VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSG #0076/01 0221504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221503Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0577
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
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000076 
 
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: Media Report January 22 
 
Lead Story 
 
¶1.            A political pact settled by the two right coalition 
parties RN and UDI with the Radical Social Democratic Party (PRSD) 
and the Independent Regionalist Party (PRI) to distribute the 
chairs of the legislative committees at the Higher and Lower 
chambers triggered another crisis in the government coalition. 
 
 
 
OAS Secretary General 
 
¶2.            "OAS Fine Tunes Agreement to Hold Elections on March 
24."  Next Tuesday, the 34 OAS accredited Ambassadors will hold 
another Permanent Council meeting to determine the date to conduct 
the Secretary General election.  Sources confirmed that numerous 
talks taken place during the past few days have set the election 
for March, Wednesday 24. Allegedly, a change in Washington's stance 
over the matter allowed the matter to make progress. Last week, 
(Foreign Minister Mariano) Fernandez addressed the issue with WHA 
Assistant Secretary Arturo Valenzuela, who after the meeting 
commented that (Chile's proposal to move ahead the election) had 
"merits", thus indicating a strong contrast with the U.S. initial 
refusal. (Conservative, newspaper-of-record El Mercurio, 1/22) 
 
 
 
Secretary Clinton-Internet Freedom Speech 
 
¶3.            Short article mentioning Secretary Clinton's remarks 
on Internet freedom yesterday, entitled "U.S. Calls for a Network 
without Restrictions" Secretary Clinton advocated for an 
unrestricted Internet and called to globally condemn cyber 
attackers, in an allusion to the Chinese government's censorship on 
Google. (El Mercurio, 1/22) 
 
 
 
Haiti 
 
¶4.            "Banks to Function this Weekend; Haiti Seaport 
Reopens to Distribute Humanitarian Aid" Nine days after the 
devastating earthquake, some international rescue workers are 
beginning to withdraw. However, Chilean experts continue to work at 
the Montana Hotel. (El Mercurio, 1/22) 
 
 
 
¶5.            "Increasing Fears of Infections and Epidemics 
Intensify Haiti Crisis" (La Tercera, 1/22) 
 
 
 
¶6.            "U.N. Dramatic Acknowledgment: 'We are Overwhelmed." 
While international aid continues to arrive in Haiti's capital 
city, the U.N. and other countries, such as the United States and 
Canada, who have sent large numbers of troops, are still unable to 
coordinate the distribution. Additionally, security continues to be 
a problem that increases the battered population's anguish. Sidebar 
acknowledges the contributions and capabilities of the USNS 
COMFORT.  (Government-owned, but editorially independent La Nacion, 
1/22) 
 
 
 
¶7.            "U.S. Blocks Haitians from Exiting by Sea and Sends 
them to Guantanamo" The Haitians are desperate in their attempts to 
leave their country for the United States. Although the U.S. has 
deployed soldiers, rescue workers, doctors and resources, it said 
that it is not willing "to admit any Haitian citizen who attempts 
to illegally reach U.S. coasts," reported the State Department in a 
statement distributed by the U.S. Armed Forces.  But not all is bad 
news. Approximately 200,000 Haitians who already were in the United 
States at the time of the earthquake will be able to stay and work 
for a period of 18 months. (Conservative, afternoon-daily La 
Segunda, 1/22) 
 
 
¶8.            Editorial entitled "Haiti Exposed"  "The tragedy has 
served to expose the U.N.'s unfruitful job done in the poorest 
country in the Western Hemisphere... Once the humanitarian 
emergency is over, it would be absurd to reinstate the same 
collaboration strategy that was in place until January 12, 2010. 
The enormous cost and meager success prevents it." (El Mercurio, 
1/22) 
URBAN