Santiago Sept. 23 Media Report

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000902 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: Santiago Sept. 23 Media Report Lead Story -------------- ¶1. The rape of a 14-year old girl and the inability of her parents to find the morning-after pill in local pharmacies prompted the government to open an investigation. Drug stores claim they have no stock of the product, but the state Central Distribution Center says there are 14,000 doses of the pill in stock readily available (Conservative, independent La Tercera, 9/23). Secretary Clinton-Bachelet -------------- ¶2. Headline: "Hillary Clinton's praise marks the beginning of Bachelet's agenda in New York" President Bachelet's first activity in New York was to launch the Inter-American Social Protection Network. "It is always a pleasure to be with President Bachelet in any place. Chile is a clear example of what we want to achieve in social protection," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the event (Financial Diario Financiero, 9/23). ¶3. Headline: "(Hillary) Clinton highlights Bachelet's social programs in New York". At the launching of the Inter-American Social Protection Network, Secretary Clinton said that Chile "is a clear example of what we want to achieve in social programs." Later, at the annual event of the Clinton Global Initiative, Bill Clinton praised Chile's policies in the face of the global crisis (La Tercera, 9/23). ¶4. In the morning, before President Bachelet met with Bill Clinton yesterday, Secretary Hillary Clinton praised the Chilean president. "President Bachelet's leadership on social and economic development has helped make Chile an example of how democracy can provide sustainable and important benefits," said Secretary Clinton at the launching of the Inter-American Social Network (Government-owned La Nacion, 9/23). ¶5. Secretary Hillary Clinton praised Bachelet: "Elections don't make a democracy.... Leaders must ensure that democracy is honored," said the Secretary (El Mercurio, 9/23). ¶6. President Bachelet invited Chile's Communist Party Secretary General Guillermo Teillier to join her delegation to the U.N. General Assembly. Yesterday Teillier admitted this was the first time he had visited the United States (La Tercera, 9/23). Honduras -------------- ¶7. The Micheletti government evicted the demonstrators that had gathered outside the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa after Zelaya sought refuge on Monday. The embassy's water and electricity were shut off as soldiers were posted on the roofs of the surrounding the diplomatic mission. Micheletti then said he would "respect the embassy" if Brazil turned in Zelaya or gave him asylum in Brazil. President Lula da Silva responded saying that he would not tolerate an attack on the embassy and asked for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Following that, Micheletti said he would respect the embassy and that Zelaya could stay "ten years if he wanted," in the embassy, but added that "Zelaya would never be president again." At the same time, the Micheletti government issued a statement saying that it was willing to talk to Zelaya "if and when he explicitly agreed to the November 29 election." Rafael Alegria, a close Zelaya advisor, told this daily that the embassy is "being threatened and surrounded by soldiers with their M16s in a kind of blackmail." Zelaya explained that he had asked Brazil "for protection and not for political asylum. We have asked to negotiate and were met with repression" (La Tercera 9/23). ¶8. In private, the Obama administration believes that Zelaya's return to Honduras introduces an element of internal pressure that could contribute to resolve the crisis in Honduras. Washington is alleviated, because Latin American governments were asking the United States to take a more active role in helping Zelaya return to his country. For now the United States has coordinated its stance with the OAS in the sense that it will not recognize the winner of the November 29 election as long as Zelaya is not allowed to return to office (Alvaro Vargas Llosa article, La Tercera, 9/23). ¶9. OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said the San Jose agreement is "a balanced and unifying proposal" that should be the basis to resolve the situation in Honduras. Insulza also considers Zelaya's return "positive" (El Mercurio, 9/23). Local Politics -------------- ¶10. Senator Alejandro Navarro withdrew from the presidential race and gave his endorsement to Marco Enriquez-Ominami (El Mercurio, 9/23). Salitre -------------- ¶11. Air Force Commander-in-Chief Ricardo Ortega notified the Chamber of Deputies of the "Salitre" exercise to take place in Antofagasta from October 18-31, that will include the participation of U.S., French, Brazilian, and Argentine aircraft (La Tercera, 9/23) URBAN