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RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2188
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 1155
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UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001041
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STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV OPRC PREL PGOV SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT: CHILE MEDIA REPORT - NOVEMBER 28
Lead Stories
------------
1. At ENADE, Chile's most important annual and national business
gathering, speakers concurred that one way to reactive the economy
is by lowering taxes and making labor laws more flexible. Bachelet
announced a bailout program for the salmon industry. Ricardo Lagos
scheduled meetings with the PS and PPD political parties amid a
growing feeling that he will not run as the Concertacion's
presidential candidate.
U.S.-Related News
-----------------
2. Attorneys working with U.S. criminal attorney Michael Tiger
wanted to meet with President Bachelet to inform her of the state of
a criminal suit they filed against Henry Kissinger. Their position
is that by financing military regime intelligence operations,
Kissinger is indirectly responsible for human rights violations
committed during those years (Que Pasa, conservative news weekly,
circ. 101,000, 11/28).
3. Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
advisor Eduardo Sanhueza said that Obama's election is changing
expectations at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Poland about
the role that the United States in the fight against global warming.
He said the expectation is that the new U.S. administration will
take a leading role on this issue (El Mercurio, circ. 129,000,
11/28).
4. The election of Barack Obama was ranked as the most important
event this year in Que Pasa's ranking for 2008. The interesting
element here is that the results are based fundamentally on the
perception of what the new U.S. administration will accomplish (Que
Pasa magazine, 11/28).
5. Editorial entitled, "Efficiency of the Bailout Plans": "In the
past days the United States government has launched three bailout
plans.... The efficiency of these programs has several elements to
consider. On the one hand, they increase public expenses... and the
other 'unblock' wholesale loan markets.... But this aid only
reaches external intermediaries, and does not reach those who have
the loan, such as owners of homes and companies, who need to
renovate or renegotiate (their loans)" (El Mercurio, 11/28).
Nuclear Energy
---------------
6. British Amec-Cade, Finish Stuk, and Russian consortium CNE-Chile
won the GOC's bid to develop framework studies for the development
of nuclear energy in Chile (La Tercera, conservative, independent,
circ. 101,000, 11/27; El Mercurio, conservative, influential
newspaper-of-record, circ. 129,000, 11/28).
7. Finish Ambassador to Chile, Iivo Salmi, wrote a
letter-to-the-editor of La Tercera, stating that an article
published last week stating that Finland is promoting nuclear energy
in Chile" is wrong and intentionally misleading." The workshop to
which the article refers, said the Ambassador, "was conducted "at
the request of Chilean authorities who wanted to learn more about
Finland's energy policy and technology.... The government of
Finland does not promote nuclear energy.... Our policy is to have a
wide and diverse energy matrix," said the diplomat (La Tercera,
11/28).
Local
-----
8. President Bachelet announced a US$120 million bailout program
for the salmon industry. The plan provides funds through the
Economic Development Agency, Corfo, guaranteeing up to 60% of loans
contracted by the local producers, and includes incentives for those
who start new projects and conduct research (All dailies, 11/28).
9. The Metropolitan health authorities advised consumers not to eat
raw ham "Serrano," smoked salmon, and some kinds of meat and frozen
vegetables until it can determine the source of an outbreak of
Listeriosis, a bacteria that withstands cold temperatures and can
cause death. Ninety-one people have contracted the disease this
year, compared to just 20 in 2007. Traces of the bacteria have been
found in Brie cheese, which has been removed from the market (La
Segunda, conservative, afternoon, circ. 33,000, 11/26).
10. The Production and Trade Confederation, CPC, elected highly
respected entrepreneur Rafael Guilisasti as its new president.
Guilisasti is responsible for turning Via Concha y Toro into the
most successful winery in the country and very well known abroad.
He is a man known to have close friends across the political
spectrum and in a wide array of areas of expertise. His profile is
also different from that of his predecessors in that he holds a
history degree and in the 70s was a member of the Leftist United
Popular Action Movement, MAPU (El Mercurio, La Tercera 11/27).
11. The government and the UDI agreed that it will be necessary to
use the 2% emergency fund provided for by the Constitution to
finance the Transantiago. However, both agreed with would extend
only until March 2009, until a new formula is found to permanently
finance Santiago's transportation system (Diario Financiero,
business and financial daily, circ. 30,000, 11/28).
12. The Investigations Police, PDI, are facing another major
scandal -- the fourth in less than two months. Yesterday, its
national Chief for Crimes against Property, Trevor Oyarzun, was
charged with keeping money seized from a major theft at Santiago's
international airport this year (La Tercera, 11/28).
SIMONS