CHILE MEDIA REPORT: DECEMBER 2

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001051 SIPDIS STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL PGOV SNAR EFIN CI SUBJECT: CHILE MEDIA REPORT: DECEMBER 2 Lead Stories -------------- ¶1. The front pages highlighted a Health Ministry epidemiology report that reveals the AIDS cases in Chile increased by 42% between 2006 and 2007. Separate headlines noted the government will submit a new education law to Congress today. U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶2. Experts concur that Hillary Clinton's "brand name" and Obama's international popularity will succeed in improving the U.S. image abroad (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 12/2). ¶3. Obama did not improvise and appointed six highly-experienced individuals to his cabinet. Although their names were no surprise, their appointment had a very powerful political effect (La Tercera, conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 12/2). ¶4. Editorial entitled, "The U.S. President-Elect's Foreign Policy Appointments": "The President-elect announced his National Security team, including those who will be responsible for foreign affairs and defense.... The appointment of the Senator of New York (Clinton)... is a signal for those who support and still believe in her leadership. And the confirmation of the Secretary of Defense, whose work has been well evaluated, is a powerful sign of a bipartisan spirit.... Both appointments are important, because the two most important challenges that the new president will face will be in the international arena. He will have to implement diplomacy to help repair the image of the United States in the community of nations and to withdraw successfully form Iraq.... The new president knows that his unprecedented international support is based on the belief that under his command Washington's foreign policy will be fundamentally different from that of his predecessor... that is, multilateral, with less emphasis on military resources and greater awareness of the interests of other actors.... The international challenges for the new White House will be to carry out the changes promised, while still protecting U.S. interest abroad" (La Tercera, 12/2). ¶5. General Electric (GE) regional CEO Alejandro Bottan says that the region's economic growth in the past five to ten years has increased demand for consumer products that GE produces. Bottan noted the company is especially active in the area of alternative energies and hopes to incorporate eolic and solar energy technology in the future and nuclear energy in the midterm (El Mercurio, 12/2). ¶6. Finnish company Stuk Radiation and Nuclear Safety won the government's bid a few days ago to draft the regulatory framework for the possible use of nuclear energy in Chile. Julio Vergara of Chile's National Energy Commission underscored Finland's experience in the construction of nuclear reactors. He said that in Finland a license is issued to build the reactor and another to operate it, while in the United States a combined license is issued to build and operate the reactors. The U.S. process "is more direct and predictable for investors, while under the Finnish model the terms can change," said Vergara (La Tercera, 12/2). Cuba -------------- ¶7. President Bachelet said that as in previous official trips, she expected opposition congressmen to join the delegation traveling with her to Cuba. Opposition Senators Jovino Novoa (UDI) and Sergio Romero (RN) said they see no problem with this "if and when" the President met with Cuban dissidents. Novoa also said the President should give assurances that she will discuss human rights and the release of political prisoners with the Cuban government (La Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ. 33,000, 12/1). ¶8. Current Ambassador to Cuba Jaime Toha, recently appointed Intendente for the VIII Region, said he would have liked to see more initiative on the part of Chilean investors to seize the business opportunities on the island under the framework of the bilateral Economic Strategic Cooperation Agreement. Toha said that the President's upcoming trip to Havana is a good chance to explore those opportunities (El Mercurio, 12/2). AIDS -------------- ¶9. A Health Ministry epidemiology report shows that from 2006 to 2007 HIV cases increased 42%. A total of 18,000 people have contracted the virus. One third of the cases are people between 30-39 years of age who have a high level of education. 90% of the cases were sexually transmitted. 33.8% of the cases are the result of heterosexual relations (La Tercera, 12/2). Education -------------- ¶10. The new education bill will be presented to the lower chamber today, two years after massive student demonstrations demanded the elimination of the existing law. The new bill transfers the administration of public schools, from the municipalities to government agencies in each region exclusively focused on education (La Nacion, government-owned, editorially independent, circ, 4,200, 12/2). ¶11. The mayors of municipalities that have been successful in administering public schools in their communities said the new bill will be a setback, because it will undermine the progress achieved thus far. They also criticize the Executive Office for not discussing or consulting the bill with them (El Mercurio, 12/2).