MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bachelet denies any US “pink slip” for Insulza as OAS chief

Chilean president admits having talking with Hillary Clinton but about social security services.

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet denied Monday having discussed with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the situation of Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, OAS.

“I spoke with her on the phone, because she’s on medical rest and obviously the OAS issue was not one we addressed at all. We talked about the Obama administration interest in knowing how the social services network system operates in Chile”, said Bachelet.

“The government of Chile has received no information, official or non official” regarding the US stance with respect to the re-election of OAS Secretary General Insulza.

La Moneda (Government House) spokesperson Carolina Tohá said the re-election is to be decided at the beginning of next year, so it is “totally premature to anticipate alleged positions of other countries which have yet to decide what position they will finally adopt”.

Mr. Insulza who on Monday arrived in Santiago insisted nobody in Washington has communicated the decision not to support him for his OAS re-election bid.

“We’ve been through the Cuban affair, the Honduras affair, many people are not pleased and if you read carefully you will see that all the few sources mentioned with names or identified respond to the US right wing that opposes the current US government”, said Insulza in an interview with a local radio.

Besides “there is a clear intent of causing an effect and damage” and the important thing is that those who have to say it, “deny such circumstance” insisted the OAS head.

But in spite of the questioning of the origin of the news, CNN supported the chronicle of events published by Santiago’s main daily, El Mercurio, saying that “US Congress sources have confirmed what was written. CNN went even further and said most of the report received confirmation from State Department sources.

Meantime Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Mariano Fernandez pointed out that in talks with Hillary Clinton the issue of Mr. Insulza was never mentioned.