Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SANTIAGO255
2009-03-18 17:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Santiago
Cable title:
CHILE MEDIA REPORT - MARCH 18
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UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000255
SIPDIS
STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT: CHILE MEDIA REPORT - MARCH 18
Leading Stories
---------------
UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000255
SIPDIS
STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT: CHILE MEDIA REPORT - MARCH 18
Leading Stories
--------------
1. All dailies report on President Bachelet's trip to India and
announcements that negotiations are underway for the signature of a
Chile-India FTA. Dailies also reported on the increase in the
construction of homes in the United States, which has "injected
optimism" into global markets.
U.S.-Related News
--------------
2. Juan Carlos Ramos, sub-prefect of the Investigations Police IPR
Investigative Brigade, was asked about the recommendation made by
the International Intellectual Property Rights alliance, IIPA, to
the U.S. Trade Representative to keep Chile on the Priority Watch
List. Ramos underscored the creation of the special IPR brigade,
noting the enormous effort for the Investigations Police (PDI)
despite the scarcity of human resources. Ramos believes that the
U.S. business sector is unaware of the existence of the brigade, but
said that the U.S. government is familiar with it. "We have a
strategic alliance with the U.S. Embassy," said Ramos.
"Furthermore, our officers have traveled to the United States to
train with IPR experts in different cities, sponsored by the U.S.
Department of State." He stressed that the PDI "is the only police
in the Southern Cone" that has such a brigade, which shows the
extent of the effort undertaken by Chile's police to fight piracy.
Ramos said it was "upsetting" to learn about IIPA's recommendation
given the PDI effort. He said it is important to disseminate
information about this special brigade, which is "100% dedicated to
fighting piracy," said Ramos (El Mercurio, conservative, influential
newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 3/18).
3. 12-year-old Hunter Campbell was climbing the Tupungato volcano
with his father and a guide. At 5,600 meters he became ill,
prompting the guide to call for help and carry him down to 4,300
meters. A Carabineros police helicopter took the boy to a police
medical facility where he was stabilized (Las Ultimas Noticias,
leading-circulation, popular, circ. 140,000, 3/18).
4. "Editorial entitled, Obama's Commitment":
"This week we learned that AIG... had resolved to hand its CEOs
US$165 million in bonuses, when the government had handed out more
than US$170 billion to prevent the company from collapsing....
President Obama was enraged... and instructed the Secretary of the
Treasury... to find a way to block the payment of the bonuses. The
task does not seem easy, because the bonus is in contracts....
(But) Contract obligations cannot be justified when conditions have
changed so dramatically and there is a superior national and global
good (Estrategia, business and financial daily circ 30,000, 3/18).
Local
--------------
5. Opposition UDI party has questioned the government's decision to
hold the presidential election on December 11. The UDI noted that
an eventual runoff election would have to take place in January,
which is a traditional annual vacation month, which could affect
voter turnout. The government disagrees and the Senate will address
the topic this week (Government-owned, editorially independent, La
Nacion, circ. 4,200, 3/18).
6. In a conference yesterday, Minister Secretary General to the
Presidency Jose Antonio Viera-Gallo warned that the inclination of
wealthy nations to resort to protectionism to confront the economic
crisis is not the correct response. "Even President Obama included
in the phrase, 'buy American' in his program. If that practice were
to multiply, it would generate a serious problem that would only
further complicate the crisis," said Viera-Gallo (La Nacion, 3/18).
SIMONS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV ECON PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT: CHILE MEDIA REPORT - MARCH 18
Leading Stories
--------------
1. All dailies report on President Bachelet's trip to India and
announcements that negotiations are underway for the signature of a
Chile-India FTA. Dailies also reported on the increase in the
construction of homes in the United States, which has "injected
optimism" into global markets.
U.S.-Related News
--------------
2. Juan Carlos Ramos, sub-prefect of the Investigations Police IPR
Investigative Brigade, was asked about the recommendation made by
the International Intellectual Property Rights alliance, IIPA, to
the U.S. Trade Representative to keep Chile on the Priority Watch
List. Ramos underscored the creation of the special IPR brigade,
noting the enormous effort for the Investigations Police (PDI)
despite the scarcity of human resources. Ramos believes that the
U.S. business sector is unaware of the existence of the brigade, but
said that the U.S. government is familiar with it. "We have a
strategic alliance with the U.S. Embassy," said Ramos.
"Furthermore, our officers have traveled to the United States to
train with IPR experts in different cities, sponsored by the U.S.
Department of State." He stressed that the PDI "is the only police
in the Southern Cone" that has such a brigade, which shows the
extent of the effort undertaken by Chile's police to fight piracy.
Ramos said it was "upsetting" to learn about IIPA's recommendation
given the PDI effort. He said it is important to disseminate
information about this special brigade, which is "100% dedicated to
fighting piracy," said Ramos (El Mercurio, conservative, influential
newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 3/18).
3. 12-year-old Hunter Campbell was climbing the Tupungato volcano
with his father and a guide. At 5,600 meters he became ill,
prompting the guide to call for help and carry him down to 4,300
meters. A Carabineros police helicopter took the boy to a police
medical facility where he was stabilized (Las Ultimas Noticias,
leading-circulation, popular, circ. 140,000, 3/18).
4. "Editorial entitled, Obama's Commitment":
"This week we learned that AIG... had resolved to hand its CEOs
US$165 million in bonuses, when the government had handed out more
than US$170 billion to prevent the company from collapsing....
President Obama was enraged... and instructed the Secretary of the
Treasury... to find a way to block the payment of the bonuses. The
task does not seem easy, because the bonus is in contracts....
(But) Contract obligations cannot be justified when conditions have
changed so dramatically and there is a superior national and global
good (Estrategia, business and financial daily circ 30,000, 3/18).
Local
--------------
5. Opposition UDI party has questioned the government's decision to
hold the presidential election on December 11. The UDI noted that
an eventual runoff election would have to take place in January,
which is a traditional annual vacation month, which could affect
voter turnout. The government disagrees and the Senate will address
the topic this week (Government-owned, editorially independent, La
Nacion, circ. 4,200, 3/18).
6. In a conference yesterday, Minister Secretary General to the
Presidency Jose Antonio Viera-Gallo warned that the inclination of
wealthy nations to resort to protectionism to confront the economic
crisis is not the correct response. "Even President Obama included
in the phrase, 'buy American' in his program. If that practice were
to multiply, it would generate a serious problem that would only
further complicate the crisis," said Viera-Gallo (La Nacion, 3/18).
SIMONS