CHILE MEDIA REPORT - APRIL 8

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000333 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 8 Leading Stories -------------- ¶1. Opposition presidential candidate Sebastian Pinera is setting up a blind trust to administer the holdings he has in several companies. All dailies report on the 25-year sentencing of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori. U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶2. Editorial: "Obama displays his charm" "President Obama returns to the United States after a trip... that was in many ways very favorable.... Although he was unable to persuade countries such as Germany to embark on a new fiscal stimulus packages, he showed he is a skillful negotiator.... The press also noted his role in bringing closer together his Chinese and French counterparts.... In Strasburg... the U.S. President displayed all his charm by gathering a crowd of about 3,500 German and French youths to talk about the vision of his country as Europe's partner, not as a nation that imposes itself on others. The trip to... Turkey, the first as President to a Muslim country... was a landmark. There he underscored that the United States is not an enemy of Islam... and reminded his audience that he had had spent part of his childhood in a Muslim country.... The U.S. President radiates a charm that assures him good treatment by the press... and that creates instant sympathy among the masses. His charm, added to an important fact... that 'he is not George Bush'..., makes all the difference in the world's attitude toward him" (La Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ. 33,000, 4/7). ¶3. Chilean Jennifer Lizama (22)lives in Pennsylvania and was nine months pregnant. Jennifer's mother, who lives in Chile, told local police that on Monday her daughter was drugged by two individuals, who induced labor and took her baby. Interpol Chile is confirming the veracity of the information (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000; Las Ultimas Noticias, 4/8). Pinera and Poll Results -------------- ¶4. Candidate Sebastian Pinera sold his shares in the pharmacy chain, FASA, which has admitted to colluding with other chains to hike prices of pharmaceutical products (El Mercurio, 4/8). ¶5. A Universidad del Desarrollo-La Segunda poll about the presidential race showed Sebastian Pinera continued to lead Eduardo Frei, 43% to 33%. In a question about voting preferences in a runoff election, Frei increased his earlier showing by 6 percent (La Segunda, 4/7). Reforming the Electoral System -------------- ¶6. In May, the Executive Office will send to Congress a draft bill to change the binominal electoral system and increase the number of congressmen by 30 seats. The latter is the first step to allow minority political organizations, such as the Communist Party, to have representation in Congress (La Nacion, government-owned, editorially independent, circ. 4,200, 4/8). Terrorism -------------- ¶7. An explosive device detonated in the Municipality of Pudahuel at 1 am yesterday. An anonymous message on a web page claimed responsibility and made reference to Jhonny Cariqueo, a young man who died after clashes with the police on the "Day of the Young Combatant" in 2008. In addition, the Municipality of Conchali and Mall Plaza Vespucio received bomb threats (El Mercurio 4/8; La Segunda, 4/7). SIMONS