Chile Run Off Election

With just 3 days before Sunday run off election, between right-wing billionaire presidential candidate Sebastián Piñera, and Centre-left ruling Concertación coalition Senator and former President Eduardo Frei, President Michelle Bachelet said today in a interview on Radio Cooperativa, she will be voting for Eduardo Frei.

Bachelet said her option, although clear from the outset it is reasoned on the fact Frei was able to separate business from public life when he entered politics 20 years ago, by divesting all of his business interest. Something that business mogul Piñera has not done. Bachelet said, Piñera has yet to divest of his businesses, has not sold of or set a blind trust for his multiple stakes in Chile's flag airline carrier, LAN, private hospitals, private television channel CHV among other of Piñera´s multiple business interests.

Is Chile Moving to the Right in Dec 13 Presidential Elections

Chile's National Elections, may yield for the first time since 1958 a President from the right-wing. Billionaire businessman, Sebastian Piñera is riding high on the polls. It seems that he will end 20 years of centre-left Concertación coalition Presidents. The Concertación coalition has ruled Chile successfully since the country's return to democracy in 1990. It appears that Michelle Bachelet and her extremely successful government will not be able to pass the torch to Concertación candidate Senator, and former President, Eduardo Frei.

This from France 24, Focus program, Jessica Le Masurier is the hosts, guests are Kevin Cas-Zamora, Latin America specialist at the Brookings Institute, and myself.

Progressive Governance Summit

A view of the Progressive Governance Summit, that took place in Viña del Mar, Chile. The Summit was hosted by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. In attendance were the UK Prime Minister Gorodon Brown, Spain President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Brazil's President Lula da Silva, the President of Argentina Cristina Fernandez, Denmark's Primer Minister Jens Stoltember and US Vice President Joe Biden.

Here is part of my experience at the Summit:

Bachelet in Cuba, Mapuche seeks asylum

Welcome to my first video blog outlining the current news from Chile. For this Thursday February 12, 2009, here are the main items: Bachelet in Cuba; 11 year-old Mapuche girl seeks asylum.

Supreme Mess

The Michelle Bachelet administration got it self into a difficult bind; this after its candidate to occupy a seat in Chile's Supreme Court did not receive sufficient votes in the Senate. Santiago Appeals' Court Judge Alfredo Pfeiffer, a conservative judge, was nominated by the ruling centre-left Concertacion coalition, after a deal was struck with the right-wing opposition to get the ruling coalition's own candidate, Justice Harold Brito, appointed to the occupy one of two vacant spot in the country's Supreme Court.

Judge Pfeiffer, in his entire career as a judge, has upheld the Pinochet dictatorship era Amnesty Law. A law that pardons human rights violators. Pfeiffer has never prosecuted human rights violators, he always has applied the Amnesty Law. Pfeiffer has defied a Supreme Court edict that sets aside the Amnesty Law, which ensures the prosecution of human rights violators. Pfeiffer has closed human rights cases even in some cases without holding an investigation in cases of disappearances of Pinochet era political opponents.

Judge Pfeiffer's reasons for defying the Supreme Court in human rights cases, is that he believes the Amnesty Law is valid, in the books and that it has not been repealed. But the Supreme Court ruled that Law should be set set aside in human rights violation cases.

He also argues that International Law and legal treaties Chile has signed do not have legal binding value in national law, Pfeiffer argues national law trumps international justice.

But what really sets Pfeiffer apart, is an interview he gave in the early 1990's with the conservative daily El Mercurio. He told veteran reporter Raquel Correa, that he did not believe movies that depicted the Jewish holocaust at the hands of Nazi Germany. Pfeiffer the son of a German immigrant to Chile, told Correa the Holocaust was not as bad as depicted in movies.

This is the judge the Bachelet government wanted promoted to the country's Supreme Court. This after the Bachelet government struck that deal with the right-wing opposition. With the agreement the Bachelet administration managed to get the respected judge Haroldo Brito, who has made an impressive career investigating and prosecuting human rights violators, to the Supreme Court in exchange for the second seat to be allocated to Judge Pfeiffer.

It is surprising that the Socialist Bachelet, her centre-left ruling coalition many like Bachelet victims of human rights violations, hitched their reputation on a holocaust apologist and who is dismissive of human rights violations in Chile.

It is also surprising for the right-wing opposition to be angry, they called the Senate rejection of Pfeiffer a betrayal. It is surprising how political deal making becomes an act of political betrayal. Also it is surprising how little attention was given to Pfeiffer's legal views on human rights, international law, and particularly to Pfeiffer's egregious holocaust apologizing.

Truckers Shut Down Chile

Friday morning truck owners ended their four day indefinite strike after reaching an agreement with the Government following all night negotiations. Truck owners demanded the Government do something with the high price of diesel needed to power their rigs. The Government agreed to subsidize up to 80% of the diesel tax collected each time a truck fills up at the pump.



The strike was called for Tuesday dawn, but some truckers jumped the gun Monday partially shutting down the main highway that links Santiago with major ports in central Chile.

Truckers are not the only group feeling the pinch of high oil prices, the rising cost of fuel is causing damage to the economy overall. The country is showing slower economic growth and higher inflation.

Also the cost of electricity has increased dramatically due to the dwindling supplies of natural gas from Argentina used to generate electricity in combine cycle plants. So the generating plants use diesel to power up their electrical generating stations.

In response to the high price of fuels, President Michelle Bachelet announced Monday a series of measures aimed at reducing fuel prices at the pump and energy generation. She announced her Government is investing one billion dollars to the oil stabilization fund, this significant deposit means that when it begins operating will allow for gas, diesel and kerosene prices to be lowered at the gas pump some 50 pesos per litre (10 US cents).

But the truck owners association called the measures a band-aid solution. Truckers who pay on average $1.35 US for one litre of diesel, say the measure is not enough.

Juan Araya, the President of the truckers' association, told the press that the stabilization fund makes him think the government is not listening. He says the billion dollars is important to all Chileans because it will have an impact. "But in our case is a partial solution."

Despite the billion dollar announcement the strike was on. Truckers partially shut down highways all over Chile, and prevented delivery of gasoline to gas stations and of food staples to supermarkets. In some smaller centres, gasoline run out and in supermarket shelves food products began to scarce.

With the spectre of shortages the Government Thursday, called truckers to the sit down to negotiate. The Government caved in to truckers' demands. Truck operators now can write down 80% of the diesel tax they pay at the pump for one year. They had demanded a 100% write off of the diesel tax, but agreed to 80% after the Government moved up from a 50% write down.

Now a truckers' strike in Chile brings back bad memories, because a massive two-month long truckers strike in 1972 and a year later another major strike in part paved the way for the 1973 military coup.

Constitutional Court Bans Emergency Contraceptive

In a decision that angered the Government, the Constitutional Court in a 5 to 4 vote declared unconstitutional the public distribution of the emergency contraceptive "morning after pill." The ruling comes after a group of 36 conservative right-wing members of the Lower House of Congress petitioned the Constitutional Court arguing the pill causes abortion.



The decision though awaited, it angered President Michelle Bachelet, women and pro-choice groups who demonstrated in anger Friday and the days before the release of the ruling.

The Constitutional Court ruled the emergency contraceptive "may cause an abortion" and that point of uncertainty the majority found it contravenes the right to life provision in the Chilean Constitution which enshrines life begins at the point of conception.

The claimants also wanted declare unconstitutional a series of birth control pills and IUDs claiming they also cause spontaneous abortion by denying conception from taking place. The Constitutional Court rejected these claims.

President Bachelet told reporters the ruling tears down the principle of equality in society because it creates inequality in women´s rights to control their reproductive life. Bachelet says the decision allows for the emergency contraceptive to be sold in pharmacies, but the public health system cannot freely distribute the emergency contraceptive to women who needed it.

The majority opinion in the country is to condemn the Constitutional Court ruling, the Minister of Health, Soledad Barria, says the risk for clandestine abortion is greater and a throw back to back alley abortions. The same opinion was given by reproductive medicine expertes.

Pro-choice groups and supporting politicians demanded the resignation of two Court members who did not declare a conflict of interest on a previous legal opinion written a couple of years back and the second of strict religious beliefs.

Raul Bertelsen a few years back in private practise wrote a legal opinion describing the emergency contraceptive abortive. Meanwhile, Mario Fernandez says he takes into account on issues of moral values the opinion of his Catholic Church Bishop before any other view.

Women and pro-choice organizations are calling on the Government to seek alternative options to distribute the emergency contraceptive, including selling the pill to low income women at a reduced cost.

The pill sells on pharmacies at about $7 thousand pesos, some 14 dollars. The minimum wage in Chile is about 300 dollars a month placing the emergency contraceptive outside the ability of low income Chileans to acquire the pill; explaining Government anger and initial decision to freely distribute the medication within the public health system.

Bachelet Approval Raise

The approval rating of President Michelle Bachelet rose for the first time since the implementation of the flawed Santiago public transit system, in February 2007, the polling firm Adimark found in its monthly poll.

Bachelet´s approval raiting rose to 46.4%. Adimark, a right wing polling firm tied to the far right UDI party, found the President´s personal rating rose considerably. Adimark found 76.4% of the public has feelings of endearment with Bachelet; the President also increased its leadership rating to 54.1%; and her credibility also rose to 62.1%.

The Government took the poll numbers in stride, Francisco Vidal, the Government spokesperson called the March poll numbers "good news."

According to the UDI party "Bachelet´s likeness with the public" was the cause of the increase in the poll numbers.

The poll unearthed a disturbing trend with the increase of the perception of corruption to 69.1% within the public. The poll says the public feels the Government is not working hard enough to stamp out corruption.

Government spokesperson Vidal reacted to that number saying the country is decent, but says the perception increased because of the a disturbing public trend to "accuse, judge and dismiss government officials and business leaders."

The poll interviewed 1,028 men and women located in the 17 largest urban areas, with a margin of error of +/- 3%.

The Femicide of the President

The election of President Michelle Bachelet in 2006 ushered in a new era in the conduct of politics. In a highly centralized, strongly presidential country used to authoritarian presidents, Bachelet has altered the way politics is conducted, giving rise to major conflicts and to a perceived lack of political leadership from the Executive Branch. 

The issue is compounded by Bachelet’s agenda placing a premium on a stronger social safety net. Major related reforms are being reviewed by several commissions that have been asked to produce policy reports that can become bills for legislation. In Congress, the opposition harps incessantly on a perceived power vacuum and concentrates on debating issues of leadership. They argue that the country lacks a strong leader, that Bachelet is weak, and that political elites are shifting their attention on the presidential election of December 2009.

There is a clear cultural change with Bachelet at the helm. The business community is unhappy with a female President who, they charge, supports worker rights and does not uphold the law during labour strikes. The media debates the lack of leadership and politicians use similar talking points. Due to the debate, public opinion has also come to believe there is lack of leadership just because a woman is in charge. 

President Bachelet has acknowledged that perception, saying she will not change her style. She adds: if she was a man and spoke firmly, then she would be someone of authority, but if a woman does so, she is made to appear aggressive. If a male leader consults and creates commissions, then he is seen as cooperative, but a woman is seen as weak. 

Recently a leftist political commentator described the environment built against Bachelet a form of political femicide.

Chile Spurned to Action on UK Antarctic Claim

O'Higgins Antarctic Base

The London daily The Guardian last week published a story saying the United Kingdom plans to claim more than 1 million square KM (360 thousand square miles) of Antarctica's ocean floor and south Atlantic islands. The claim includes Antarctic territories claimed by Chile and Argentina. The news prompted the Chilean government to action to counter the UK's claim.

Following a cabinet meeting Monday Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley, reaffirm Chile's claim of sovereignty on land from the Antarctic Peninsula to the South Pole. Foxley says Chilean claims are protected. He says “there's an agreement signed (by all the 12 countries party to the Antarctic Treaty) in 2004 that prevents unilateral government decisions that would lead to a UN resolution on borders and seabed claims. The 1959 Antarctic treaty freezes all claims, in other words the Antarctic Treaty protects Chile's interests.”

Chile has an active Antarctic presence that includes a number of military and scientific bases. Chile is also the staging point to many Antarctic explorations, scientific missions and a growing tourist industry. In 1947, Chile opened its first Antarctic base; currently Chile has 3 permanent bases on Antarctica, and 13 semi-permanent and summer bases.

Chile’s claim of the Antarctic Peninsula that stretches from parallels 53º West to 90º West of Greenwich to the South Pole, dates from a Decree signed in 1940. The Decree covers the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland Islands, Alexander I Island, Ellsworth Land covering 1.250 square KM.

The head of Chile's Antarctic service Roque Tomas Escarpa says he was surprised by the British decision. He told local radio that he had news “the UK wanted to expand their seabed territories around the Falkland Islands, but this news catches us by surprise.”

Like in Santiago, the UK decision did not go down well in Buenos Aires. Argentina has claimed territories east of the Antarctic Peninsula as its own, after renouncing claims to the Peninsula in the 1950s. Mariano Memolli head of the Argentine Antarctic Service called the UK decision to claim the seabed that includes the South Atlantic Islands and Antarctica British “colonial attitudes.” He added that is up to the Southern Hemisphere nations to decide on Antarctica’s future.

Argentina’s claim of Antarctic territory lies west of the Peninsula 53º West to 70º West to the South Pole. In 1948, Chile and Argentina signed a treaty of mutual defence and protection of the so-called South American Antarctica territories that stretch from parallels 25º west to 90º west from Greenwich to the South Pole.

In Congress, politicians are demanding a strong Chilean response to the UK challenge, demanding larger budgets to the Antarctic Service and an increased military presence in the region. Next week a delegation from Congress will make a trek to Antarctica to reassert Chilean presence.