CHILE MEDIA REPORT - JULY 21

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000682 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 - JULY 21 Leading Story -------------- ¶1. The recent murder of a youth by a teenager promoted a group of congressmen to submit a draft bill that would extend the civil responsibility of individuals 16 years or younger to their parents (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, 7/21). Honduras -------------- ¶2. The de facto government of Roberto Micheletti is feeling the pressure of the 72-hour deadline set by Oscar Arias. Department of State spokesman Philip Crowley said Secretary Clinton had informed Micheletti on the consequences of failing to accept proposals to resolve the crisis in terms of aid and relations between Honduras and the United States. Crowley said the conversation had been "very harsh." The European Union has already cancelled US$92 million worth in aid to Honduras. Official Costa Rican sources said Arias began a round of talks with the presidents in the region, including Bachelet and the United States, asking for assistance to pressure Micheletti (La Tercera, conservative, independent, 7/21). ¶3. As "pro tempore" president of the Union of South American Nations (UNSASUR) Bachelet said the international community must not accept any other solution to the crisis in Honduras other than the "reestablishment of rule of law" (La Tercera, 7/21). ¶4. OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said Micheletti's decision to remain in power "could be costly" for the people of Honduras, because "it's almost impossible to ask for calm when a dictatorship, in everyone's view, tries to stay in power" (La Segunda, afternoon daily, 7/21). Cuba -------------- ¶5. Secretary General to the Presidency Jose Antonio Viera-Gallo clarified press reports that he had invited Cuban President Raul Castro to visit Chile. Viera-Gallo said he had only had an "informal" conversation with Castro and that the Foreign Ministry is responsible for issuing official invitations (La Nacion, government-owned, editorially independent, 7/21). U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶6. Chilean Navy personnel and of the universities of Concepcion and Arturo Pratt recovered off the coast of Iquique an automated "Seaglider" submarine owned by the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences and Oregon State University, which was malfunctioning. The submarine is equipped to measure the ocean's temperature, chlorophyll and oxygen levels, and other elements related to global warming (La Tercera, 7/18). URBAN