VZCZCXYZ0021
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0589/01 1741903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231903Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5104
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 4041
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2459
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 1555
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0973
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2144
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 6253
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4459
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2456
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000589 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV OPRC PREL PGOV SNAR CI
SUBJECT:  CHILE MEDIA REPORT -- June 23 
 
Leading Stories 
--------------- 
¶1. The World Bank's forecast of a cut in global growth affected 
stock markets worldwide and in Chile. In addition, the dramatic drop 
in the rate exchange in Chile has caused exporters to react and 
claim for the Ministry of Finance's intervention. The Government of 
Chile will submit a draft bill to relapse last week's ruling by the 
Office of the Comptrollership that banned the free distribution of 
morning-after pill in municipal health offices. 
 
Obama-Bachelet 
-------------------- 
¶2. President Obama will receive President Bachelet in the Oval 
Office today. The Chilean president will be the second of Latin 
America to meet with Obama [in Washington, DC], after Brazilian Lula 
da Silva.  Although the agenda is open, the Chilean Foreign Ministry 
said Bachelet would not bring up the topic of the Organization of 
American States vote for Cuba to reenter it.  However, it does hope 
that President Obama will do so. The United States tends to consult 
with Brazil and Chile about these matters, especially since both 
governments have had a rapprochement with Cuba.  Bachelet4s agenda 
also includes bilateral cooperation on energy and the global 
financial crisis. (La Tercera, conservative, independent, circ. 
101,000, 6/23) 
 
¶3.  Editorial: "The President4s Visit to the United States" "It is 
positive and timely for Bachelet to meet with Barack Obama...  to 
reconfirm not just the historic ties and mutual interests between 
our two countries, but also to underscore the flow and harmony in 
those relations over the past years.  In fact, the absence of 
conflicts in the bilateral agenda is a reflection of the good 
quality of the bilateral relationship . . .  This, however, does not 
mean there are no relevant issues that need to be addressed with 
determination.  Such is the case of Chile4s inclusion on the list of 
countries that don4t respect Intellectual Property Rights . . . -- 
Chile has a debt on that matter --- and the absence of a double 
taxation agreement . . .  The harmony in ties with the United States 
has become stronger now with the new President who has more in 
common with the coalition that has governed Chile for the past two 
decades than his predecessors ever did...  It is in Chile4s interest 
to maintain good relations with the United States, which is the main 
exponent of a development and political model based on premises that 
Chile fully shares...  Chile is not part of the Group of Nations 
that have made 'anti-imperialism' the core of their diplomacy . . . 
With those nations Chile maintains cordial relations for mutual 
benefit, but hardly a refined synchrony (as with the United States) 
. . .  The United States sees Chile as a trustworthy partner and a 
responsible actor in the region and that is an asset that Chile must 
strategically value" (La Tercera, 6/23). 
 
¶4.  Bachelet4s visit to Washington, D.C., to meet with President 
Obama will coincide with the visit of Georgian Chancellor Grigol 
Vashadze and Antonio Ledezma, the mayor of Caracas and a Chavez 
opponent, among others (La Segunda afternoon daily, 6/22). 
 
¶5.  Column by Ricardo Garcia, President of the Chilean-American 
Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) on Bachelet4s trip to the United 
States: "This would be a good opportunity for the President to 
discuss with Chile4s main commercial partner a topic of great 
importance that has been pending since the signature of the Free 
Trade Agreement: a double taxation agreement." (La Tercera, 6/23). 
 
¶6. Column by Alberto Etchegaray, "Obama4s Proposal:  Reloaded 
Regulation"  "Obama, Geithner and company presented their much 
awaited reform of the U.S. financial systems . . .  The restrained 
reaction of the market, tacitly accepting Obama4s proposal is an 
acknowledgement that new paradigms are now operating . . .  Welcome 
to the new times." (Diario Financiero, business and financial, circ. 
30,000, 6/23). 
 
Terrorism 
------------ 
¶7.  The "Mauricio Morales Autonomous Group" claimed responsibility 
for an explosive device placed in a branch office of the 
Citi-Edwards Bank in Santiago.  Morales was an anarchist, who died 
in May when a bomb he was carrying detonated. (El Mercurio, 
conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 6/23) 
 
Energy 
--------- 
¶8. Energy Farms, formed by Chilean and U.S. investment funds, will 
invest USD 300 million to build wind parks in the Fifth and Seventh 
regions, which will start operating in 2011.  (Estrategia, business 
and financial daily, 6/23) 
 
WEITZENKORN