MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Regional News.

Magallanes Major removed; Joint Chilean-British missile; Buenos Aires received 47 cruise vessels.

Magallanes Major removed

Magallanes Mayor Raúl Hein together with four other Regional mayors was removed by Chilean president Ricardo Lagos. The decision was described as a continuation of the Lagos administration cabinet reshuffle of early March in coincidence with the mid term of his six year presidential mandate. Mr. Raúl Hein who was under severe criticism from the local community for his management of the Region's finances and economic prospects will be replaced by Mr. Jaime Jelincic. Mr. Hein belongs to Mr. Lagos' Socialist Party and Mr. Jelincic to one of the junior members of the ruling coalition. Mr. Hein came under heavy flak because of the ongoing budget deficit of the Region and the delay in paying local contractors and suppliers, plus his poor political achievements regarding a frustrated expansion of promotion funds from the central government for remote areas of Chile such as Magallanes. A spokesman from Government House in Santiago discarded any further major changes and said it was the Lagos administration intention that the current officials address, - successfully-, the coming 2004 municipal elections and presidential elections in 2005. Chile's ruling coalition credibility, in spite of President Lagos popular support, has been seriously eroded in the last twelve months following several financial scandals involving members of Congress and former officials of the Public Works Ministry, who in exchange for favours received money supposedly to help finance political campaigns. However the extent of the network, in time and magnitude, of favours and monetary retributions has led the prosecution to include President Lagos name in the case since he was Minister of Public Works during several years of the previous Eduardo Frei administration.

Joint Chilean-British missile

The joint Chilean-British project to develop a surface to surface missile for the Chilean Army continues to advance, "although so far it has not proved profitable". General Indalicio Gallardo, Director of Chile's Army Military Manufacturing and Supplies Department denied that the project which was started fifteen years ago under General Augusto Pinochet had been cancelled as was published this week in the Santiago press. "Although it's true that the Chilean Army has not considered acquiring the Rayo missile system in the short term, it has not been discarded and according to the service's priorities and modernization process it could eventually be incorporated", admitted General Gallardo. General Gallardo said that the Chilean Army had invested 50 million US dollars in the project and confessed he didn't know "if the issue had been brought up during the Chilean Army Commander General Juan Emilio Cheyre recent visit to Britain". However General Gallardo insisted that even when from a commercial point of view the artillery missile project so far has not been profitable since no country has shown an interest, from a "technological transfer" angle it "has proved absolutely profitable". The Rayo short range surface to surface missile has been jointly developed with the Royal Ordnance.

Buenos Aires received 47 cruise vessels

A total of 47 cruise vessels with 69,253 tourists visited Buenos Aires during this summer season extending from November 2002 to March 2003, according to the latest release by the Argentine Tourism and Sports Secretary. Cruise visitors spent close to 15 million US dollars in Buenos Aires, an average of 80 dollars per day per tourist, and 37 of the vessels docked between one and three nights compared to 28 the previous season. Of the total number of visitors, 35,3% were Americans and 25,8% Brazilians, with the British following closely. American presence increased 41,8% compared to the previous season and Brazilians 10,3%. The Argentine Tourism and Sports Secretary report also indicates that 84,7% of cruise visitors took advantage of Buenos Aires city cultural and recreational activities: 54,9% opted for city tours; 41,2% went to tango shows and 13% shopping taking advantage of the favourable exchange rate. The success of the cruise season occurred in an exceptional year for the Argentine tourist industry that experienced a 42% increase in the number of tourists during the November-March summer season, totalling 17,243,225 people. The Atlantic coast as usual attracted the highest number of tourists (just over seven million people) but only experienced a 25% increase over 2002/2002. Córdoba and Misiones in the north of Argentina reported record increase of tourists, 65 and 72%, but is was the Patagonian provinces that really surprised with some lake and sea locations in Chubut and Rio Negro almost trebling the number of visitors compared to a year ago. As usual Buenos Aires city this season was a magnet for foreigners almost doubling in number and city officials expects to finish 2003 with a record 2,5 million overseas visitors.