Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SANTIAGO766
2009-08-11 20:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Santiago
Cable title:
CHILE MEDIA REPORT - AUGUST 11
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UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000766
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 - AUGUST 11
Lead Story
----------
UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000766
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 - AUGUST 11
Lead Story
--------------
1. The Public Ministry contradicted remarks made by Under Secretary
of Interior Patricio Rosende who said that the radical indigenous
Mapuche organizations Coordinadora Arauco Malleco (CAM) was no
longer operative now that its leaders were in prison (El Mercurio,
conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, 8/11).
UNASUR
--------------
2. At the end of the ceremony where Bachelet handed Unasur's pro
tempore presidency to Rafael Correa, President Hugo Chavez spoke.
He questioned U.S. military presence in the region, saying that it
was his "moral obligation to warn that winds of war are blowing in
the region" and convoked a summit of presidents. His intervention
triggered remarks from all other presidents, except Bachelet.
Rafael Correa criticized the position taken by countries such as
Chile, stating that the Colombia-U.S agreement "is not a problem of
one country's sovereignty. Let us not fool ourselves." Lula toned
down the discussion by proposing a Unasur meeting with President
Obama to discuss "our disapproval" over U.S. military presence (El
Mercurio, 8/11).
3. Unasur leaders agreed to hold a meeting of presidents in Buenos
Aires, which Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said President
Alvaro Uribe should attend. Colombian government sources labeled
Unasur's final statement "positive," because it did not include any
reference to Bogota's agreement with the United States (El Mercurio,
8/11).
4. Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos said that with Ecuador
as head of Unasur, the organization could "die," because Rafael
Correa could use it for his own political needs or for those of his
ideological allies, namely Chavez. Yesterday, Lula da Silva showed
his first cards on this matter and said, "We will have to agree on
Unasur's future. If not, we will be building a clubhouse of friends
surrounded by enemies rather than an organization to promote
integration" (El Mercurio, 8/11).
5. The Unasur ceremony was going smoothly for the Chilean
delegation, because the final statement did not mention the presence
of U.S. troops in Colombia. But then Chavez spoke. He said
Colombia's agreement with the U.S. to use military bases "could
become a tragedy" and called for a meeting of presidents to discuss
the issue. Lula then requested a meeting of Unasur with Barack Obama
"to discuss relations with Washington." By then the faces of the
Chilean delegates had changed, because Chavez' call for a meeting of
presidents, which was immediately endorsed by Rafael Correa,
undermined its proposal for a ministerial meeting. Chavez had once
again succeeded in imposing his agenda (La Tercera, conservative,
independent, 8/11).
6. The heads of state a Unasur set aside a special meeting of
defense and foreign affairs ministers to discuss the U.S-Colombia
talks in Quito on August 24 and another of heads of states in Buenos
Aires. Lula da Silva called for a "thorough debate" on relations
with Washington, admitting that "the concern generated by this issue
upsets me" (La Nacion, 8/11).
U.S.-Related News
--------------
7. Papa Joe's, the third largest pizza chain in the United States,
is looking for local investors to operate its franchise (La Tercera,
8/11).
8. Last week U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke attended a
breakfast at the residence of Chile's ambassador to the U.S., Jose
Goni, to promote the participation of countries in the
Competitiveness Forum for the Americas that will be held in Santiago
September 28-29 (El Mercurio, 8/11).
Honduras
--------------
9. President Obama labeled demands for stronger U.S. intervention
in Honduras a "hypocrisy." In a press conference in Guadalajara,
Obama said, "If these critics think that it's appropriate for us to
suddenly act in ways that in every other context they consider
inappropriate, then I think that maybe there's some hypocrisy n
their approach to U.S.-Latin America relations" (La Tercera, 8/11).
SIMONS
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 - AUGUST 11
Lead Story
--------------
1. The Public Ministry contradicted remarks made by Under Secretary
of Interior Patricio Rosende who said that the radical indigenous
Mapuche organizations Coordinadora Arauco Malleco (CAM) was no
longer operative now that its leaders were in prison (El Mercurio,
conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, 8/11).
UNASUR
--------------
2. At the end of the ceremony where Bachelet handed Unasur's pro
tempore presidency to Rafael Correa, President Hugo Chavez spoke.
He questioned U.S. military presence in the region, saying that it
was his "moral obligation to warn that winds of war are blowing in
the region" and convoked a summit of presidents. His intervention
triggered remarks from all other presidents, except Bachelet.
Rafael Correa criticized the position taken by countries such as
Chile, stating that the Colombia-U.S agreement "is not a problem of
one country's sovereignty. Let us not fool ourselves." Lula toned
down the discussion by proposing a Unasur meeting with President
Obama to discuss "our disapproval" over U.S. military presence (El
Mercurio, 8/11).
3. Unasur leaders agreed to hold a meeting of presidents in Buenos
Aires, which Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said President
Alvaro Uribe should attend. Colombian government sources labeled
Unasur's final statement "positive," because it did not include any
reference to Bogota's agreement with the United States (El Mercurio,
8/11).
4. Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos said that with Ecuador
as head of Unasur, the organization could "die," because Rafael
Correa could use it for his own political needs or for those of his
ideological allies, namely Chavez. Yesterday, Lula da Silva showed
his first cards on this matter and said, "We will have to agree on
Unasur's future. If not, we will be building a clubhouse of friends
surrounded by enemies rather than an organization to promote
integration" (El Mercurio, 8/11).
5. The Unasur ceremony was going smoothly for the Chilean
delegation, because the final statement did not mention the presence
of U.S. troops in Colombia. But then Chavez spoke. He said
Colombia's agreement with the U.S. to use military bases "could
become a tragedy" and called for a meeting of presidents to discuss
the issue. Lula then requested a meeting of Unasur with Barack Obama
"to discuss relations with Washington." By then the faces of the
Chilean delegates had changed, because Chavez' call for a meeting of
presidents, which was immediately endorsed by Rafael Correa,
undermined its proposal for a ministerial meeting. Chavez had once
again succeeded in imposing his agenda (La Tercera, conservative,
independent, 8/11).
6. The heads of state a Unasur set aside a special meeting of
defense and foreign affairs ministers to discuss the U.S-Colombia
talks in Quito on August 24 and another of heads of states in Buenos
Aires. Lula da Silva called for a "thorough debate" on relations
with Washington, admitting that "the concern generated by this issue
upsets me" (La Nacion, 8/11).
U.S.-Related News
--------------
7. Papa Joe's, the third largest pizza chain in the United States,
is looking for local investors to operate its franchise (La Tercera,
8/11).
8. Last week U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke attended a
breakfast at the residence of Chile's ambassador to the U.S., Jose
Goni, to promote the participation of countries in the
Competitiveness Forum for the Americas that will be held in Santiago
September 28-29 (El Mercurio, 8/11).
Honduras
--------------
9. President Obama labeled demands for stronger U.S. intervention
in Honduras a "hypocrisy." In a press conference in Guadalajara,
Obama said, "If these critics think that it's appropriate for us to
suddenly act in ways that in every other context they consider
inappropriate, then I think that maybe there's some hypocrisy n
their approach to U.S.-Latin America relations" (La Tercera, 8/11).
SIMONS