CHILE MEDIA REPORT - APRIL 6

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000326

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 - APRIL 6

Leading Stories
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1. The death of an 11-year old boy who was waiting for a heart
transplant has brought to the forefront the problems with organ
donations and transplants in Chile. The Llaima volcano has become
active again and the Region of Araucania is on red alert.

U.S.-Related News
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2. One of the guests at the dinner that Bachelet hosted for Vice
President Biden on March 28, said the U.S. official had been a very
engaging guest, "bombarding" Central Bank President Jose de Gregorio
with questions about Chile's economy and talking in detail about the
controversial bonus paid to CEOs in the United States. During
dinner, Biden talked enthusiastically about the Democratic Party
primaries and his decision to step down after Obama won the Iowa
caucus (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record,
circ. 129,000, 4/5).


3. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chilean Minister of the
Environment Ana Lya Uriarte will attend the 50th anniversary
International Antarctic Treaty ceremony in Washington. The UK's
claim over Chilean territory in Antarctica is likely to be one of
the topics of discussion (La Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ.
33,000, 4/3).


4. At the Antarctic Treaty conference, the Obama administration
will present a proposal to protect the fragile Antarctic ecosystem
by restricting the number of vessels and passengers travelling to
the cold continent (La Tercera, conservative, independent, circ.
101,000, 4/6).


5. Asked about the Russian fleet in the Caribbean and the
reactivation of the Fourth Fleet, the Chief of U.S. Naval
Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead said: "The Russian and Venezuela
navies are conducting joint exercises. If this is for positive
reasons, there is no reason to be concerned.... The exercises we
conduct in the Western Hemisphere -- UNITAS, PANAMAX...-- help those
who don't have access to medical attention and allow many navies to
practice... to ensure our systems can operate together. These are
positive and constructive activities for the hemisphere.... The
Fourth Fleet has no vessels, submarines or airplanes. It's a tool
for us to conduct these operations more efficiently" (Fuerza de
Defensa y Seguridad Magazine, February edition).


6. Chilean attorney Gonzalo Boye filed a criminal suit against six
former Bush administration officials for designing the legal
framework to sustain the Guantanamo prison. Among them are former
Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez; Vice President Cheney's advisor
David Addington, and Secretary Rumsfeld's advisor William Haynes (El
Mercurio, 4/5).


7. Column by Tamara Avetikian on the upcoming Summit of the
Americas: "The region must look for Washington to make a commitment
to counter the protectionism wave that is expected to expand
worldwide and in the United States because of the economic
crisis.... That is what must concern countries at the Summit.
However, there are indications that some leftist leaders are more
concerned with pressuring the United States into lifting the embargo
on Cuba than with ensuring open markets" (El Mercurio, 4/6)

Frei Becomes Concertacion Candidate
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8. DC Senator Eduardo Frei has become the Concertacion's official
presidential candidate after winning the coalition's primary against
Radical Party Jose Antonio Gomez by 64.61% to 35.3%. Some 60,000
people voted in this primary; Over 170,000 people voted in the 1999
primary between Ricardo Lagos and Andres Zaldivar (La Tercera, 4/6).



9. Both Eduardo Frei and opposition candidate Sebastian Pinera have
ties to the business sector. Frei held a 12% share of Sigdo
Koppers, but sold it and today has US$ 4 million in assets. Pinera
has shares in more than 30 companies, including commercial airline
Lan Chile. He founded Bancard, the largest credit card issuer in
the country, but sold it for US$ 70 million. Forbes Magazine
estimates Pinera's assets at US$ 1 billion (El Mercurio, 4/5).
G-20
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10. International affairs commentator Raul Sohr said: "What is most
important is the change in approach of the G-20.... Climate and
financial problems affect each and every one of us and everyone must
contribute to the solutions. It is too soon to talk about a new
international order, but there are signs that something changed in
the G-20" (La Nacion, government-owned, editorially independent,
circ. 4,200, 4/6).


11. Editorial: "In an unprecedented event, the world's main
economies reached a consensus on a concrete and ambitious program to
reactivate global economic activity.... The G-20 also agreed that
the key element is the urgency with which the proposals are applied"
(Estrategia, business and financial daily, circ. 30,000, 4/6).

Venezuela
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12. In Qatar, President Chavez accused Bachelet of jeopardizing
South America's unity by inviting the U.S. Vice President and
British Prime Minister to the Progressive Governance Summit.... The
international community has chosen to ignore Chavez... but this has
had its costs... forcing him to seek refuge... with countries such
as Iran, Sudan, North Korea, and Cuba.... It's time for the
international community to publicly reject Chavez' rebuffs and set
terms for his participation in the international arena, such as
demanding minimal norms of respect" (El Mercurio, 4/6).

SIMONS