CHILE MEDIA REPORT - JULY 27

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000714 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 27 Lead Story -------------- ¶1. "La Tercera" telephone survey on 800 registered voters shows that in an eventual presidential election, Sebastian Pinera would receive 30%, Eduardo Frei 25%, and Marco Enriquez-Ominami 21% Frei (La Tercera, 7/26). U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶2. Last week, former military regime Justice Minister Monica Madariaga said she had pressured a judge in 1982, to prevent Sebastian Pinera - the 2009 presidential candidate of the right - from going to prison. Pinera, whose brother was Labor and Mining Minister at the time, faced charges for fraud as CEO of a local bank. The judge in question, Luis Correa-Bulo, confirmed Madariaga's remarks and said he was told to "leave Pinera alone" (La Nacion, government-owned, 7/26). ¶3. Santiago leftist weekly "El Siglo" reports that CIA declassified files reveal that the U.S. Embassy in Santiago helped Sebastian Pinera flee the country in 1982 when he was facing charges for fraud. Embassy Minister Counselor George Jones met with Pinera's father, allegedly a CIA collaborator, to discuss how he would flee. The operation was handled directly by Ambassador James Theberge, who spoke to the Supreme Court Chief Justice to revoke a warrant of arrest against Pinera who faced charges for setting-up paper companies that receiving fraudulent loans. Daily says the author of this article was threatened by a right-wing vigilante group (La Nacion, 7/26.) ¶4. The CIA declassified files prove that the presidential candidate of the right, Sebastian Pinera, had close ties to the Pinochet regime. They also show he was very influential, because the U.S. Ambassador at the time lobbied with the Supreme Court to annul a warrant of arrest against Pinera (Atinachile.bligoo.com, 7/26). ¶5. Alvaro Vargas Llosa wrote that Republican Senator Jim DeMint has become President Obama's "main opponent" and the reason Chilean-American Arturo Valenzuela has not yet been confirmed. "This is not a personal matter with Mr. Valenzuela," said DeMint. "It's a much wider issue that has to do with the Department of State's general direction in Latin America, where U.S. policy in Honduras has at times aligned with Chavez and Castro, the most anti-democratic regimes," said DeMint (La Tercera, conservative, independent, 7/26). Honduras -------------- ¶6. "The OAS resolutions on Cuba and Honduras were auspicious, because they addressed the issues at stake: the non-exclusion from the organization for ideological reasons and zero tolerance to coup d'tats.... Without the OAS and other forums such as the Rio Group or Unasur, recent crisis such as those between Colombia and Ecuador and in Bolivia would have had a worse outcome. The new Obama team understands this very well and for that reason has reiterated its support to the OAS. In the end, it is the 'realist' alternative given the current circumstances" (Professor Boris Yopo, La Tercera, 7/27). ¶7. OAS Secretary General Insulza asked former president Ricardo Lagos to join a committee of regional leaders -- Uruguayan Julio Maria Sanguinetti and Peruvian Javier Perez de Cuellar among them - to enforce an eventual agreement between Micheletti and Zelaya (El Mercurio, El 7/26). ¶8. OAS Secretary General Inzulza said his decision not to meet with Micheletti in Tegucigalpa, "was a clear message to all those in the region who are still dreaming about an authoritarian project." Insulza said that Zelaya's attempt to return to his country "is absolutely legitimate," although "given the complex situation, it would be best for Zelaya to wait for the diplomatic efforts underway to conclude." Insulza said the OAS would review "all measures that are timely, convenient and within its reach," concluding that the de facto Honduran government will have a "very difficult time without external financing" (La Nacion, 7/26). ¶9. Editorial: "The international community miscalculated. It didn't consider the Honduran government's determination to resist international pressure or its total opposition to Zelaya's restitution.... It was unaware of how unpredictable Zelaya is, the ineptitude of his government, and his dependence on Chavez and Ortega... and underestimated the potential for bloodshed and the terrible precedent of a foreign intervention for the region.... It would be best to be pragmatic... and move the presidential election forward as much as possible so that the people of Honduras can resolve the crisis democratically without Zelaya or Micheletti in the presidency" (El Mercurio, 7/25). OAS --- ¶10. President Bachelet's trip to Paraguay was a success, because President Lugo officially stated his country's decision to support Jose Miguel Insulza's reelection to the OAS (La Tercera, 7/26). Cuba -------------- ¶11. A group of U.S. military officers and of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) met in Santiago de Cuba to plan a joint military exercise in the surroundings of Guantanamo Bay July 10-19. About 200 soldiers took part in the planning exercise intended to coordinate action in cases of natural disasters, hurricanes, medical transportation, and problems surrounding the base. Unofficial sources said the Cuban-American exercises are a long-standing agreement to maintain a minimum level of coordination with regard to Guantanamo. For American officers it falls under the principle of "shared responsibility" (La Nacion, 7/26). Health -------------- ¶12. Health authorities confirmed the presence of dengue fever serotype 4 in Easter Island. Since 2002, the island has had dengue type 1. Precautions have been taken locally to prevent the spread (La Segunda, conservative, afternoon, 7/24). SIMONS