Sept. 8 Santiago Media Report

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000840 SIPDIS STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL SNAR EFIN CI SUBJECT: Sept. 8 Santiago Media Report Lead Story -------------- ¶1. The rain caused three mudslides in the area of Farellones near Santiago. A woman died and her 2-year old remains missing (All dailies, 9/7). U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶2. Starting tomorrow, the capital of the Second Region, Calama, will be the center of the Desert Patrol war game, an exercise for special units from Canada, the UK, United States, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and Paraguay to test preparation and to promote mutual trust among participant armies, said the exercise coordinator, Colonel Roberto Guillard (Popular, leading-circulation Las Ultimas Noticias, 9/5). ¶3. The National Economic Prosecutors Office is organizing a conference on competitiveness on September 9. Among the guest speakers are William Kovacic, of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and Scott Hammond, of the U.S. Department of Justice (El Mercurio, 9/6). OAS/United Nations -------------- ¶4. Chile's Foreign Ministry is launching a campaign to garner support for Jose Miguel Insulza's reelection to the OAS. To this end it has organized a meeting of Caribbean Community (Caricom) members on September 21 in New York in the framework of the U.N. General Assembly (Government-owned La Nacion, 9/8). ¶5. In her visit to New York for the U.N. General Assembly on September 22, the Council for the Americas will distinguish President Bachelet for Chile's economic management in times of crisis (Conservative, independent La Tercera, 9/6). Chile-Military -------------- ¶6. Amid Peru's continuous accusations that Chile is embarked in an arms race, the Bachelet government will publish by the end of the year its third Defense Book with detailed information of Chile's military equipment, acquisitions, budget, and policies (La Tercera, 9/8). Intellectual Property -------------- ¶7. Pharmaceutical laboratory Bago has requested access to information on five pharmaceutical products. The laboratories that own these products -- Novartis, Roche, and GlaxoSmithKline - have objected, stating that this entails revealing entrepreneurial secrets and violates intellectual property rights. Bago wants access to the "specifications" that are submitted to the Public Health Institute , claiming the right to public information. Given the complexity of this case, the Transparency Council is looking to U.S. courts and other international organizations for jurisprudence (El Mercurio, 9/6). ¶8. U.S. certification company Woodmark, accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council, will conduct a pre-evaluation of Arauco-Chile's management of forestry resources as part of the certification process (La Tercera, 9/6). Mapuche Indigenous Conflict -------------- ¶9. Herman Baier, owner of an estate in the heart of the indigenous Mapuche conflict, fired at a group of approximately 15 hooded individuals that entered his land. Baier said he is tired of the continuous harassment. "These people threaten to burn everything down and then they just laugh. Of course I must react," he said Baier (El Mercurio, 9/5). ¶10. A group of armed hooded individuals burned two trucks owned by a forestry company in the Ninth Region (El Mercurio, 9/5). ¶11. The government announced an economic and social aid package for indigenous Mapuche communities. There will be bonuses for small farms, subsidies for small businesses, the creation of 1,500 jobs, and land and business development offices and projects (El Mercurio, 9/5). ¶12. Mapuche organization Coordinadora Arauco Malleco (CAM) issued a statement through the media claiming responsibility for several acts of arson in the Region of Araucania involving trucks along different roads (Government-owned, La Nacion, 9/5). Human Rights -------------- ¶13. Last week the army submitted the Defense Ministry a list of 13 army officers and petty officers who were members of the military regime's repressive organization DINA and that had been rehired. The new information is that two of these officers are active and were indicted for human rights violations. However, no sentence has been dictated (La Nacion, 9/8). SIMONS