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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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