CHILE MEDIA REPORT -- MAY 26

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000492 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 -- MAY 26 Leading Stories -------------- ¶1. A 27-year old anarchist died when an explosive device in his backpack detonated. Dailies ran extensive coverage of the incident itself, the funeral, and the investigation opened by the police on the possible ties with terrorist organizations abroad. Dailies also report that Health Authorities have confirmed 86 cases of AH1N1 nationwide. 78% of cases are individuals under 20 year of age. U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶2. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger confirmed his attendance at the Americas Competitiveness Forum in Santiago on September 27. Reportedly, the Executive Office is also making arrangements for a high-ranking Obama administration official to attend (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 5/25). ¶3. Frin The Hague, President Bachelet said Cuba should reenter the Organization of American States (OAS). "We firmly believe that the Cold War is over and that now is the time for reintegration beyond differences," she said. Bachelet also noted the steps taken by the United States toward the island. She also highlighted that the Obama administration "has created a great moment" for relations with Latin America, noting the President, Vice President Joe Biden, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "have the political will to advance relations on the American continent" (La Nacion, government-owned, editorially independent, circ, 4,200, 5/26). ¶4. U.S. Ambassador Paul Simons attended the fiftieth anniversary ceremony of National Park Torres del Paine in Magallanes, southern Chile. The Ambassador underscored "the very strong ties" of the United States with Torres del Paine and the Karukinka Park in Tierra del Fuego, adding that it would be interesting for President Obama to visit the region to see all that is being done to promote conservation. Simons also spoke to an audience of more than 150 people at Magallanes University on "The First 100 day of the Obama administration." He stressed the "very strong commitment" of the new administration with this hemisphere and in its bilateral ties with Chile (Regional daily La Prensa Austral, 5/25). ¶5. U.S. company Duda Farms announced that it will begin to import Chilean Navel oranges in June (Estrategia, business and financial daily, circ. 30,000, 5/26). ¶6. Dutch Under Secretary of Defense Jack de Vries informed his parliament of the sale of F16s to Chile, which is the first step to conclude the deal (El Mercurio, 5/26). ICC --- ¶7. Last week the Senate and the House approved the constitutional reform whereby Chile accepts the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). La Nacion (5/25) editorialized: "A country such as ours, which suffered massive and systematic human rights violations, could not continue to be outside the ICC. Congress, and especially the right, has repaired a task that had been pending for a decade" (La Nacion, 5/25). Terrorism -------------- ¶8. A 27 year-old individual died when an explosive device in his backpack detonated. He was identified as Mauricio Morales from the anarchist movement "Okupa." A security camera of a private business caught the explosion that occurred a few meters from the Prison Guard Academy and a preschool. It also confirmed the participation of another individual, which the police have already identified. The police searched the house where Morales lived with other "Okupas," and found black powder and containers with other chemicals used to build explosives. Morales was on the Public Ministry's list of suspects for the 90 bombings that have shook Santiago since 2004. Morales' funeral took place on Sunday amid heavy police surveillance of the hooded individuals attending (All dailies, 5/25-5/26). SIMONS