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DE RUEHSG #0996/01 2931933
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201932Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0163
INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0099
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0096
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0055
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0057
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RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000996 
 
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. 20 Media Report 
 
Lead Story 
 
------------- 
 
¶1.            A protected witness revealed that the five 
individuals implicated in last week's attack in the Region of 
Araucania, where a toll booth was destroyed and several trucks were 
set on fire, were planning to attack trucks transporting gas and 
oil from Argentina (Conservative, influential El Mercurio, 10/20). 
 
 
 
Salitre and other military exercises 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.      Chilean Defense Minister Francisco Vidal underscored that 
the "Salitre" exercise that began yesterday in Antofagasta "is a 
multilateral cooperation exercise that is being carried out in the 
best possible conditions" with the participation of Argentina, 
Brazil, the United States, and France (Government-owned, La Nacion, 
10/20). 
 
 
 
¶3.      Minister Vidal, who will travel to Antofagasta next week 
for the "Salitre" exercise, commented on Chile's invitation for 
Peruvian Ambassador Carlos Pareja to observe the exercise: "I would 
very much like to have him sitting next to me on the airplane," 
said Vidal (Conservative, independent, La Tercera, 10/20). 
 
 
 
¶4.      Minister Vidal inaugurated the Chile-Bolivia "Brotherhood" 
(Hermandad) exercise, which is intended to prepare both armies to 
work together in an eventual catastrophe.  The exercise is held at 
the Tactical Operations Computer Training Center of the War Academy 
in La Reina. Minister Vidal said the exercise is an "expression of 
the level of relations between Chile and Bolivia, especially in the 
military arena" (La Tercera, 10/20). 
 
 
 
¶5.      A force of 2,000 soldiers, engineers, and pilots and 42 
aircraft began yesterday the "Salitre 2009" exercise in Cerro 
Moreno in Antofagasta.  U.S. Air Force Colonel Bryan Bearden valued 
the integration of the countries taking part in the exercise (El 
Mercurio, 10/20). 
 
 
 
¶6.      The commanders-in-chief of the Chilean and Peruvian armies, 
General Oscar Izurieta and Otto Guibovick, respectively, met 
privately yesterday for three hours in Tacna, Peru. Relations 
between the two countries are at their lowest point due to Peru's 
bilateral maritime border claim with the Hague, its proposal for 
South American countries to sign a non-aggression pact -- which 
Chile considers unnecessary -- and tension over the Salitre 
exercise in Chile's north.  Army sources said that both officers 
had discussed all issues affecting the bilateral relationship (El 
Mercurio, 10/20). 
 
 
 
U.S.-Related News 
 
----------------------- 
 
¶7.      U.S. Ambassador Paul Simons introduced the director of the 
recently opened Sub Regional Office of the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA), Ana Maria Osorio, to Chilean Health Minister 
Alvaro Erazo.  Simons and Erazo concurred on the importance of 
sharing expertise with regard to food regulations, labeling, and 
nutrition (La Nacion, 10/20). 
 
¶8.      Chilean Ximena Hartsock was removed from D.C.'s park and 
recreation office because she is Latino and a woman.   Hartsock 
said that no one had ever before in the United States questioned 
her race or origin and that perhaps her mistake was to implement 
rapid and effective changes while in office (El Mercurio, women's 
magazine "Ya", 10/20). 
 
 
 
¶9.      Customs figures show that Chilean exports to all 
destinations fell from January to September, except to China where 
they increased 6.3%.  China is the recipient of 22.9% of Chile's 
total exports and the United States of 12.5% (La Tercera, 10/20). 
 
 
 
Local politics 
 
----------------- 
 
¶10.    Laura Albornoz, minister of the Women's National Service, 
resigned yesterday to join Eduardo Frei's presidential campaign. 
President Bachelet's mother, Angela Jeria, also joined Frei's team. 
The most recent poll conducted by Centro de Estudios Publicos shows 
that Frei has a 29% of support among women voters.  This is four 
points less than Sebastian Pinera (El Mercurio, 10/20). 
 
 
 
Indigenous Affairs 
 
----------------------- 
 
¶11.    In yesterday's hearing in Victoria, Prosecutor Miguel Angel 
Velasquez described the 16 attacks that have occurred in the Region 
of Araucania since 2007.  All of these attacks, he said, have 
involved setting trucks on fire, seizing farm or forestry land, and 
attacking private citizens on highways and roads. The prosecutor 
said these have been "duly organized" attacks that are conducted at 
night intended to "hurt people's integrity and public and private 
security." The ultimate purpose, he said, is to generate fear.  In 
this context, the prosecutor charged the five individuals who last 
week attacked a toll booth, fired at private vehicles, and burned 
several trucks with arson and theft with intimidation.  They are 
all members of local indigenous Mapuche organizations. 
 
 
 
Prosecutor Velasquez also revealed that according to the account of 
a protected witness, the individuals involved in last week's 
attacks had an M-16.  The witness identified the leader of the 
group, stating that he had handed out several weapons, including 
the M-16.  According to the account, the group also carried bottles 
of fuel and a chainsaw to cut trees to block the highway.  He said 
the group had fired on one truck, because the barricade had not 
stopped him.  He said the group knew the number of trucks with fuel 
tanks expected to transit the highway (El Mercurio, 10/20) 
 
 
 
¶12.    Under Secretary of Interior Patricio Rosende said that the 
use of a military weapon such as an M-16 constitutes a serious 
matter, but added that further evidence must be gathered to 
corroborate the existence of such a weapon in the recent attacks 
(La Tercera, 10/20). 
SIMONS