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DE RUEHSG #1064/01 3101914
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R 061913Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0238
INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
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RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0141
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UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001064 
 
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 Nov. 6 Media Report 
 
Lead story 
 
¶1.                  Extensive coverage of the rampage at Fort Hood 
that left 12 dead (All dailies, 11/6). 
 
 
 
U.S.-Related News 
 
¶2.            Republican Senator Jim DeMint said he would lift the 
block on Arturo Valenzuela and Tom Shannon's nominations now that 
the Obama administration had agreed to recognize the November 29 
election in Honduras (Conservative, influential El Mercurio, 11/6). 
 
 
 
 
¶3.                  Jacob Scherr, head of the Natural Resources 
Defense Council's international program, is in Chile invited by an 
array of organizations that oppose the construction of several 
hydroelectric plants in the Patagonia.  Scherr met with local 
environmental NGOs and with Minister of Energy Marcelo Tokman (El 
Mercurio, 11/6). 
 
 
 
¶4.                  Editorial:  "A year after the victory that put 
him in the White House, some could be hasty to conclude that the 
Obama phenomenon is starting to wither away.... But the President 
has ample popularity and there is no other political figure in the 
United States that could match him. Tuesday's election, however, is 
a warning ... that the high level of support that Obama maintains 
does not transfer to others (La Segunda, 11/5). 
 
 
 
Honduras 
 
¶5.                  Only once the transitional National Unified 
Government is established, Congress will decide on Zelaya's 
reinstatement, said former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, member 
of the Verification Commission in Honduras. "We want to be sure 
that Micheletti will resign once the temporary government is in 
place," he added (Government-owned La Nacion, 11/6). 
 
 
 
¶6.                  "What we want is to take the first step in the 
understanding that this must conclude with President Zelaya's 
reinstatement and that it must be done before the election.... If 
not, there will be questions about the legitimacy of the election," 
said Ricardo Lagos (Conservative, afternoon La Segunda, 11/5). 
 
 
 
¶7.                  Virgilio Alvarez, of think tank 
Flacso-Guatemala, said the United States has shown a "positive 
change" in the crisis in Honduras, "because it has taken the 
attitude of leaving the people of Honduras solve their disputes 
amongst themselves" (La Nacion, 11/6). 
 
 
 
¶8.                  Ricardo Lagos said the transitional government 
in Honduras should be installed before the November 29 election, 
"which is why we must work to ensure that the conditions for this 
to occur." Lagos said the "final goal is for Zelaya to be 
reinstated" (La Segunda, 11/6). 
 
 
 
¶9.                  Manuel Zelaya's representative in the 
Verification Commission said the agreement signed last week "has 
failed" because the Micheletti government has not complied with the 
deadline to install a National Unified Government (El Mercurio on 
line, 11/6). 
 
Regional Affairs 
 
¶10.              Brazilian O Estado do Sao Paulo said that 
President Lula would propose that UNASUR countries sign a "non 
-aggression pact" to decrease the tension created by the military 
agreement recently signed by Colombia and the United States. 
Brazil wants an assurance that other nations will not become 
targets of a military aggression (Conservative, independent La 
Tercera, 11/6). 
 
 
 
Poll 
 
¶11.              A rumor on Twitter says the latest CEP (Centro de 
Estudios Publicos) poll gives Sebastian Pinera 38 percent of the 
votes, Eduardo Frei 27 percent, and Marco Enriquez Ominami 21 
percent (On-line El Mostrador, 11/6). 
 
 
 
¶12.              Adimark GFK poll gives President Bachelet an 
unprecedented 80% rate of approval (La Segunda, 11/5). 
SIMONS