VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0452/01 1322150
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 122150Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4935
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 3974
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2419
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 1493
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0907
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2096
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 6182
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4404
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2365
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000452 
 
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 - MAY 11 
 
Leading Stories 
--------------- 
¶1. The National Scholastic Test (SIMCE) shows a significant gap 
between private and public school students, which increases largely 
during the sophomore year.  Dailies also report that pharmacy chains 
will have to stock 255 generic products, making them available to 
the public at all times. 
 
U.S.-Related News 
----------------- 
¶2.  U.S. Ambassador Paul Simons said that the diplomacy Obama 
administration diplomacy toward Latin America shows the willingness 
of the United States to establish relationships "based on mutual 
respect."  Simons strongly rebuts the view that the region is not 
one of Washington's priorities, stating that Vice President Joe 
Biden's recent visit to Chile, President Obama's participation in 
the Summit of the Americas and Obama's bilateral meetings with his 
Brazilian, Mexican and Canadian counterparts, plus Secretary 
Clinton's visit to Mexico, demonstrate otherwise.  3.  "You cannot 
measure the interest of the United States in the region based on the 
number of front page articles in newspapers," said Simons.  To make 
his point, the Ambassador highlighted that in his first 100 days, 
President Obama "has met with 44 foreign leaders, phoned 56, visited 
eight countries, and participated in four international summits, 
while Secretary Clinton has had 150 meetings with foreign leaders 
and visited 18 countries."  The Ambassador said this "intense agenda 
shows the United States is willing to listen and to exert 
leadership, but in consultation with all its associates." 
 
¶4.  Simons also talked about his recent trip to California with 
Chilean Energy Minister Marcelo Tokman, noting the United States is 
focusing on renewable energy, and to Texas, for the signature of an 
agreement between the Texas National Guard and the Chilean Army for 
natural disaster operations (Interview with El Mercurio, 
conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 
5/11). 
 
¶5.  It is well known that Chilean Arturo Valenzuela is a strong 
candidate for the office of Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs.  But 
former Assistant Secretary Otto Reich says Valenzuela has a strong 
contender:  Former U.S. Ambassador to Chile Craig Kelly (El 
Mercurio, 5/10). 
 
¶6.  Chilean Army Commander-in-Chief Oscar Izurieta was in Texas for 
the signature of a cooperation agreement between the Chilean Army 
and the Texas National Guard in security and defense capabilities, 
institutional social responsibility, and disaster response (La 
Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ. 33,000, 5/8). 
 
Regional Affairs 
---------------- 
¶7.  Foreign Affairs Minister Mariano Fernandez recently traveled to 
Argentina and Brazil and met with his Cuban and Venezuelan 
counterparts in Havana.  Next week he will travel to Colombia 
Fernandez said the objective is to show that Chile's foreign policy 
priority is Latin America and regional integration (El Mercurio, 
5/11). 
 
¶8.  The CEO of Chile's National Oil Company ENAP, Rodrigo Azocar, 
said the company will focus on investing in Egypt and Ecuador, and 
dismissed altogether investing in Venezuela (La Tercera, 
conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 5/9). 
 
¶9.  Three Chilean architects have an original idea to resolve Peru's 
border claim and Bolivia's maritime claims. They are proposing 
building a tunnel along the Chile-Peru border.  The tunnel would 
begin in Bolivia and emerge past the Chilean coast on an artificial 
island build with the dirt removed to build the tunnel.  Bolivia 
would have the control over the island, but the sea area to the 
continent would be administered by the three countries (La Tercera, 
5/9). 
 
Cuba 
---- 
¶10.  OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said his goal is for 
Cuba to return to the Inter-American community.  He said the United 
States should lift the embargo immediately with no conditions, in 
the belief that this action would help create democracy on the 
island (El Mostrador, on line news agency, 5/11). 
 
ICC 
--- 
¶11.  The Senate will discuss "with extreme urgency" the 
Constitutional reform that would enable Chile to adhere to the 
International Criminal Court (ICC) statutes (La Tercera, 5/11). 
 
Human Trafficking 
----------------- 
¶12.  Eight women from Paraguay were recruited via Internet by a 
Chilean to work as prostitutes.  He paid for their tickets and they 
entered the country on a tourist visa.  In their statements to the 
police they said they were fully aware of the job they would be 
performing (Las Ultimas Noticias, leading-circulation, popular, 
circ., 140,000, 5/11). 
 
¶13.  Minister Jose Antonio Viera-Gallo presented a summary of 
Chile's progress to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.  Some 
council members criticized the excessive police force in some cases, 
called for equal treatment of indigenous peoples and the need to 
give women reproductive rights, among other topics (La Tercera, 
5/9). 
 
Local Politics 
-------------- 
¶14.  Fundacion Paz Ciudadana is organizing the first presidential 
debate on July 1, that will convoke Sebastian Pinera, Eduardo Frei, 
Marco Enriquez-Ominami, Alejandro Navarro, Jorge Arrate, and Adolfo 
Zalidvar (El Mercurio, 5/10). 
 
Natural Disasters 
----------------- 
¶15.  The Llaima and Chaiten volcanoes in southern Chile are on 
yellow and red alert, respectively.  The Llaima has continuous 
seismic activity, showing changes in its crater, and the Chaiten's 
dome continues to expand in width and height with a permanent column 
of ashes (La Tercera, 5/9). 
 
Human Influenza 
--------------- 
¶16.  The AH1N1 flu is slowly appearing in all countries, and it is 
just a matter of time before the first case appears in Chile, said 
expert epidemiologist Fernando Oteiza (La Tercera, 5/9). 
SIMONS