Cablegate: Santiago Nov. 5 Media Report

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SUBJECT: Santiago Nov. 5 Media Report

U.S.-Related News

1. The director of the Foreign Ministry's International
Economic Relations Bureau, Carlos Furche, will file next Tuesday
with the Chile-U.S. Free Trade Agreement Administrator a complaint
on behalf of local wood producers over the tax exemptions that U.S.
cellulose producers will start receiving in 2010. These exemptions
will replace a subsidy that expires on December 31 (Conservative,
influential El Mercurio, 11/5).

2. Former Chilean Foreign Minister and Carnegie Endowment
Senior Associate Alejandro Foxley comments on President Obama.
"Today we see more openness, more listening and more dialogue.
President Obama is making us believe that what he said every day in
his campaign is possible: That we can build a bid a better country
when one is set on reaching agreements.... The other night we saw
him receiving the bodies of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.... He
had the courage to be with their families. This gesture denotes
the tough dilemma: To continue sending thousands of youths to
Afghanistan or show a kindness that many would interpret as
weakness" (Conservative, afternoon La Segunda, 11/4).

Bombing at the Marriott

3. The bomb that detonated on Tuesday at the Marriott Hotel
in Las Condes triggered a tightening of security measures in a
dozen hotels in the same part of town. The Marriott's security
manager for Latin America arrived in Santiago today to review
security protocols. The investigation has established that the
suspect who placed the bomb was at the Marriott a week before
checking the hotel's security. The Prosecutor's Office is
reviewing the surveillance tapes for the entire week (Conservative,
independent La Tercera, 11/5).

4. An organization named after Efrain Plaza claimed
responsibility for yesterday's bombing at the Marriott. On July
1912, Efrain Plaza opened fire on a crowd injuring two young men
from wealthy families. He claimed he wanted to draw attention to
the "selfishness of the bourgeoisie." Yesterday, the organization
posted on the webpage "hommodolars contrainformacion" the following
message: "Our comrades outwitted all surveillance and controls of
the exploiters' ghetto in East Santiago and detonated a device....
As a sign of kindness that the exploiters lack ... we warned the
(hotel) desk of the explosion fifteen minutes ahead of time so that
its workers... could exit and rejoice as the Marriott blew up....
The owners of the building are solely responsible for instructing
the desk not lose a minute of its work rather than evacuating the
building, and of sending guards who earn a miserable salary to die"
(La Nacion, 11/5).

Indigenous Affairs

5. A group of leaders from an array of Mapuche communities
and workers unions from the Region of Araucania handed President
Bachelet a set of proposals to promote peace and development in the
region. The document recognizes that violence in the region is not
necessarily related to the indigenous demands (El Mercurio, 11/5).

6. The indigenous organization "Alianza Territorial," which
is formed by Mapuche chiefs of the Region of Araucania, left at the
Presidential Palace a letter for President Bachelet disavowing last
week's denouncement that the Mapuche are using children as "human
shields." The chiefs also requested the Martial Courts to appoint a
civilian judge to investigate the abuses committed by the police in
their raids of indigenous communities. "They break everything and
do whatever they want, throwing tear gas bombs, shooting rubber

bullets, and don't even show the corresponding court order," said
Chief Jorge Calfuqueo (La Nacion, 11/5).

Honduras.

7. Roberto Micheletti said he is willing to resign as head
of the national unity government, said U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda
Solis, member of the international Verification Committee in a
press conference in Honduras yesterday. But Zelaya's people are
still upset over the issue of Zelaya's reinstatement. The Foreign
Minister of the deposed president, Patricia Rodas, said that they
would not accept the agreement if Zelaya is not reinstated today.
Secretary Solis said yesterday that while the United States
believes Zelaya should be reinstated, this decision rests on the
people of Honduras. At the same press conference, Rodas said, "We
call on the United States not to make us believe that we have been
betrayed" (La Nacion, 11/5).

8. Manuel Zelaya did not like Thomas Shannon's remarks, who
said yesterday that the agreement to create a national unified
government is "separate" from the decision regarding Zelaya's
reinstatement. His remarks reveal that the United States would
recognize the November 29 election, even if Zelaya is not
reinstated. Zelaya was so upset with Shannon's remarks that he
wrote Secretary Clinton a letter demanding a clarification on
whether the United States had "changed its position on condemning
the coup in Honduras" (La Segunda, 11/4).

9. In response to Zelaya's letter, Department of State
spokesperson Ian Kelly said that Washington would hope for Zelaya's
reinstatement, but underscored that from here on the solution to
the crisis rests in the people of Honduras (El Mercurio, 11/5).
SIMONS

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