Cablegate: Santiago Dec. 11 Media Report

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TAGS: ECON KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL SNAR EFIN CI
SUBJECT: Santiago Dec. 11 Media Report

Lead Story

1. All presidential campaigns concluded last night with
rallies in different parts of the city (All dailies, 12/11).

U.S. and Latin America

2. The United States is fully aware of the "distancing" from
Venezuela, but wants to establish a "positive" and "constructive"
dialogue with that country so that both can discuss mutual concerns
"candidly," said Assistant Secretary of State for Western
Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela. The assistant secretary also
admitted that tension between the two countries was heightened due
to the U.S.-Colombia agreement for the use of military bases. With
regard to Cuba, Valenzuela said the United States wants to see an
improved performance on the part of Cuba, but is not looking for a
"sudden change" in relations with the island. He highlighted the
measures that the White House has begun applying, revoking Bush
administration decisions, such as liberalizing trips and
remittances for Cuban-Americans and setting up a "direct" dialogue
on issues such as immigration and the eventual reestablishment of
direct mail between the two countries (Conservative, influential El
Mercurio, 12/11).

President Obama and Nobel Peace Prize

3. Headline: "Obama upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize: "My
Merits are Few.'"

Subheadlines: Obama admitted that his achievements are few and
cannot be compared to what others who have received the award have
done. He responded to the controversy over his decision to send
troops to Afghanistan by stating that "war is sometimes necessary."
He also said the United States is committed with global security
(El Mercurio, 12/11).

4. Headline: "Barack Obama justifies War in Afghanistan as he
receives the Nobel Peace Prize."

Subheadline: The U.S. president was issued the award just ten days
after announcing he would send 30,000 soldiers in to Afghanistan to
toughen the war on the Taliban (Conservative, influential La
Tercera, 12/11).

5. For the Nobel Peace Prize "war is sometimes necessary"
(Government-owned La Nacion, 12/11).

6. "Real Cute: Obama defends war as he receives the Nobel
Peace Prize" (Popular high- circulation Las Ultimas Noticias,
12/11).

U.S.-Colombia

7. The bombing of a Colombian FARC guerrilla base in Ecuador in
March 2008, which resulted in the death of guerrilla Chief Raul
Reyes, was supported by the Manta base which was then U.S.
operated, says the final report drafted by Ecuador's Truth and
Transparency Commission. The information has brought new tension
to the Ecuador-Colombia relations and between the United States and
the region. The report says that the intelligence provided by the
base in question was "fundamental for the location and surveillance
of Colombia's priority target," adding that this "exceeded" the
objective of the agreement regarding the base, which was to counter

narcotics trafficking (La Nacion, 12/11).
SIMONS

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