 
how appreciative they were that Vice President Biden chose 
Chile for the Obama White House's first visit to Latin 
America.  End Summary. 
 
Congress Formally Blasts Hugo Chavez 
------------------------------------ 
¶2.  (U) The Chilean Chamber of Deputies on April 3 
unanimously condemned the statements of Venezuelan leader 
Hugo Chavez criticizing President Bachelet,s inclusion of 
U.S. Vice President Biden and British Prime Minister Gordon 
Brown in the Progressive Governance Leadership Summit in late 
March.  The resolution condemned Chavez,s statements and 
reminded him to respect the rights of states to conduct their 
own affairs autonomously.  The resolution also praised 
President Bachelet for the success of the Summit held in Vina 
del Mar. 
 
¶3.  (U) Several political party leaders expressed support for 
the inclusion of Vice President Biden at the Progressive 
Governance Summit and criticized Chavez for his direct jabs 
at President Bachelet.  Radical Senator Jose Antonio Gomez 
noted that every leader invited to the Summit was important 
despite their political views.  Christian Democrat Renan 
Fuentealba called Hugo Chavez,s remarks inappropriate, and 
Eduardo Saffirio, also of the DC, voiced a wide-spread belief 
that Chavez,s criticism were just populist statements of a 
politician whose views were far removed from those of 
democrats.  RN leader Sergio Romero stated that Chavez,s 
comments were those of a totalitarian and were shameful to 
Latin America. 
 
Euphoric Response to Vice President 
----------------------------------- 
¶4.  (U) In recent conversations with the Ambassador, several 
political leaders expressed appreciation for Vice President 
Biden's visit to Chile -) the first Obama White House 
visitor to Latin America.  Representative Eugenio Bauer, from 
the opposition UDI party, said Chavez,s comments helped 
build a sense of unity among all political factions in 
support of the Vice President,s visit and against Chavez. 
Bauer, like Foreign Ministry Policy Director Juan Pablo Lira, 
described the Vice President,s visit as extremely positive 
and successful in moving forward the bilateral relationship. 
 
¶5.  (U) During the state dinner, Senate President Jovino 
Novoa (UDI), Chamber of Deputies President Rodrigo Alvarez 
(UDI), and Central Bank President Jose de Gregorio sat at the 
head table with Vice President Biden and President Bachelet. 
Afterwards, each separately told the Ambassador how 
productive the exchange was with the Vice President, in 
addition to being enjoyable in that special setting.  The 
Central Bank President welcomed the long and open exchange, 
which he describes as &fantastic,8 with Vice President 
Biden about the economic recovery process in the United 
States. 
 
¶6.  (U) The positive sentiments were echoed by Carolina Toha, 
the new GOC spokesperson, who commented to the Ambassador on 
April 13 that the Vice President,s several informal 
conversations among the leaders at the Summit were frank and 
honest, and helped build ties among the leaders present. 
Presidential Advisor Marcos Robledo said the visit was 
helpful to President Bachelet, bolstering her image as a 
leader.  Toha noted that the government team, including 
President Bachelet, felt particularly proud at its management 
of the Summit and the U.S. bilateral event. 
 
¶7.  (U) AmCham representative Kathleen Barclay, who also 
attended the state dinner, was effusive in her comments on 
how important the visit was for bolstering U.S.-Chilean 
relations as well as helping boost Chile,s leadership in 
South America.  She described President Bachelet as 
positively glowing, and added there was a clear chemistry 
between the President and Vice President Biden. 
 
 
Comment:  Landmark Visit 
------------------------ 
¶8.  (SBU) Chavez,s commentary about the Summit participants 
had the fortuitous effect of highlighting Chile's strong ties 
with the United States and the disdain with which Chavez is 
held in Chile.  The Alianza opposition and the ruling 
Concertacion rarely agree, but both consider the Vice 
President's visit a landmark event in the bilateral 
relationship, one on which the Chileans are eager to build. 
SIMONS