Cablegate: Media Report January 22

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R 221503Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0577
INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
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RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000076

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: Media Report January 22

Lead Story

1. A political pact settled by the two right coalition
parties RN and UDI with the Radical Social Democratic Party (PRSD)
and the Independent Regionalist Party (PRI) to distribute the
chairs of the legislative committees at the Higher and Lower
chambers triggered another crisis in the government coalition.

OAS Secretary General

2. "OAS Fine Tunes Agreement to Hold Elections on March
24." Next Tuesday, the 34 OAS accredited Ambassadors will hold
another Permanent Council meeting to determine the date to conduct
the Secretary General election. Sources confirmed that numerous
talks taken place during the past few days have set the election
for March, Wednesday 24. Allegedly, a change in Washington's stance
over the matter allowed the matter to make progress. Last week,
(Foreign Minister Mariano) Fernandez addressed the issue with WHA
Assistant Secretary Arturo Valenzuela, who after the meeting
commented that (Chile's proposal to move ahead the election) had
"merits", thus indicating a strong contrast with the U.S. initial
refusal. (Conservative, newspaper-of-record El Mercurio, 1/22)

Secretary Clinton-Internet Freedom Speech

3. Short article mentioning Secretary Clinton's remarks
on Internet freedom yesterday, entitled "U.S. Calls for a Network
without Restrictions" Secretary Clinton advocated for an
unrestricted Internet and called to globally condemn cyber
attackers, in an allusion to the Chinese government's censorship on
Google. (El Mercurio, 1/22)

Haiti

4. "Banks to Function this Weekend; Haiti Seaport
Reopens to Distribute Humanitarian Aid" Nine days after the
devastating earthquake, some international rescue workers are
beginning to withdraw. However, Chilean experts continue to work at
the Montana Hotel. (El Mercurio, 1/22)

5. "Increasing Fears of Infections and Epidemics
Intensify Haiti Crisis" (La Tercera, 1/22)

6. "U.N. Dramatic Acknowledgment: 'We are Overwhelmed."
While international aid continues to arrive in Haiti's capital
city, the U.N. and other countries, such as the United States and
Canada, who have sent large numbers of troops, are still unable to
coordinate the distribution. Additionally, security continues to be
a problem that increases the battered population's anguish. Sidebar
acknowledges the contributions and capabilities of the USNS
COMFORT. (Government-owned, but editorially independent La Nacion,
1/22)

7. "U.S. Blocks Haitians from Exiting by Sea and Sends
them to Guantanamo" The Haitians are desperate in their attempts to
leave their country for the United States. Although the U.S. has
deployed soldiers, rescue workers, doctors and resources, it said
that it is not willing "to admit any Haitian citizen who attempts
to illegally reach U.S. coasts," reported the State Department in a
statement distributed by the U.S. Armed Forces. But not all is bad
news. Approximately 200,000 Haitians who already were in the United
States at the time of the earthquake will be able to stay and work
for a period of 18 months. (Conservative, afternoon-daily La
Segunda, 1/22)

8. Editorial entitled "Haiti Exposed" "The tragedy has
served to expose the U.N.'s unfruitful job done in the poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere... Once the humanitarian
emergency is over, it would be absurd to reinstate the same
collaboration strategy that was in place until January 12, 2010.
The enormous cost and meager success prevents it." (El Mercurio,
1/22)
URBAN

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