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TAGS: ECON KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT: Media Report January 5
Leading Story
1. In an attempt to reach an agreement with the mining
workers on strike, Chile's state-owned copper mine authorities
increased its initial offer by improving its wage and benefit
proposal.
Former President Frei's Death
2. The two physicians who are facing homicide charges in
the death of former President Eduardo Frei Montalva turned
themselves in yesterday as a result of the Supreme Court's vote
against their appeals. The Court's ruling, which confirmed the
indictment of doctors Patricio Silva and Pedro de Valdivia, opens
the next stage in the Frei case: determining whether President
Frei Montalva was in fact poisoned; who is responsible; and the
modus operandi of the six individuals charged by Judge Alejandro
Madrid. (Conservative, newspaper-of-record El Mercurio 1/5)
U.S. Cultural Ambassadors
3. American dance company Step Afrika will perform in
Chile, January 6-12, as part of the activities planned in the
Teatro a Mil Festival. The U.S. Embassy-sponsored troupe will
debut in Chile under the rhythm of their drums and bodies, and
traces of South African gumboot and Zulu dances. (El Mercurio 1/5)
Air Security
4. As of yesterday, all air passengers bound to the
United States, and who are citizens of the 14 countries listed as
"sponsors of terrorism," will have to face exhaustive controls
-both of their luggage and bodies-in all airports around the world,
reported TSA authorities. (Conservative, independent La Tercera
1/5)
5. In their determination to strengthen air security,
U.S. Transportation authorities began to closely examine
international passengers. In spite of criticisms raised by civil
rights advocates, searches include the use of scanners with the
capability of "undressing" individuals. (El Mercurio 1/5)
Latin America
6. Opinion column by Juan Emilio Cheyre, Catholic
University of Chile's' Director of the Center for International
Studies, entitled "Successful, but Fragmented" "Last year revealed
one of the paradoxes in our region: economic progress occurs while
it continues politically fragmented. The initial goal in this
column was to provide a global vision about Latin America but it is
impossible: there is no "one" Latin America, which became
especially evident in 2009. Latin America no longer may be divided
between left and right blocks. Its political fragmentation is
based on the various visions about our globalized world; and the
differences between those who view the United States as an enemy,
while others regard it as a partner... My good wishes for the
year: to balance economic maturity and defeat political
fragmentation... We need to stop giving Chavez prominence by
valuing Lula, and taking advantage of the synergies of those
(countries) with politically different regimes but who are
successful and share common visions, such as Chile, Uruguay, Peru,
Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil, among others. We need
to play a stronger role in cooperative foreign policy and avoid
bringing forward old antagonisms." (La Tercera 1/5)
SIMONS