CHILE MEDIA REPORT - JULY 28

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000715 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 28 Lead Story -------------- ¶1. The government has instructed the Undersecretary of Interior to travel to the Region of Araucania to review in person the actions taken by the police and local government authorities to confront the illegal land occupations and other acts of violence headed by radical indigenous Mapuche organizations (All dailies, 7/28). U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶2. Editorial: "The U.S. House of Representatives approved some days ago a draft bill to lower greenhouse gases 17% by 2020... The bill could affect several nations, including Chile, because of what is known as the 'coal print....' It would be prudent for private and public actors to start taking note of these kinds of non-tariff measures.... The bill could be the cause of some diplomatic friction" (Business and financial Diario Financiero, 7/28). ¶3. Editorial entitled, "U.S.-China alliance": "President Obama held yesterday the first strategic and economic dialogue of his administration with China.... The President's speech, his vision on cooperation among nations, and the strength of his domestic policies are paving the way for the strategy he has designed. This is a good sign for the global economy" (Business and financial daily Estrategia, 7/28). Presidential candidate Sebastian Pinera -------------- ¶4. Luis Ortiz-Quiroga, the attorney who defended presidential candidate Sebastian Pinera in 1982 in a bank fraud case, says the candidate never had the status of a fugitive. Pinera, as others facing charges in this case, "did not avoid any judicial requirement," said the attorney. Meanwhile, spokesperson Carolina Toha stated the government's position: "We believe that something as important as this must be clarified" (El Mercurio, 7/28). ¶5. Camilo Escalona (PS) spoke on behalf of "Concertacion" bloc parties. He underscored that the fraud for which Pinera faced charges involved US$240 million, "a sum that is big enough to increase the suspicion that Mr. Pinera's fortune (today) has some connection to that case," and enough to "invalidate" his candidacy "for ethical reasons" (El Mercurio, 7/28). ¶6. Several Supreme Court justices said that it is accurate to say that Sebastian Pinera was a fugitive of justice in 1982, because he took action to elude the warrant of arrest. Supreme Court (SC) Justice Milton Juica said Pinera went into hiding so that he could not be notified of the charges, which would make him a fugitive. SC Justice Jaime Rodriguez: "Mr. Pinera hid 24 days" and added, "There is no law that says that an appeal annuls a warrant of arrest." But former SC Justice Alberto Chaigneau disagrees. "When an individual does not voluntarily present himself (to be notified) he is not a fugitive. He is perhaps in contempt, but not a fugitive" (La Nacion, government-owned, 7/28). Salmon -------------- ¶7. The influential "The New York Times" published a new article on the excessive use of antibiotics in Chilean salmon. The information is based on a recent report release by Chile's Ministry of Economy stating that the local industry "used almost 350 times more antibiotics in 2008 than Norway." The report furthers the debate on health standards of the local industry, which is already under close scrutiny due to the outbreak of the Infection Salmon Anaemia (ISA) virus (La Segunda, conservative, afternoon, 7/27). Honduras -------------- ¶8. The United States ignored the request made on Sunday by ousted Honduran President Zelaya, urging Washington to "sanction" the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti. Washington told Zelaya that he should first exhaust all the alternatives proposed by Oscar Arias (La Tercera, 7/28). ¶9. Washington does not approve of the attempts made by ousted President Zeleya to return to Honduras before striking an agreement with Micheletti. Spokesperson Ian Kelly said Zelaya's attempts "do not help" resolve the crisis (La Nacion, 7/28). SIMONS