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DE RUEHSG #1216/01 3492010
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R 152008Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0425
INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
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UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001216 
 
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 Dec. 15 Media Report 
 
Lead Story 
 
¶1.      Minister Carolina Toha, the government's spokesperson, 
resigned yesterday to head Eduardo Frei's campaign for the January 
runoff election (Conservative, independent La Tercera, 12/15). 
 
 
 
U.S.-Related News 
 
¶2.   Excerpts of an interview with U.S. Ambassador Paul Simons: 
"One of President Obama's first priorities is to move forward on 
the issue of climate change.  Since his arrival to the White House, 
he has taken a series of steps in that direction, starting by a 
making a significant investment in stimulus programs.... The 
President has also announced very ambitious goals to lower 
emissions by 17 percent by 2020.... Developed nations cannot do 
everything.  The idea in Copenhagen is for all countries to 
contribute (...) Awareness (of the importance of climate change) 
exists not just among environmental groups.  They play an important 
role, but there is also wider and more global awareness among 
students" (Conservative, independent, La Tercera, 12/15). 
 
 
 
¶3.   Article on Governor Tim Pawlenty's visit to the Biobio Region 
headlined, "Minnesota offers business and academic opportunities - 
Unprecedented coming together of the Biobio Region and the state of 
Minnesota." Two geographically very different regions -- Minnesota 
in northern United States and the Biobio Region in Chile's south, 
launched yesterday an unprecedented relationship that was made 
official with a sisterhood agreement signed by the highest regional 
authority, Intendente Jaime Toha, and the Governor of Minnesota Tim 
Pawlenty (Regional influential daily El Sur, 12/11). 
 
 
 
FBI- Former President Eduardo Frei's death 
 
¶4.      In October 2004, the Investigations Police submitted a 
request through the U.S. Embassy in Santiago for the FBI to conduct 
forensic tests to determine if former president Frei had been given 
chemical or biological elements that caused his death.  Two months 
later, Justice Alejandro Madrid reiterated this request and asked 
for an additional test to confirm that the remains, from which the 
body tissue for testing was taken, belonged to Frei. In February 
2005, the FBI agreed to do the tests.  Investigations Police 
officials then delivered the tissue samples in the United States. 
A week later, the FBI issued its report.  The document, which was 
sent to the U.S. Embassy for the Investigations Police, confirmed 
that the tissue samples belonged to Frei.  The report also ruled 
out the presence of toxic biological or chemical elements. The 
tests conducted in the United States were carried out in accordance 
to legal procedures and the instructions issued by Justice Madrid. 
Investigations Police officials brought Frei's tissue samples back 
to Chile in October 2005.  The Frei's family attorney, Alvaro 
Varela, said at the time that the tissue samples handed to the FBI 
were too small for the tests to be conclusive regarding the 
presence of chemicals.  Varela said that they would have to wait 
for further tests requested by Justice Madrid from other Chilean 
entities (El Mercurio, 12/14). 
 
 
 
¶5.      Forensic tests conducted by two experts in Chile 
established the presence of thallium and mustard gas in Frei's 
remains. This contradicts the FBI's report that ruled out the 
presence of drugs in Frei's body.  Doctor Patricio Silva, head of 
the second operation on the former president in December 1981, has 
been charged with homicide in this case.  But the doctor claims 
that the evidence is circumstantial and said he is considering 
requesting a new study of Frei's remains (El Mercurio, 12/14). 
 
Local 
 
¶6.      The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 
(OECD) removed Chile from its tax paradise "grey list." The reason 
is the recent approval of the Law on Access to Banking Information, 
which the organization says shows that Chile is committed to 
respecting international tax standards (Business and financial 
daily Diario Financiero, 12/15). 
SIMONS