VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0546 1611849
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101849Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5048
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 4013
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2443
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 1531
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0945
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2128
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 6225
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4438
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2421
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000546 
 
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 -- JUNE 10 
 
Leading Stories 
--------------- 
¶1.  Chile has a total of 1,694 cases of AH1N1. Only 2 people have 
died from the virus, which is expected to reach its peak next week. 
While most have recovered (63%), less than 2% have needed 
hospitalization.  Dailies report that health services are 
"collapsing" given the demands to address the AH1N1 outbreak, 
seasonal influenza, and outbreaks of an array of other viruses. 
 
U.S.-Related News 
----------------- 
¶2.  Foreign Affairs Minister Mariano Fernandez will speak at the 
American Chilean Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) breakfast at the Hyatt 
Hotel on Friday, June 12, on "Perspectives for the Bilateral 
Relation with the United States in the Obama era" (Diario 
Financiero, circ. 30,000, 6/10). 
 
Chile-Venezuela 
--------------- 
¶3.  Pressured by local entrepreneurs and congressmen, Foreign 
Affairs Minister Mariano Fernandez formally brought to Caracas' 
attention Chile's concern over delayed payments to Chilean companies 
and concerns over Venezuelan government interventions with two other 
companies (La Tercera, conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 
6/10). 
 
Cuba 
---- 
¶4.  Alvaro Vargas Llosa article:  "Fidel Castro praised President 
Obama as never before."  In reference to the President's speech in 
Egypt, Castro said the biggest challenge for the new President lies 
in that the principles he is promoting are "contrary to what the 
superpower has done for almost seven decades."  Castro's remarks 
have been interpreted as an attempt to show that Cuba is also 
willing to explore a change in its relationship with the United 
States.  In Washington political circles, the view is that Obama is 
very popular in Cuba, and the regime would rather not antagonize him 
so long as he projects the image of wanting to open up U.S. 
relations with other countries, including Cuba (La Tercera, 6/10). 
 
Student Strikes 
--------------- 
¶5.  High school student organizations at the best academic public 
schools in Santiago -- Instituto Nacional, Instituto Barros Arana, 
and Liceo Confederacion Suiza -- are calling a nationwide student 
strike.  They are demanding the state to fully take over and 
administer public education (El Mercurio, 6/10). 
 
Election Politics 
----------------- 
¶6.  Marco Enriquez-Ominami will resign on Friday to the Socialist 
Party to run as an independent candidate in the December 
presidential election (La Tercera, 6/10). 
 
SIMONS