CHILE: Presidential Candidate Frei Claims to Expect Victory,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 000011 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PASS TO AMCONSUL QUEBEC AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PASS TO AMCONSUL RECIFE E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/15 TAGS: PGOV PREL CI SUBJECT: CHILE: Presidential Candidate Frei Claims to Expect Victory, But Seems Downbeat CLASSIFIED BY: Paul Simons, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) Concertacion presidential candidate Eduardo Frei told Assistant Secretary Valenzuela that Chile's January 17 run-off election will be close, but he expects to win. Frei, who served as Chile's president from 1994-2000, emphasized the strength of the Concertacion network and noted that the number of null or blank votes will be very important. Frei said that Marco Enriquez-Ominami's campaign lacked the institutional structure necessary to mobilize voters. ¶2. (C) Frei lamented the state of regional affairs. He pointed to Venezuela and Argentina as countries that have regressed since he served as president in the 1990s. Argentina, he said, "destroys by day what nature has created at night." He added that Chile's future diplomatic efforts will be focused on the region, as relations with the United States, Europe, and Asia are all strong. Assistant Secretary Valenzuela agreed that relations with the United States are extremely strong and highlighted trilateral cooperation as a positive addition to the U.S-Chile relationship. ¶3. (C) Both Assistant Secretary Valenzuela and Frei agreed that Chile's major challenge is to become more competitive, emphasizing the need to invest in education and move beyond production of primary products (copper, lumber and agricultural products are Chile's principal exports). Assistant Secretary Valenzuela noted the importance of the Chile-California partnership and increased English language training. ¶4. (C) Frei inquired about USG participation in the investigation of the death of his father, former president Eduardo Frei Montalva. He asked several questions about the timing and results of tests conducted at U.S. laboratories. POLOFF provided a brief summary of U.S. involvement in the case, but it is clear that Frei continues to believe that the USG has been less than fully cooperative and has been slow to share information. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Like his presidential campaign, candidate Frei lacked energy and ideas during his meeting with Assistant Secretary Valenzuela. His comments that he expected to win seemed perfunctory. In fact, Frei appeared to be preparing himself for an electoral loss, noting that although last year people had believed that he wouldn't be a viable candidate, he had "fought a good fight." His rather brief observations about foreign policy focused on re-hashing old problems without offering solutions and reminiscing about how Latin American relations were easier in the 1990s. The one topic that truly excited his interest was his father's alleged murder. END COMMENT. ¶6. (U) The Assistant Secretary cleared this cable. SIMONS