CHILE MEDIA REPORT - FEBRUARY 12

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000132

SIPDIS

STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA

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TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT: CHILE MEDIA REPORT - FEBRUARY 12

Leading Stories
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1. Dailies report that the Central Bank is likely to lower the
interest rates today. Other front-page news highlighted the U.S.
dollar exchange rate, which dropped below 600 pesos for the first
time since late last year. Dailies also ran front-page photographs
of Bachelet with Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana.

U.S.-Related News
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2. Chilean economist and UCLA professor Sebastian Edwards said the
United States should look at the banking recapitalization plan Chile
applied in the 1980s and at Mexico's economic initiatives in the
1990s to find alternative solutions to the financial crisis (La
Tercera, 2/12).


3. The mayor of Chaiten, Pedro Vasquez, met yesterday with Douglas
Tompkins. The Chilean official said Tompkins had offered his
assistance to rebuild Fandango, the area where the government wants
to relocate the community buried by last year's volcanic eruption.
Tompkins said he has no plans to buy more land in the province of
Palena and that he is focusing on Pumalin Park, which was also
affected by the eruption (El Mercurio, 2/12).

Bachelet in Cuba
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4. Bachelet's visit to Havana started with a wreath-laying ceremony
by Jose Marti's monument and the traditional photograph taken in
front of Che Guevara's picture. She then visited the Biotechnology
and Genetics Engineering Center, headed by Fidel Castro's son, to
learn about the latest research. Bachelet also met with the
Archbishop of Havana, Javier Ortega, for half an hour. Her final
event for the day was her meeting with Raul Castro, which extended
for nearly two hours. "We spoke about all issues that we considered
of interest," said the Chilean President after her meeting with the
Cuban leader and in answer to press inquiries if she had talked with
Castro about human rights on the island (All dailies, 2/12).


5. "It was a positive meeting. We discussed all those topics that
strengthen the relationship between Chile and Cuba. One of the
international objectives is how to face the global crisis so that
Latin American has just one voice," said Bachelet after meeting with
Raul Castro (La Tercera, conservative, independent, circ. 101,000,
2/12).


6. The front-page headline of the Government-owned,
editorially-independent La Nacion read: "Bachelet lifts the
embargo." As Bachelet and Raul Castro met, their respective
advisors separated into working teams to discuss foreign affairs,
trade, sports, congress, science and technology. Following this was
the signing of agreements by Chile's International Cooperation
Agency and Cuba's Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation
Ministry, and the Ministries of Agriculture on forestry and another
on biotechnology.

Chilean Congressmen in Cuba
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7. In yesterday's meeting with their Cuban congressional
counterparts, Jose Miguel Ortiz -- the only Christian Democratic
congressman in the delegation -- asked why Cuba had denied DC
Patricio Walker a visa in 2003. Ricardo Alarcon, President of
Cuba's parliament, said his country never grants visas to those who
want to meet with the dissidents, adding that it would be as if one
were asking the United States to accept the entry of individuals who
want to meet with Muslim fundamentalists. PPD Congressman Marco
Antonio Nunez inquired about the right to assembly and freedom of
expression. Alarcon responded that citizen participation in Cuba is
done through Popular Assemblies (La Tercera, 2/12).

Dissidents in Cuba
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8. Cuban dissident leaders Oswaldo Paya and Vladirir Roca
criticized Bachelet for not meeting with any dissident
organizations, underscoring that Archbishops Ortega does not
represent their views (La Tercera, 2/12).


9. "We expected greater solidarity from the President (Bachelet),"
said Vladimiro Roca (La Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ.
33,000, 2/11).


10. Oscar Espinosa, on bail for health reasons, said Bachelet was
being "inconsistent" by not meeting with the dissidents. Manuel
Cuesto, of the Arco Progresista party said, "It is not the time to
visit a country and not meet with the democrats in that country."
Vladimiro Roca of the Cuba Transition Agency said, "It's difficult
to see how Chilean democrats are renouncing being democrats so that
they can keep good relations with the government of Cuba (El
Mercurio, 2/12).


11. In Havana, Chilean Communist Party President Guillermo Teillier
said there is freedom of expression in Cuba. "I've never seen
anyone in Cuba bite their tongue," adding that there is also freedom
of assembly and that human rights are, in general, respected. "It
all depends on how you look at it," said Teillier. His remarks
infuriated Christian Democratic Party members in Chile. Former
Congressman Patricio Walker said: "This shows the double standard
of the PC, which only sees human rights violations by the right."
Party President Juan Carlos Latorre noted: "It's outrageous for
anyone to say that there is freedom of expression in Cuba. The
problem is what happens to someone after they speak." Congressman
Jorge Burgos added, "They (the PC) have always had a double standard
on this issue"' (La Segunda, 2/11).

Indigenous Affairs
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12. The Carabineros police arrested Mapuche activist Miguel Tapia
Huenculao, wanted for arson. In seizing two of his homes, they
found military gear, guns, ammunition, detonators, explosives, a
machine gun, and bullet-proof vests (La Tercera, 2/12).


13. The Intendenta of the IX Region, Nora Barrientos, criticized
the request for asylum filed in Switzerland in favor of 11-year old
Mapuche girl Relmutrya Cadin on the grounds that her family is being
persecuted. Both her parents are in prison, said Barrientos,
"because the courts of justice ruled that they violated the law.
But this does not mean the family is being persecuted" (La Tercera,
2/12).

SIMONS