Santiago Oct. 26 Media Report

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001016 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 Oct. 26 Media Report Lead Story -------------- ¶1. The public school teachers' strike forced the government to postpone the national assessment test for fourth and eighth graders (Conservative, independent La Tercera, 10/24). U.S. Related News -------------- ¶2. Brazilian daily "O Globo" said yesterday that President Obama had accepted Lula da Silva's invitation to Brazil and that Secretary Clinton would be traveling to that country in December to coordinate the meeting between the two presidents. There is no specific date for the visit (La Tercera, 10/26). ¶3. President Obama declared the AH1N1 flu a health emergency. Almost all states have been hit by the flu. His decision would be partially motivated by the delay in the production of the vaccine (La Tercera, 10/25). ¶4. the president of the Chilean Senate Jovino Nova met in Washington D.C., with Dan Restrepo, Tom Shannon, and Congressmen Richard Lugar, Roberto Menendez , Connie Mack, and Elliot Engel (Conservative, influential El Mercurio, 10/25). ¶5. The presidents of the Chilean Senate and Chamber of Deputies, Jovino Novoa and Rodrigo Alvarez, met in D.C. with House of Representatives ethics committee members to learn about the regulations that apply for U.S. congressmen. Unlike Chilean regulations, which are general concepts on expected behavior, the United States has a very specific set of rules drafted by independent experts (La Tercera, 10/25). ¶6. 2008 Economics Nobel Prize award winner Paul Krugman will be in Santiago to speak on October 28 on "The Crisis and the New Economy" (Financial Diariio Financiero, 10/26). ¶7. Photo coverage of the Chilean-American Cultural Institute award ceremony for those who have contributed over time to arts and culture and have maintained strong ties with the United States (La Tercera, 10/24). ¶8. A California Film Commission delegation has been touring Chile's desert and the Colchagua Valley, among other areas, seeking for film locations. ProChile export promotion office invited the commission aware that the film industry generates high levels of capital and employment, and promotes tourism (La Tercera, 10/26). ¶9. D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty reappointed Chilean Ximena Hartsock Parks and Recreation director, just three weeks after the city council voted against her designation. Hartsock will be able to stay in office for another six months. Upon hearing the news, the city council said it would try to withhold Hartsock's paycheck (El Mercurio, 10/26). Salitre Exercise -------------- ¶10. In a ceremony at the Defense Ministry, President Bachelet sent her "warm greetings" to all those taking part in the "Salite" exercise that began last week in Antofagasta and said that "integration and transparency are the best means to guarantee peace." Defense Minister Francisco Vidal said the president has not confirmed if she will travel to Antofagasta to observe the exercises on October 28 (El Mercurio, 10/26). Local -------------- ¶11. Judicial branch sources said that the Executive Office will chose Rosa Egnem as its candidate to occupy the seat left by Ricardo Galvez in the Supreme Court. If chosen she would become the fifth woman in the 21-member court (La Tercera, 10/25). ¶12. A Universidad del Desarrollo poll revealed that 58% approve of restricting civil liberties for public security reasons (crime), 57 % agree with capital punishment for serious crimes, 55% said abortion should be de-penalized, and 81% consider the Penal Reform has been "bad" or "very bad" (La Tercera, 10/24). Cuba-U.S. -------------- ¶13. Spanish daily "El Pais" said that in their bilateral meeting in Washington on October 13, the head of the Spanish government Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had informed President Obama that Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratines would be traveling to Cuba. Reportedly, the U.S. President told Rodriguez Zapatero that Moratines should convey to the Cuban authorities the message that the United States "understands that things cannot change overnight, but that after a few years, when we look back, it must be clear that this was the time to start those changes," and it would be a "disappointment if this does not occur" (La Tercera, 10/26). SIMONS