CHILE MEDIA REPORT -FEBRUARY 3

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000099 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 -FEBRUARY 3 Leading Stories -------------- ¶1. Dailies highlighted that Chile will host the Summit of the Progressive Governance Network in Vina del Mar in late March, and the leaders of Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Argentina, and Brazil are expected to attend. U.S.-Related News -------------- ¶2. 14-year old Marcos Rojas is an outstanding junior high school student with special interest in robotics and computers. He was awarded a U.S. Embassy scholarship that will take him to Washington, D.C. in March. Rojas will visit Microsoft and will have a guided tour of the White House, where he and other students will be greeted by President Obama and his wife (Las Ultimas Noticias, leading-circulation, popular, circ. 140,000, 3/2). Local -------------- ¶3. The annual Progressive Governance Network Summit organized by British think tank Policy Network will take place March 27-28, in Cerro Castillo in Via del Mar. Among those who have confirmed their attendance are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish government President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Presidents Cristina Fernandez and Lula da Silva, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (El Mercurio, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 3/2). ¶4. Summary of President Bachelet's busy agenda between March and May: March 8-11, Prince Charles and his spouse visit Chile March 16-20, state visit to India March 27-28, Summit of Progressive Governance Network April 17-19, Summit of the America in Trinidad and Tobago End of April, state visit to Russia End of April, UNASUR meeting in Via del Mar, where she will hand over her pro-tempore presidency May 14-16, Global Women's Summit in Santiago (El Mercurio, Estrategia, business and financial daily, circ. 30,000, 3/2). ¶5. ProChile, the government's agency responsible for promoting local exports, has instructed its offices abroad to monitor the impact of the international financial crisis in each country so that it can develop specific strategies. One of these strategies is for local producers to ally with large retailers -- such as Wal-Mart -- to take advantage of their worldwide distribution networks (Diario Financiero, business and financial, circ. 30,000, 3/2). ¶6. The Animal and Health Inspection Service (SAG) is trying to stop the smuggling of fruit and vegetables. This illegal activity brings plagues into the country, which severely affects local production, exports, and drains local resources. In just two weeks, the police have confiscated at the border with Bolivia tons of fruits and vegetables equivalent to one-fifth of what the SAG confiscated in 2008 nationwide. Laboratory tests on products coming from Bolivia confirmed the presence of three different plagues that are not present in Chile (El Mercurio, 2/3). Venezuela -------------- ¶7. Excerpts of editorial entitled, "a Decade of Bolivarian Revolution": "Caracas has conducted over the last ten years a diplomacy that has often been the direct or indirect cause of international incidents. These include his intervention in the internal affairs of his neighbors -- the election in Peru, the FARC in Colombia, Bolivia's maritime aspirations with Chile -- ranging from aggressive confrontations ... with some of his counterparts... to an anti-American sentiment that borders on obsession and the introduction of foreign elements in the region such as Iran. For Venezuelans, the Bolivarian revolution leaves in essence a negative balance after a decade and for the regions it leaves behind a clear example of what path not to take" (La Tercera, conservative, independent, circ. 101,000, 3/2). SIMONS