Cablegate: Media Report December 30

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SUBJECT: Media Report December 30

Lead Story

1. Chile's state-owned copper mine Codelco dismissed
raising its final wage and benefit offer to avoid a workers' strike
in Chuquicamata. The company is activating a contingency plan to
face the work stoppage that will start on January 4.

Arms Race

2. Minister of Defense Francisco Vidal reiterated that
Chile has never been in an arms race and noted that this evidence
will become apparent with the publication of the third edition of
the "White Book of National Defense" on January 14. The text is "an
example of transparency that we wish other countries would have,"
Minister Vidal said. His remarks are interpreted as an implied
message to Peru's calls to stop acquisitions of war material in the
region. (Government-owned, editorially independent, La Nacion,
12/30)

Human Rights

3. More than five years after its completion, the
National Commission on Political Detention and Torture, known as
the Valech Commission, reassembled yesterday to encompass
approximately 4,000 new cases in the list of recipients with
restoration benefits. The Commission -headed by Catholic Monsignor
Sergio Valech-would start its activity in mid January 2010 and
continue during 6 months to assess and qualify cases involving
victims of human rights violations during the military regime.
(Conservative, newspaper-of-record, El Mercurio, 12/30)
SIMONS

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