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DE RUEHSG #0672/01 1981536
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171536Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5233
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 4076
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2489
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 1589
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1008
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UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000672 
 
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 -- JULY 16-17, 2009 
 
Leading Stories 
--------------- 
¶1. 1. Secretary Hillary Clinton's letter to Chile's Foreign Minister 
regarding OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza's candidacy for 
reelection garnered front-page headlines in Chilean dailies. High 
importance was also given to the agreement reached by the opposition 
and the government coalition in the Chamber of Deputies over the 
distribution of the controversial morning-after pill; and the cost 
of the Santiago public transportation system that will amount $5 
billion dollars through year 2014. 
 
Chile-U.S. and Insulza 
------------------- 
¶2. Local newspapers reported on Secretary Hillay Clinton's response 
to Chilean Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez's June 22 letter 
providing different readings to the text: 
 
¶3. "United States to Consider Insulza's 
Performance(Before)Supporting His OAS Reelection" In a letter 
submitted Wednesday by the U.S. Embassy in Chile to Foreign Minister 
Mariano Fernandez there is a note explaining that "there will not be 
a signed original document" and that the text only includes a 
transcript of the letter sent by Secretary Hillary Clinton. 
Reportedly, in past months the ties between the White House and 
Insulza have been under tension.  Washington does not view 
positively Chile's former minister's insistence on raising the 
subject of reincorporating Cuba into the OAS.  The White House also 
does not assess positively Insulza's role in the crisis in Honduras. 
 Foreign Minister Fernandez said that the letter is "very positive." 
 In a different reading, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations 
Committee at the Chamber of the Deputies, Jorge Tarud, noted that 
"the letter does not represent a sign or expression of support but 
rather an official response that is used [in diplomacy] in these 
cases." (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, 
circ. 129,000, 7/17) 
 
¶4. "United States Says It Has Not Decided Over Insulza's OAS 
Reelection"  In a letter submitted to Foreign Minister Mariano 
Fernandez, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that her country 
"will give careful consideration" to Jose Miguel Insulza's 
candidacy, thus dismissing a press report about an alleged U.S. veto 
to Insulza's running for reelection.  Foreign Minister Fernandez 
interpreted the note "as positive."  "It confirms the vision we 
had," he said. (La Tercera, conservative, independent, circ. 
101,000, 7/17) 
 
¶5. "OAS: United States Rules Out Veto on Insulza's Reelection" It 
was a complicated week. In spite of La Moneda's calm over Jose 
Miguel Insulza's running for reelection at the Organization of 
American States (OAS), the false version about the United States' 
not giving its support to the Secretary General disturbed the 
government, prompting its dismissal of the thesis.  The wording 
chosen by the Secretary of State confirmed the falseness of the 
press report that mentioned an alleged phone conversation between 
the Secretary and President Bachelet in which she purportedly 
communicated the U.S.' decision not to support Insulza.  La Moneda 
interpreted Secretary Clinton's letter as a positive reaction to 
Insulza's candidacy to continue heading the OAS. Minister Secretary 
General of the Government Carolina Toha noted that "the United 
States has not determined yet its stance and we feel confident and 
expect that there will be great support for Jose Miguel Insulza's 
(candidacy) for reelection." (Government-owned, editorially 
independent La Nacion, 7/17) 
 
¶6. "Hillary Clinton Supports Insulza's Reelection to OAS" (Diario 
Financiero, business, daily, circ. 30,000, 7/17) 
 
Chile-U.S. 
--------- 
¶7. Finance Minister Andres Velasco headed a delegation of 
representatives from Chile's public and private sectors to 
participate in the two-day program in connection with the so-called 
"Chile Day" activities in New York City. This is the first time that 
government officials take part in this business program that seeks 
to promote new foreign investments in Chile.  Minister Velasco is 
scheduled to ring today (7/17) the opening bell at the NYSE in Wall 
Street.(El Mercurio, La Tercera, 7/17) 
 
Chile-Other Countries 
--------------------- 
¶8. Chile's Secretary General of the Presidency Jose Antonio 
Viera-Gallo headed the Chilean delegation to the Summit of 
Non-Aligned Countries that took place in Cairo.  Viera-Gallo voiced 
his discontent over the participation of President of Sudan Omar 
Hasan Ahmad Al Bashir.  When Al Bashir took the floor, Viera-Gallo 
left the room. (La Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ. 33,000, 
7/17) 
 
Obama-Africa 
------------ 
¶9.  Editorial: "Obama and Africa": "No President from any other 
developed country could have made Obama's speech in Ghana without 
provoking sensitivities... It is time for Africans to advance via 
their own efforts, which, by the way, is the only way to do so, and, 
hopefully, Obama's speech will be the encouragement needed for that 
to happen." (El Mercurio, 7/17) 
 
URBAN