(U) KUDOS FOR SANTIAGO 000755 (C-AL9-01816)

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 092506

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2034
TAGS: PINR PGOV CI
SUBJECT: (U) KUDOS FOR SANTIAGO 000755 (C-AL9-01816)

REF: SANTIAGO 000755

Classified By: MICHAEL P. OWENS, ACTING DIR, INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C).


1. (C) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS WISH TO THANK EMBASSY FOR
REFTEL, WHICH PROVIDED AN EXCELLENT INTRODUCTION TO SEBASTIN
PIERA. WITH THE ELECTIONS SET FOR DECEMBER, WE ARE
INCREASINGLY INTERESTED IN THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, AND
THIS CABLE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SUMMARIZING GENERALLY
KNOWN FACTS OF PIERA,S BACKGROUND, WHILE ALSO UPDATING HIS
STORY IN VERY USEFUL WAYS. WE PARTICULARLY WELCOMED THE
FOLLOWING POINTS OF INFORMATION/ANALYSIS PROVIDED IN REFTEL.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE REPORTING IN THE
MONTHS TO COME AS THE ELECTIONS APPROACH.


A. (C) PARAGRAPH TWO RECONFIRMED PIERA'S BIRTHDATE, THE
NUMBER OF HIS SIBLINGS, HIS EXPERIENCES LIVING ABROAD WHEN HE
WAS YOUNGER DUE TO HIS FATHER'S WORK, AND HIS FAMILY'S
POLITICAL CONNECTIONS TO THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY. WE
VERY MUCH APPRECIATE CONFIRMATION OF THESE IMPORTANT FACTS,
WHICH WE ARE ABLE TO THEN USE IN FINISHED INTELLIGENCE,
PARTICULARLY IN A PAPER SCHEDULED FOR PUBLICATION LATER THIS
YEAR.


B. (C) PARAGRAPHS THREE AND FOUR CONFIRMED PIERA'S
EDUCATION AND ADDED THAT HE EARNED A PRESTIGIOUS AWARD AT THE
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN SANTIAGO, A TIDBIT THAT PROVIDED A
MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF PIERA IN HIS FORMATIVE YEARS. WE
ALSO APPRECIATED THE INDICATION THAT HIS BROTHER, JOSE,
STUDIED AT ONE OF THE SAME UNIVERSITIES SEBASTIAN ATTENDED.
THIS IS HELPFUL IN GAUGING SEBASTIAN'S RELATIONSHIP TO HIS
BROTHER, ESPECIALLY DURING THE CURRENT BANKING SCANDAL, WHICH
INVOLVES THE TWO OF THEM. WE ALSO APPRECIATED THE
BIOGRAPHICAL TIDBIT REGARDING PIERA'S WORK FIGHTING POVERTY
IN LATIN AMERICA, WHICH ADDS DEPTH TO OUR ANALYSIS OF HIS
CHARACTER.


C. (C) PARAGRAPH SIX WAS PARTICULARLY USEFUL WITH ITS
REFERENCES TO PIERA'S TIES TO THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS AND
HIS CURRENT CAMPAIGN. THESE INSIGHTS WILL ALSO ADD TEXTURE
TO OUR ANALYSES, AS WE PROVIDE BIOGRAPHIC REPORTS AHEAD OF
THE ELECTIONS.


D. (C) THE REFERENCE TO PIERA'S CURRENT POLITICAL
SITUATION IN PARAGRAPH NINE WAS VERY HELPFUL, AND ADDED TO
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HIS CAMPAIGN STRATEGY.


E. (C) PARAGRAPHS ELEVEN AND TWELVE INCLUDED AN EXCELLENT
RUN-DOWN OF PIERA'S CURRENT SCANDAL WOES AND PROVIDED
MUCH-NEEDED CONTEXT.


F. (C) WE ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THE IDENTITIES OF AND
DYNAMICS SURROUNDING PIERA'S INNER CIRCLE. PARAGRAPH
THIRTEEN HELPED EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PIERA
FAMILY'S INVOLVEMENT IN HIS CAMPAIGN.


G. (C) WE ESPECIALLY APPRECIATED THE INFORMATION PROVIDED
IN PARAGRAPHS FOURTEEN AND FIFTEEN. THESE INSIGHTS INTO
PIERA'S PERSONALITY WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO OUR
BIOGRAPHICAL WORK AND PROVIDED A MUCH-NEEDED INFUSION OF NEW
INFORMATION. NOTABLY, PIERA'S BEHAVIOR IN MEETINGS WAS
CHARACTERIZED, WHICH WAS A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE WE HAD NOT
PREVIOUSLY BEEN ABLE TO CAPTURE. COUPLED WITH CONFIRMATION
THAT PIERA IS STILL JETTING ABOUT THE COUNTRY IN HIS PRIVATE
HELICOPTER, THESE TWO PARAGRAPHS DID MUCH TO FILL IN
IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT HIS PERSONALITY AND HABITS.


H. (C) FINALLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EMBASSY FOR ITS
COMMENTS IN PARAGRAPH 16. THE READ-OUT OF THE CHILEAN
PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION OF PIERA AND OF HIS CAMPAIGN,S FORTUNES
WAS VERY USEFUL.
CLINTON