CHILE MEDIA REPORT -- JUNE 10

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000546 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 -- JUNE 10 Leading Stories -------------- ¶1. Chile has a total of 1,694 cases of AH1N1. Only 2 people have died from the virus, which is expected to reach its peak next week. While most have recovered (63%),less than 2% have needed hospitalization. Dailies report that health services are "collapsing" given the demands to address the AH1N1 outbreak, seasonal influenza, and outbreaks of an array of other viruses. U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶2. Foreign Affairs Minister Mariano Fernandez will speak at the American Chilean Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) breakfast at the Hyatt Hotel on Friday, June 12, on "Perspectives for the Bilateral Relation with the United States in the Obama era" (Diario Financiero, circ. 30,000, 6/10). Chile-Venezuela -------------- ¶3. Pressured by local entrepreneurs and congressmen, Foreign Affairs Minister Mariano Fernandez formally brought to Caracas' attention Chile's concern over delayed payments to Chilean companies and concerns over Venezuelan government interventions with two other companies (La Tercera, conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 6/10). Cuba -------------- ¶4. Alvaro Vargas Llosa article: "Fidel Castro praised President Obama as never before." In reference to the President's speech in Egypt, Castro said the biggest challenge for the new President lies in that the principles he is promoting are "contrary to what the superpower has done for almost seven decades." Castro's remarks have been interpreted as an attempt to show that Cuba is also willing to explore a change in its relationship with the United States. In Washington political circles, the view is that Obama is very popular in Cuba, and the regime would rather not antagonize him so long as he projects the image of wanting to open up U.S. relations with other countries, including Cuba (La Tercera, 6/10). Student Strikes -------------- ¶5. High school student organizations at the best academic public schools in Santiago -- Instituto Nacional, Instituto Barros Arana, and Liceo Confederacion Suiza -- are calling a nationwide student strike. They are demanding the state to fully take over and administer public education (El Mercurio, 6/10). Election Politics -------------- ¶6. Marco Enriquez-Ominami will resign on Friday to the Socialist Party to run as an independent candidate in the December presidential election (La Tercera, 6/10). SIMONS