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Breaking News from Chile

Headlines:Magallanes Region census results; Businessmen criticize; Forest fire protection agreement; Chilean tourist industry recovering; Good news, bad news.

Magallanes Region census results

According to the Chilean 2002 Population and Housing Census, 150,826 people live in Magallanes Region, a 5,3% increase in the last decade (1992/2002); 92,6% of the population is urban and 97,9% literate, the second highest in Chile. All the information in a two volumes report and CD-Rom was officially presented this week in Punta Arenas to Magallanes authorities by Mr. José Gabriel Parada, head of the Chilean National Statistics Office. The census indicates that Punta Arenas has a population of 119,496, with a majority of men, 60,616 compared to 58,880 women; Puerto Natales, the second most important location, 19116. Magallanes Region has 41,751 private homes of which 53,6% are completely owned or have been totally paid for; 17,3% have credits pending; 20,2% are rented; 5,7% and 3,2% are leased out free in different ways. Compared to 1992, the number of private homes increased 13,7%. The number of men heads of family is 30,623 and women are responsible for 12,593. As to quality of life, 26,4% of Magallanes private homes have a computer; 13% are connected to Internet and 38% cable and/or satellite television, one of the highest percentages in the country. Cellular phones jumped from 0,2% to 48,2% in 2002 while line phones from 32,3 to 64,8%; colour television from 74,6% to 92,9%; refrigerators from 70,8 to 88,2%; washing machines from 67 to 84,2%; mini components from 45,5 to 72,3%; videos from 34 to 43,8% and micro waves from 4,8% to 24,8%. The number of privately owned cars is 15,277; 6,275 small trucks, vans or jeeps; 18,309 bicycles; 987 motorcycles or mopeds; 1,706 trucks and 556 vessels either boats or sail. Other interesting data includes in plus 5 year age, 117.278 residents and 15,994 non residents. A total of 9,544 people described themselves as aborigines belonging to several different tribes particularly mapuches. In the above 15 population, 91,988 (79,9%) said they were Catholics; 9,020 evangelists (7,8%); 1,208 Jehovah Witness; 28 Jews; 1,531 Mormons; 16 Muslims; 22 Orthodox and 7,826 atheist, agnostic or non religious. Finally another interesting fact is that Magallanes Region includes the Chilean Antarctic province with 2,372 people of which 133 permanently living in the Antarctic continent.

Businessmen criticize

Magallanes Region Production and Commerce Confederation criticized the ruling coalition local government for what it described as the "poor results" shown by the 2002 Population and Housing Census. "Population increased a mere 5,3% the lowest for any region in Chile, equivalent to just 7,628 people in ten years", said Arturo Lillo General Manager of the Confederation. Mr. Lillo added that this is even less that in the previous census period 1982/1992, reflecting the lack of opportunities in Magallanes, where people keep flocking to urban areas, "meaning less people in the camp, in mines, and the overall result is the lowest growth rates for any region in the country". "I think it's urgent to review promotion and development policies for the Region, plus information on the composition of population. This will give us extremely valuable information regarding birth rate, infant mortality, the future working force, pensioners, and therefore how dynamic and confident people feel about the future", said Mr. Lillo stressing that "none of that figures in the two volumes on the Census results we were given". However Mayor Raul Hein pointed out that Magallanes has significantly advanced in the last decade, particularly in literacy (second best of Chile) plus quality of life. "Even when the population hasn't grown much, we are undeniably a community with a higher standard of living, enjoying more comfort, better services, improved education and health services, significantly higher than in 1992", underlined Mr. Hein.

Forest fire protection agreement

Chile and Argentina singed in Punta Arenas an agreement to jointly prevent and combat forest fires in border areas in the extreme south of both countries. The agreement covers most of Patagonia on sides, the Chilean regions of Aysén and Magallanes and the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. The purpose of the joint action is to help preserve renewable natural resources, particularly natural and indigenous forests in the extreme south. Argentina and Chile share common ecosystems and therefore damages caused by forest fires in one of the two countries rapidly affect and seriously, similar resources on the other side of the border. The agreement anticipates that the joint efforts will include detection, control and extinction of forest fires, "actions that can be undertaken, accordingly, by brigades from both countries". According to the Chilean National Forest Corporation it is essential that fire brigades from both countries "have immediate access to the disaster area, without major mishaps impeding the task". The document was signed this week in Punta Arenas between the Chilean Forest Corporation CEO and the Santa Cruz province president of the Provincial Agriculture Council, Mr. Enrique Rosell. One of the most damaging fires in the area occurred in 1995 in Torres del Paine park when 38,000 acres of indigenous forest were lost to fire and Argentine fire brigades were unable to collaborate because of the lack of legislation authorizing their access to Chilean territory.

Chilean tourist industry recovering

Following two consecutive negative years the Chilean tourist industry is beginning to recover pushed by European tourists according to the latest report from the National Tourist Office, Sernatur. During last January and February, the number of tourists arriving in Chile increased 2,7% over 2002. Although figures are still modest, the new influx was mostly from Europe, --France, Germany and Spain--, and Canada. In the same period American tourists increased 10,6% and Asians 16,3%. This is excellent news for Chile because until two years ago 60% of tourists came from Argentina. When the Argentine economy melted, the 2002 summer season in Chile experienced an unprecedented 17% drop in activity over 2001, according to the Chilean Tourist Association, a private institution. Argentine tourist influx to Chile last January and February dropped a further 14,4% compared to a year before.

Good news, bad news

Unemployment in Chile reached 7,9% in the December-February mobile quarter, a slight 0,3% increase over the previous mobile quarter, but 0,4% less than the same period a year ago. According to the latest report from the Chilean Statistics Institute the number of unemployed is now 473,370 while in the previous mobile quarter, its was 458,600. As far as the number of employed in the country, 5,551,220, it represents a 2,5% increase over a year ago equivalent to 133,260 new jobs. Chilean President Ricardo Lagos said he was "dissatisfied" with the latest report and promised more funds to help combat unemployment. Mr. Lagos revealed that by next May the Unemployment Insurance System will be fully operational in Chile with at least one million beneficiaries. However it was not all bad news, Chilean industrial production jumped 7,8% last February, compared to a year ago, with sales increasing 3,1%. This means that average industrial production growth during the last twelve months increased 2,9% and sales 1%. According to the Statistics Institute the most dynamic sectors were iron and steel (37%); plastic (13,5%); petroleum refining (13,2%) and the wood industry (1,9%). On the opposite extreme, textiles dropped 20,9%; skin and leather industry 15,3%; petroleum derivates 9,6% and footwear 4,6%.