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DE RUEHSG #1016/01 2992008
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 262006Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0191
INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
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RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001016 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT: Santiago Oct. 26 Media Report 
 
Lead Story 
 
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¶1.            The public school teachers' strike forced the 
government to postpone the national assessment test for fourth and 
eighth graders (Conservative, independent La Tercera, 10/24). 
 
 
 
U.S. Related News 
 
---------------------- 
 
¶2.      Brazilian daily "O Globo" said yesterday that President 
Obama had accepted Lula da Silva's invitation to Brazil and that 
Secretary Clinton would be traveling to that country in December to 
coordinate the meeting between the two presidents.  There is no 
specific date for the visit (La Tercera, 10/26). 
 
 
 
¶3.      President Obama declared the AH1N1 flu a health emergency. 
Almost all states have been hit by the flu.  His decision would be 
partially motivated by the delay in the production of the vaccine 
(La Tercera, 10/25). 
 
 
 
¶4.      the president of the Chilean Senate Jovino Nova met in 
Washington D.C., with Dan Restrepo, Tom Shannon, and Congressmen 
Richard Lugar, Roberto Menendez , Connie Mack, and Elliot Engel 
(Conservative, influential El Mercurio, 10/25). 
 
 
 
¶5.      The presidents of the Chilean Senate and Chamber of 
Deputies, Jovino Novoa and Rodrigo Alvarez, met in D.C. with House 
of Representatives ethics committee members to learn about the 
regulations that apply for U.S. congressmen. Unlike Chilean 
regulations, which are general concepts on expected behavior, the 
United States has a very specific set of rules drafted by 
independent experts (La Tercera, 10/25). 
 
 
 
¶6.      2008 Economics Nobel Prize award winner Paul Krugman will 
be in Santiago to speak on October 28 on "The Crisis and the New 
Economy" (Financial Diariio Financiero, 10/26). 
 
 
 
¶7.      Photo coverage of the Chilean-American Cultural Institute 
award ceremony for those who have contributed over time to arts and 
culture and have maintained strong ties with the United States (La 
Tercera, 10/24). 
 
 
 
¶8.      A California Film Commission delegation has been touring 
Chile's desert and the Colchagua Valley, among other areas, seeking 
for film locations.  ProChile export promotion office invited the 
commission aware that the film industry generates high levels of 
capital and employment, and promotes tourism (La Tercera, 10/26). 
 
 
 
¶9.      D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty reappointed Chilean Ximena Hartsock 
Parks and Recreation director, just three weeks after the city 
council voted against her designation.  Hartsock will be able to 
stay in office for another six months. Upon hearing the news, the 
city council said it would try to withhold Hartsock's paycheck (El 
Mercurio, 10/26). 
 
Salitre Exercise 
 
------------------- 
 
¶10.    In a ceremony at the Defense Ministry, President Bachelet 
sent her "warm greetings" to all those taking part in the "Salite" 
exercise that began last week in Antofagasta and said that 
"integration and transparency are the best means to guarantee 
peace."  Defense Minister Francisco Vidal said the president has 
not confirmed if she will travel to Antofagasta to observe the 
exercises on October 28 (El Mercurio, 10/26). 
 
 
 
Local 
 
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¶11.    Judicial branch sources said that the Executive Office will 
chose Rosa Egnem as its candidate to occupy the seat left by 
Ricardo Galvez in the Supreme Court.  If chosen she would become 
the fifth woman in the 21-member court (La Tercera, 10/25). 
 
 
 
¶12.    A Universidad del Desarrollo poll revealed that 58% approve 
of restricting civil liberties for public security reasons (crime), 
57 % agree with capital punishment for serious crimes, 55% said 
abortion should be de-penalized,  and 81% consider the Penal Reform 
has been "bad" or "very bad" (La Tercera, 10/24). 
 
 
 
Cuba-U.S. 
 
------------ 
 
¶13.    Spanish daily "El Pais" said that in their bilateral meeting 
in Washington on October 13, the head of the Spanish government 
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had informed President Obama that 
Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratines would be traveling to Cuba. 
Reportedly, the U.S. President told Rodriguez Zapatero that 
Moratines should convey to the Cuban authorities the message that 
the United States "understands that things cannot change overnight, 
but that after a few years, when we look back, it must be clear 
that this was the time to start those changes," and it would be a 
"disappointment if this does not occur" (La Tercera, 10/26). 
SIMONS