Santiago Dec. 18 Media Report

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001238 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. 18 Media Report Former President Frei's death - FBI lab tests ¶1. "Why didn't the FBI detect mustard gas in 2005, when Justice Madrid claims there are (traces of it)?" At the end of 2004, the judge investigating the death of former President Eduardo Frei Montalva, Alejandro Madrid, requested the FBI's assistance to confirm if the exhumed remains belonged to the president and to determine if the samples taken from those remains contained traces of toxic elements. The FBI's tests were released at the end of 2005 and confirmed that the remains belonged to Frei, but also that "there are no external chemicals to explain his death." This contradicts reports by Chilean forensic experts which state that the samples have traces of thallium and mustard gas. ¶2. Inquired about the results of the FBI tests in 2005, the U.S. Embassy said the results "were negative for the presence of biological agents or toxic chemicals." The explanation is based on an official document submitted by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, of the Department of Defense, which says that the test results "were expected given the length of time since the time of death and the poor conditions of the samples." This conclusion is incompatible with Justice Madrid's ruling this month that this is a homicide case. ¶3. Forensic expert Laura Borgel claims that pathologists from the Armed Forces conducted the tests and not the FBI. She said the pathologists in question had told her they had run a mitochondrial DNA test to confirm the president's identity and an alkaline extraction to detect drugs such as morphine, cocaine, or heroine. Asked why the tests were conducted by Armed forces pathologists and not the FBI, Borgel said the Investigations Police had directly contacted the FBI (Conservative, afternoon La Segunda, 12/18). Chilean Presidential Election ¶4. In last Sunday's presidential election Sebastian Pinera obtained 44.05% of the votes, just six percent from the 50% majority needed to win. A breakdown shows that while Pinera obtained a majority vote in 75 of the 345 communities nationwide, Frei obtained the majority in 7 (Conservative, influential El Mercurio, 12/18). Copenhagen ¶5. Headline: "United States and China make gestures that bring back hope of an agreement on climate change" Subheadline: Washington offers US$100 billion assistance fund for emerging countries and Beijing says it will allow an investigation of its emissions. ¶6. At the Copenhagen climate change summit, Minister of the Environment Ana Lya Uriarte expressed Chile's commitment to lower gas emissions 20% by 2020. "We are willing to contribute to a global mitigation effort... largely financed with our own resources," said Uriarte (El Mercurio, 12/18). ¶7. Headline: "Failure foreseen in Copenahagen due to U.S.-China dispute - U.S. Secretary of State Clinton commits US$ 100 billion for fund (Conservative, independent La Tercera, 12/19). ¶8. "If the mechanisms of limited development, barter (forests for CO2),and of a ceiling for emissions are implemented, Chile and many other countries will be receiving considerable resources, and most importantly, will be able to keep the wealth of their native forests intact (Raul Sohr, government-owned La Nacion, 12/18). SIMONS