Santiago Nov. 6 Media Report

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001064 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 Nov. 6 Media Report Lead story ¶1. Extensive coverage of the rampage at Fort Hood that left 12 dead (All dailies, 11/6). U.S.-Related News ¶2. Republican Senator Jim DeMint said he would lift the block on Arturo Valenzuela and Tom Shannon's nominations now that the Obama administration had agreed to recognize the November 29 election in Honduras (Conservative, influential El Mercurio, 11/6). ¶3. Jacob Scherr, head of the Natural Resources Defense Council's international program, is in Chile invited by an array of organizations that oppose the construction of several hydroelectric plants in the Patagonia. Scherr met with local environmental NGOs and with Minister of Energy Marcelo Tokman (El Mercurio, 11/6). ¶4. Editorial: "A year after the victory that put him in the White House, some could be hasty to conclude that the Obama phenomenon is starting to wither away.... But the President has ample popularity and there is no other political figure in the United States that could match him. Tuesday's election, however, is a warning ... that the high level of support that Obama maintains does not transfer to others (La Segunda, 11/5). Honduras ¶5. Only once the transitional National Unified Government is established, Congress will decide on Zelaya's reinstatement, said former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, member of the Verification Commission in Honduras. "We want to be sure that Micheletti will resign once the temporary government is in place," he added (Government-owned La Nacion, 11/6). ¶6. "What we want is to take the first step in the understanding that this must conclude with President Zelaya's reinstatement and that it must be done before the election.... If not, there will be questions about the legitimacy of the election," said Ricardo Lagos (Conservative, afternoon La Segunda, 11/5). ¶7. Virgilio Alvarez, of think tank Flacso-Guatemala, said the United States has shown a "positive change" in the crisis in Honduras, "because it has taken the attitude of leaving the people of Honduras solve their disputes amongst themselves" (La Nacion, 11/6). ¶8. Ricardo Lagos said the transitional government in Honduras should be installed before the November 29 election, "which is why we must work to ensure that the conditions for this to occur." Lagos said the "final goal is for Zelaya to be reinstated" (La Segunda, 11/6). ¶9. Manuel Zelaya's representative in the Verification Commission said the agreement signed last week "has failed" because the Micheletti government has not complied with the deadline to install a National Unified Government (El Mercurio on line, 11/6). Regional Affairs ¶10. Brazilian O Estado do Sao Paulo said that President Lula would propose that UNASUR countries sign a "non -aggression pact" to decrease the tension created by the military agreement recently signed by Colombia and the United States. Brazil wants an assurance that other nations will not become targets of a military aggression (Conservative, independent La Tercera, 11/6). Poll ¶11. A rumor on Twitter says the latest CEP (Centro de Estudios Publicos) poll gives Sebastian Pinera 38 percent of the votes, Eduardo Frei 27 percent, and Marco Enriquez Ominami 21 percent (On-line El Mostrador, 11/6). ¶12. Adimark GFK poll gives President Bachelet an unprecedented 80% rate of approval (La Segunda, 11/5). SIMONS