CHILE MEDIA REPORT - JANUARY 10-12

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000034 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 - JANUARY 10-12 Leading Stories -------------- ¶1. Chilean dailies highlighted the detection of a new corruption network operating within Chilean courts; information identifying 10 Chileans with FARC ties provided by Colombia; and the Paris-Dakar automobile rally that is taking place in Argentina and Chile this year. U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶2. Article summarizes the events of the past four weeks regarding OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza's final decision not to run for the presidency of Chile. The piece noted, "the eventual succession of the OAS Secretary General is a matter of U.S. concern.... On December 23, Thomas Shannon, responsible for State Department's Western Hemispheric Affairs said that the 'General Secretariat is a full-time position.' Earlier, U.S. Ambassador to the OAS Hector Morales told Insulza that Shannon's remarks were not a criticism; on the contrary, he assured him that the U.S. views his remaining (in office) as positive. At the same time, U.S. Ambassador to Chile Paul Simons met individuals of Insulza's inner circle and transmitted the same message" (La Tercera, conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 1/11). ¶3. The Bush Administration does not view Jose Miguel Insulza's performance at the OAS with good eyes. Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for WHA Roger Noriega said, "the impression within diplomatic circles is that his political ambitions prevented him from carrying out an effective job when the time came for responding to a crisis in the Hemisphere...." Bush's men said what explains the annoyance of the U.S. diplomacy's most conservative sector was Insulza's "tolerance" towards the Venezuelan and Bolivian governments.... Otto Reich, Assistant Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs from 2002 to 2003 and advisor to John McCain during his campaign, also has a negative opinion about the Chilean: "If I had to grade him on an A to F scale, I would give him a C," he noted (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 1/11). ¶4. Opinion column by Chile's Ambassador to the U.S. Mariano Fernandez, entitled "Obama and Latin America" "It is certain that, initially, Obama's Administration will focus on two main issues: domestic matters and the conflict in the Middle East.... In terms of priority, Latin America is ranked below major issues, which will be the measure of success or failure of the new U.S. democratic management...." (El Mercurio, 1/11). ¶5. Felipe Ibanez, President of Chilean supermarket chain D&S, clarified that the store will not sell Cuban products. Wal-Mart recently launched a public offer to purchase the Chilean supermarket chain. "Should (Wal-Mart's) purchase turn out successful, the signed contracts have marketing clauses over certain products that affect all U.S. companies and their foreign affiliates," noted Ibanez. "Such restrictions do not affect Venezuelan products," he said (El Mercurio, 1/10). Local -------------- ¶6. Adolfo Zaldivar, President of the Independent Regionalists Party (PRI),announced he will run for the Chilean presidency. Zaldivar was expelled by the Christian Democratic Party in March 2008 after voting against a bill on the budget for the Santiago public transportation system. In May 2008 he was joined by other DC legislators and was elected as the PRI leader (El Mercurio 1/11). ¶7. Socialist Party Deputy Marco Enriquez-Ominami announced he will run in the presidential primaries of the Concertacion (El Mercurio, 1/10). Chile and Other Countries -------------- ¶8. Although Chilean President Michelle Bachelet dismissed meeting with Cuban dissidents during her upcoming visit to Cuba, it was announced that her program will include a conference with Havana Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Ortega. Unidentified sources at Chile's Foreign Ministry reported that the meeting was requested by Chile with a two-fold purpose: to both indulge Castro's opposition and the Chilean Christian Democratic (DC) Party (La Tercera, 1/10). The DC characterized Bachelet's upcoming meeting with Cuban Archbishop as unsatisfactory in terms of meeting its demands (La Tercera, 1/11). ¶9. In addition to the DC's pressure on President Bachelet to meet with dissidents in Cuba, the UDI Party plans to urge her to ask the Cuban government about Chilean terrorists from the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR) who fled the country in 1996 while serving sentences at a Chilean High Security Prison. In a press interview with La Tercera this weekend, Former Minister of the Interior Carlos Figueroa revealed that at the time he had asked the Cuban government not to allow their return to Chile to prevent them from committing further subversive activities. UDI Deputy Marcelo Forni said his party wishes to know whether Cuba has provided sanctuary to people who are linked to terrorist crimes in Chile (La Tercera 1/12). ¶10. Colombia's Prosecutor's Office submitted some weeks ago to the Chilean Public Ministry information regarding the alleged FARC ties of at least 10 Chileans. Sources linked to the case noted that the information sent by Colombia is similar to that provided last August by RN Senator Alberto Espina (La Tercera 1/12). Editorials -------------- ¶11. Opinion piece by international pundit Raul Sohr: "Gaza, An Asymmetrical War" "Beyond local asymmetries, there is a larger conflict underlying the combats. To paraphrase Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Sallai Medidor, 'what you see in Gaza is the result of Iran. The terrorists were trained in Iran, they receive Iranian supplies, and technology to build short-range rockets is Iranian....' Teheran's specter and its alleged construction of a nuclear weapon worsen the conflicts in the region.... The conflict in Gaza doesn't have a solution in the short-term.... The solution is definitely political. And everybody knows that the winner is usually not the one imposing itself on the tragic death statistics. In the long-term, victory belongs to those who have legitimacy on their side (La Nacion, government-owned, editorially independent, circ. 4,200, 1/11). ¶12. International news round-up editorial, "Europe and the War on Gas" "Russia's trustworthiness as a gas supplier for Europeans is under discussion, as well as its politically handling of energy resources.... Moscow not only seeks a legitimate good deal, but it is also placing pressure on Kiev to desist from its candidacy to gain access to European organizations...." (El Mercurio, 1/12). SIMONS