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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 Dec. 7 Media Report 
 
Chile-U.S. 
 
¶1.      President Bachelet will meet with Governor Pawlenty next 
week in Santiago.  Pawlenty is "the most probable Republican 
contender against Obama in 2012" (Conservative, afternoon daily La 
Segunda, 12/4). 
 
 
 
¶2.      Interview with Mary Wilson, president of the League of 
Women Voters entitled, "United States Supports Inclusion of Women 
in Politics" (Government-owned La Nacion, 12/7) PAS program. 
 
 
 
Honduras 
 
¶3.      Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela said that 
given the complexity of the situation in Honduras, things seem to 
be moving in the right direction in that country. Valenzuela 
admitted that the United States had been somewhat "disappointed" 
with the Congressional decision in Honduras against Zelaya's 
reinstatement, but added, that "one must find other solutions."  He 
said that the fundamental issue now is to fulfill two conditions of 
the Tegucigalpa-San Jose agreement:  Form a unified government and 
a Truth Commission.   "What is at state is the pillar of the Inter 
American system, which is the collective defense of democracy," 
said Valenzuela, adding that the issue is how to improve the 
Democratic Charter to "truly protect democracy."  Asked whether the 
United States had changed its position with regard to Honduras, 
Valenzuela said Washington has been consistent.  He explained that 
after the international community strongly condemned the coup, the 
Micheletti government  tried to justify what it had done and that 
it was at that point that some in and outside the United States 
began to see Zelaya's ousting as legitimate. "We never shared that 
position," said Valenzuela, adding that after this point the United 
States insisted on seeking "a negotiated solution to revoke the 
authoritarian situation," in Honduras. The United States, he said, 
recognized the election because there was an ongoing negotiation. 
"Many thought that an OAS statement saying that the coup had been a 
severe violation of the Inter American charter was enough for 
Zelaya's reinstatement, but that did not happen and the problem 
then was to decide on what steps to take .... We could not recall 
our ambassador, because how could we assist with the return to 
democracy if we had no ambassador? That is why although we 
condemned the coup, we always looked for a solution and that is 
where we are with the OAS" concluded Valenzuela (El Mercurio, 
12/6). 
 
 
 
¶4.      Valenzuela also defended OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel 
Insulza stating that the secretary's role is to find mechanisms to 
negotiate the reestablishment of democracy on behalf of other 
countries.  From that viewpoint, Valenzuela said Insulza had done 
"a good job" (El Mercurio, 12/6) 
 
 
 
¶5.      OAS Secretary General Insulza said that President-elect 
Porfirio Lobo is in the position to restore democracy in his 
country by ending Zelaya's "persecution, reestablishing human 
rights and public liberties, and by calling on all democratic 
forces to reach one national agreement. " The secretary also said 
that since the OAS did not send observers to the election he could 
not offer a "final verdict" on the election.  However, he said, "it 
seems that there won't be internal obstacles to Lobo's taking 
office" (El Mercurio, 12/6). 
 
 
 
¶6.      Editorial:  "President-elect Porfirio Lobo received strong 
backing from the United States, which accepted Sunday's election as 
legitimate because it was 'peaceful' and 'fulfilled international 
standards' ... It is clear that Washington changed its initial 
 
opposition to the process in Honduras for a more pragmatic stance 
that reflects (recent) events and the will of the people of 
Honduras to elect a new government.... Assistant Secretary Arturo 
Valenzuela ... is being a realist in saying that 'it makes no sense 
to make major decisions' until Lobo takes office....  But the 
return of normality in Honduras has not yet concluded, because two 
conditions must still be met:  The installment of a unified 
government and the creation of a Truth Commission...and until that 
occurs, Honduras will not have normal relations with the OAS nor 
receive the financial aid is so strongly needs" (Conservative, 
influential El Mercurio, 12/7). 
 
 
 
Afghanistan 
 
¶7.      Editorial:  "President Obama might have been somewhat 
uncomfortable announcing that he would send additional troops to 
Afghanistan just days before receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.... 
But since he became a candidate, Obama has been saying that the 
focus of attention should shift from Iraq to Afghanistan, which in 
his opinion is the real battlefield against terrorists.... In this 
regard, what he is doing now is consistent with what he said before 
arriving to the White House.  Obama's goal has always been to 
defeat the Taliban and gradually transfer security to the Afghan 
government, armed forces, and police.  That is the real challenge 
that the United States and the European allies face today... 
because until the transition occurs... the allies will have to 
continue dealing with the government of Afghanistan, which has 
proven to be corrupt and inefficient" (El Mercurio, 12/7). 
 
 
 
Bolivia 
 
¶8.      Headlines:  "Evo Morales wins with 63%, takes control of 
the legislature, and thinks about reelection in 2015" (El Mercurio, 
12/7); "Morales reelected with 62% and takes control of the Senate" 
(La Tercera, 12/7). 
 
 
 
Local 
 
¶9.      A report by think tank "Libertad y Desarollo" shows that 
President Bachelet's cabinet members have been in government an 
average of 13 years since the onset of democracy 20 years ago (El 
Mercurio, 12/5). 
 
 
 
Chile-Peru 
 
¶10.  In an interview with Argentine daily "Pagina 12," Peru's 
Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde said his country is 
"satisfied" with Chile's commitment to investigate the accusations 
of espionage, but added that he expects to receive an answer before 
a new administration takes office in Chile. Garcia Belaunde said 
that "while President Bachelet has "at all times tried to have good 
relations with Peru," these relations have been hurt by the Peru's 
maritime border claim in The Hague. He also touched another 
sensitive bilateral issue: "We don't understand why Chile spends so 
much on weapons and why those weapons point to Peru" (La Tercera, 
12/6). 
 
 
 
Copenhagen Conference 
 
¶11.  Editorial:  "The Chilean delegation attending the Copenhagen 
Conference has one clear idea in mind: A 'green' country is good 
for the national interests, not just politically, but also 
economically and socially.... What the United States and China 
decide at the conference will be crucial for Chile's exports, 
because of the greater environmental demands over the next years... 
 
Regardless of whether the interest in the environment is the result 
of a true commitment or because it is a source of income, the 
private sector will have to look at the environment as a new 
element of investment" (Financial daily Diario Financiero, 12/7). 
SIMONS