MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile: Breaking News.

Headlines:
International tourism fair in Santiago; President Lagos in London's theatre; Metabolic residues lab for lamb exports; Minimum tariff level in Chile; Wildlife Conservation Society visit Tierra del Fuego; Solar awareness and solar energy traffic lights; Low levels of red tide; Incumbent optimism in Chilean municipal election.

International tourism fair in Santiago.

Next December 6/7, Santiago will be hosting Chile's tourism industry most important international event, the Tenth International Tourism-Travellers Show 2004. This is the fourth consecutive year that private institutions organize the fair which in the 2004 edition will have 700 stands from 21 different countries, almost doubling last year's participation. The main purpose of the event is centralizing the largest possible supply and variety of different tourism destinations and packages both in Chile and internationally, helping to build a network of direct contacts which enable an efficient way of making business and promoting Chile. The two days meeting will include work shops, conferences, panels to debate the industry's challenges and an agenda of visits and appointments organized by the Chilean Tourism Office and private tourism institutions.

President Lagos in London's theatre

Chilean president Ricardo Lagos most certainly never imagined he would be characterized in drama much less in an English play, the fact is that he routinely is represented on stage in London's National Theatre. According to the Chilean press Mr. Lagos is part of "Stuff happens", a lively three hours critical play about events leading to the Iraq war which has become a full success in London with tickets virtually sold out for weeks ahead. Mr. Lagos apparently is one of the few cheered by the audience in his five seconds of glorious appearance. The play was written by David Hare and is based on documents, facts and quotes from the different political actors involved in the Iraq conflict. The name of the play comes from a reply given by US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld when asked about the looting in Baghdad following the entry of US troops to the capital, "Stuff happens". Other personifications include President George Bush and his White House and Pentagon staff, Primer Minister Tony Blair, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, etc. President Lagos' brief representation is towards the end of the play when Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair are pressing non permanent Security Council members, such as Chile and Mexico, to support the invasion of Iraq. Primer Minister Blair phones Mr. Lagos and even suggests he's willing to visit Chile so they can talk about the issue face to face. But? "I don't think that will be necessary" replies President Lagos who immediately hangs the phone. Mr. Lagos is played by Raad Rawi a well known theatre and television actor who among others is remembered for "Mona Lisa" and "Midnight Express". The only "stuff happens" situation for President Lagos is that versatile Raad Rawi also plays the part of Saddam Hussein.

Metabolic residues lab for lamb exports

Chilean Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Jaime Campos opened last week in Punta Arenas a new lab that will enable Magallanes Region to make metabolic residues tests in lamb and mutton exports as requested by the European Union certification. The new facilities opens the way for export certification of Magallanes lamb and mutton without needing to send samples to Santiago's labs saving time and complying with an EU inspectors request. "The Magallanes lab is an important advance in complying with our customers demands", said Mr. Campos. The new lab with state of the art equipment, which demanded an investment of 450,000 US dollars, analyzes residues both in meats and water basically with two chromatographs, one for gases and another for liquids, plus a spectrophotometer for tracking atomic absorption. Mr. Campos also appealed to the farmers to increase local production given the excellent opportunities in the European Union and the United States following the recent trade agreements. "We expect to open the US market for Magallanes lamb in the first half of 2005", revealed Mr. Campos. However Mario Vega, president of the Magallanes Breeders Association after praising the government's efforts in helping regional competitiveness and access to alternative markets with the new lab also mentioned some current impediments mainly technological limitations and poorer pastures. "Productivity in Magallanes was higher before, and we have been forced to reduce our flocks because pastures continue to deteriorate, so previous to actually increasing lamb production we need to stop the nutritional erosion of the fields", highlighted Mr. Vega.

Minimum tariff level in Chile

Effective tariffs on imports in Chile averaged 2,3% last August, a similar percentage to July. However tariffs on imports from the European Union and North American Free Trade Association, Nafta, with which Chile has trade agreements actually dropped slightly while those from Asia suffered an increase. Overall 72% of products imported by Chile registered some kind of tariff preference with the rest paying an average 6% tariff. Specifically with the EU the average tariff last August dropped from 1,4% to 1% confirming the decreasing tendency of 2004. As to imports from the US the tariff dropped from 1,5 to 1,4%. At the beginning of this year Chile and the US signed a free trade agreement. Regarding Chilean imports from Latinamerica the average effective tariff was 0,8% with a slight rise for Brazil compensated by a drop with Argentina. During August 73% of Chile's imports proceeded from countries with which there are bilateral trade agreements.

Wildlife Conservation Society visit Tierra del Fuego

A delegation from the United States seated Wildlife Conservation Society, WCS, which recently took over 272,000 hectares of Tierra del Fuego natural forests travelled to Punta Arenas for a familiarization visit. La Prensa Austral reports that Kent Redford, WCS vice-president, Avecita Cicchon WCS Latinamerica Director, Guillermo Harris coordinator for the Southern Cone and conservationist expert Kathleen Barclay met with Magallanes Region governor Jaime Jelincic after having visited the lands which previously belonged to a forestry company Forestal Savia, former Trillium that went broke and were retained as collateral by US investment bank Goldman Sachs. The US bank in a much publicized move in New York finally donated the land and natural forests to WCS. Actually the original Trillium project was to turn the centennial forests into wood chips for export to Japan but environmentalist groups after several years of campaigning finally managed to stop the enterprise. "For us conservation does not mean putting up hurdles but rather open up nature to the public if this can be done in a sustainable manner. An alternative could be eco-tourism which means taking advantage and enjoying wildlife but without destroying it or endangering it", said Avecita Cicchon. The WCS official admitted that some areas of the huge forestland in Tierra del Fuego "have been exploited", and in others "we have invasive species such as beavers", but the intention is to recover the most possible. Mr. Redford pointed out the significance of the WCS-Goldman Sachs alliance "which had quiet an impact in the whole of United States, and I imagine in Chile", because the Tierra del Fuego forest has become the most southern protected area. The WCS coordinator for the Southern Cone Guillermo Harris said that contact with locals living in the area "was essential for the live hood of the forest and obviously we wish to work and interact together". However Mr. Harris cautioned that "we don't want to generate false expectations, rather insist that we are willing to do our outmost to help and encourage the local community by creating jobs and attracting conservationists to visit the area and promote the beautiful landscapes of Tierra del Fuego". WCS is a non profit conservation organization which has 120 protected areas in Africa, Asia, Latinamerica and North America covering an area of over 42 million hectares.

Solar awareness and solar energy traffic lights

Traffic lights that work with solar energy and keep a visual daily track of UV rays and ozone levels were installed next to a school in Punta Arenas with the double purpose of cautioning drivers but also to highlight the importance of protection from solar exposure particularly in these months. The pilot project in the Portugal School will be followed by similar traffic lights systems in five other schools in Punta Arenas, and later in the towns of Puerto Natales, Porvenir and Puerto Williams. Regional Health Ministry Representative Lidia Amarales said the purpose of solar traffic lights in strategic places was to achieve greater awareness of the dangers posed by the ozone layer thinning and UV radiation among school children, parents, teachers and neighbours. Apparently a "focus group" report undertaken in Punta Arenas as to the community's perception of the phenomenon indicated that the issue has been understood but the much needed cultural change follow up with prevention measures "is still lacking". "This showed us that our objective and efforts had to be oriented to teaching the people, and emphasizing in schools will help convince people to change their attitudes and protect themselves against solar exposure", said Ms. Amarales. The campaign of "solar protection" will also include community centres in neighbourhoods and in rural areas according to the Punta Arenas health official.

Low levels of red tide

The third monitoring cruise undertaken this season in Magallanes Region jointly by Chilean Fisheries and Health officials indicated a descent in the level of the toxic red tide in almost the whole of the coastline. In Puerto Eden toxin levels are below the 80 micrograms per 100 grams of seafood, --maximum level for human consumption--, which is lower than in other seasons. Further south in Puerto Williams no measurable levels were detected but in coastline areas close to Punta Arenas levels ranged between 39 and 66 micrograms. However to the north of the Ultima Esperanza province levels ranged between 89 and 175 micrograms. Punta Arenas sanitary authorities reiterated the warning that when purchasing sea food, consumers must demand the official "toxicological" test which certifies it's apt for consumption. Similarly whoever has access to sea food without the certificate can request the toxicological test in the Health Services labs.

Incumbent optimism in Chilean municipal election

With less than a week for next Sunday October 31 municipal elections in Chile, Punta Arenas Mayor Juan Morano from the ruling coalition of President Ricardo Lagos, Concertacion Democratica, is forecasted to be re-elected according to the latest opinion polls published in the city's newspapers. Although the publication of opinion polls has not been as common as in the 2000 campaign, there's "a clear indication that Mayor Morano will repeat his mandate" according to local pollster Manuel Rodríguez who anticipates 48/52% for the leading candidate. As to Councillors, polls show a 5 to 3 relation: five for the ruling coalition and three for the opposition. However some political leaders from Concertación believe the score will be closer to 6-2. Meanwhile in Santiago President Lagos said he was confident that as has been the tendency since 1988, "the ruling coalition will defeat Alliance for Chile (conservative opposition) in the coming municipal elections next Sunday". "There's not such thing as a technical draw, whoever has that one extra vote wins, and we're going to have that extra vote and we will win" insisted Mr. Lagos. Replying to the opposition that accused him of openly interfering in the campaign, President Lagos stated that, "I'm not visiting Chile running after votes, I go to the different regions of Chile because that's the proper way of ruling a country, always next to the people, listening and learning from the people".