An ode to Piñera, a
satirist’s dream president
http://santiagotimes.cl/ode-pinera-satirists-dream-president/
Opinion: Former head of state
presided over the rescue of the 33 miners, earthquake recovery and student
protests but may be best remembered for his blunders.
Whether he is falling over in
public, pushing unsuspecting children into swimming pools or mistakenly
declaring one of the country’s best known poets dead, former President
Sebastián Piñera is never far from a public blunder.
From his first speech as head
of state in which he claimed that the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP)
would, by the end of the decade, exceed that of Czechoslovakia — a country
which ceased to exist in 1993 — Piñera went from gaffe to gaffe, inspiring a
hugely successful satirical book on his exploits in the process.
The Clinic’s “Piñericosas” —
a play on the popular comic strip spin-off “Condoricosas” — feature poked fun
at the hapless president in a weekly column before becoming its own book.
The phrase has now entered
the popular lexicon, the term coming into particular use when Piñera tumbled on
a visit to a dilapidated housing estate in front of baying photographers …
inadvertently sparking a surprisingly durable meme that persists to this day.
Piñera left office last week
with approval ratings of more than 50 percent and tipped for a second run for
office in 2018, but it nearly never was — a freak sea lion accident almost cut
the billionaire business man’s career short in 2005. Idling by the side of a
river the luckless former head of state was caught off guard by the marine
mammal as it leapt in his direction. (Photos of the sea lion’s unsuccessful
attempt at a political assassination can be seen on theIn 2010, shortly after
assuming the presidential office, Piñera visited the remote Robinson Crusoe
Islands, where he mistook the archipelago’s fictional namesake for a real
castaway.
“Robinson Crusoe lived here
for four long years,” he told crowds. Recounting the event months later Piñera
expressed his admiration for the author of the fictional castaway tale — Daniel
Defoe — only to confuse him with Hollywood
actor Willem Dafoe.
But despite the flagrant
disregard for historical fact and loose grasp of protocol, comparisons between
George Bush and Piñera are off the mark. While the former’s constant errors
embarrassed a nation, there is something irresistibly endearing about the
Chilean leader — for each historical mishap there is a knowing,
self-deprecating admittal of his less-than-perfect public speaking record.
Piñera’s proneness to
calamities has long been known but during his presidency an almost resigned
fatalism seemed to take hold of the government press office. Perhaps they
reasoned, why try to mould him into a flawless, serious figure when he was
inevitably bound to go off script or trip over on names. The result is a
satirist’s dream: the floodgates were opened and a near constant stream of
goofy photos flooded into the public realm, a prime recent example being the
former head of state’s trip to the zoo.
While Vladimir Putin busies
himself riding horses shirtless, Piñera’s holiday photos see him covered in
lemurs, feeding the little fellas as they clamber all over his rubbery,
confused face.
Ego and a cast-iron sense of
self importance are, expectedly, common traits of a head of state and Piñera
himself is not immune to the trappings of the nation’s highest office. But his
knowing glances bear stark contrast to the inflated posturing of, for example,
his British counterpart, David “call me Dave” Cameron.
In one of his best known
slips, the Chilean business man-turned politician broke with protocol on a
visit to the White House. Touring the Oval Office, the mischievous 64-year-old
took the opportunity to sit behind the world’s most famous desk and pose for photos.
Asked how many other
presidents had done this U.S. President Barack Obama replied: “none, he’s the
only one.”
In contrast, the notoriously
humor-free British newspaper The Daily Mail was characteristically outraged.
Under the title “Who does he think he is?” the bastion of conservative
middle-class scandal described Piñera’s actions as “embarrassing.”
Asked about the event earlier
this year, Piñera, for once, remained unflustered.
“There are people who were
born to criticize,” he told Rafael Pardo in a televised interview. “If they
couldn’t criticize they would have nothing else to do with their lives.”
By Sam Edwards (sedwards@santiagotimes.cl)
Copyright 2014 – The Santiago Times
Bolivia to submit arguments against Chile to The
Hague this month
http://santiagotimes.cl/bolivia-submit-arguments-chile-hague-month/
Bolivian President Evo Morales announced
Wednesday that his country’s arguments calling for a return of coastal land
from Chile
will be submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ahead of the
deadline.
“Although it hasn’t been
determined if [the official arguments] will be sent [April] 15 or 16, it will
be well before April 17,” Morales said in a public announcement Wednesday.
Bolivia officially filed its case against Chile in April
of last year. The landlocked state is asking The Hague to grant it coastal territory lost
in the War of the Pacific (1879-1883). Chile maintains that the peace
treaty granting it control over the lost territory signed following the war is
legitimate.
Morales said that he had sent
Bolivia’s
Attorney General Héctor Arce and Defense Minister Rubén Saavedra to the ICJ to
deal with some details of the case. The full document will be presented by
Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca and former President Eduardo Rodríguez
Veltze, who is serving as the country’s representative at The Hague.
Once Bolivia’s case has been submitted, Chile will have
until Feb. 18, 2015 to file its response.
While both Chile’s
recently inaugurated President Michelle Bachelet and her Bolivian counterpart
have stated their intentions to improve frosty relations between the Andean
neighbors, the maritime case remains a major sticking point. During
celebrations marking the annual “Día del Mar” or “Day of the Sea” in La Paz, Morales said Chile’s
current position was not as advanced as that adopted by former dictator Gen.
Augusto Pinochet and called on the administration to at least match his offer
to Bolivia.
There are positive signs,
however, such as President Morales attending Bachelet’s inauguration in March
and his letter of condolence that he sent his counterpart following the 8.2
earthquake off the coast of Iquique
on Tuesday.
“The Plurinational
State of Bolivia sends to the relatives of
the victims and to all of those affected by the natural catastrophe its sincere
and shared solidarity,” the official letter said. “Understanding that the
united Chilean people will demonstrate once more the strength that they are
known for in order to overcome these painful events, I will use this occasion
to reiterate my fraternal affection and my assurances that you are in my
thoughts.”
By Charlotte Karrlsson-Willis (kwillis@santiagotimes.cl )
Copyright 2014 The Santiago Times
Bachelet appoints new
ambassadors to Peru and Mexico
http://santiagotimes.cl/bachelet-appoints-new-ambassadors-peru-mexico/
Roberto Ibarra García will
inherit the task of easing simmering tensions with one of Chile’s most important diplomatic positions as
he takes the reigns in Lima.
President Michelle Bachelet
has appointed ambassadors to another two key postings as the new administration
begins its stated ambition of strengthening regional ties in Latin
America.
On Tuesday the Foreign
Ministry announced Ricardo Nuñez Muñoz as its new man in Mexico, following Monday’s appointment of
Roberto Ibarra García to Peru.
Nuñez, a former senator, will
assume his new role in Mexico City
after serving as president of the of the Socialist Party (PS) in 1992, 1998 and
2005, senator for the Atacama Region from 1990 to 2010.
Ibarra will leave his
position as ambassador to Canada
to head to Lima at a time when relations between
the neighboring Andean nations are still tense, following the recent decision
by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a long-standing maritime dispute
between the governments of Chile
and Peru.
The Hague reached a compromise by awarding Peru some of
the disputed area, but left fertile fishing waters in Chilean hands. But though
both countries accepted the decision and signed of on bilateral fieldwork which
established the exact coordinates Tuesday evening, the decision led to a fresh
dispute over a 9-acre triangle of land between former President Sebastián
Piñera and his Peruvian counterpart President Ollanta Humala which remains
unresolved.
Ibarra has previously served
at embassies in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia,
Italy and Malaysia, and in 2011 was assigned ambassador to
Canada.
The diplomat was Chilean consul general to Bolivia during Bachelet’s last term
(2006 to 2010) and, later, director general of foreign policy.
Despite the sometimes
strained relations, the two countries enjoy an increasingly strong trade
partnership. Chile has more direct investments (FDI) flowing into Peru than any
other country, accounting for 6 percent of that country’s total FDI, some US$12
billion in 2013.
By Sandra Segall
Copyright 2014 – The Santiago Times
Bachelet appoints new
ambassadors for Ecuador, Uruguay, WTO
http://santiagotimes.cl/bachelet-appoints-new-ambassadors-ecuador-uruguay-wto/
President Michelle Bachelet
continued a string of diplomatic appointments this week, naming new ambassadors
for Ecuador and Uruguay, while maintaining the same consul for Belgium.
Thursday’s announcement
follows appointments to Mexico,
Peru, Argentina, Brazil,
the U.N. headquarters in New York and Geneva and the
Organization for American States, all named since Bachelet was inaugurated
March 11.
Gabriel Ascencio, a former
deputy representing Chiloé y Palena for more than 20 years for the center-left
Christian Democrats (DC) — part of Bachelet’s Nueva Mayoría pact — was tapped
to be the new ambassador to Ecuador.
Ascencio is a human rights lawyer by profession who worked for the Vícaria de
Solidaridad, giving support to families who had been detained or persecuted
under Gen. Augusto Pinochet and also filing lawsuits for homicides and violence
against former agents of the military dictatorship.
“I’m very happy to assume
this new challenge, representing Chile
in a friendly country like Ecuador
that has a lot of similarities with our own,” Ascencio said Thursday. “The new
job that has been given to me has the objective to intensify the integration
between both countries and collaborate in process of Latin American integration
which is a task in which I’ve been working for, for many years.”
During the course of his
career Ascencio has served in the Congressional Foreign Affairs Commission in
Congress and as a representative to the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), a
regional trade bloc of which Chile
is an associate member. He also participated in various inter parliamentary
groups with lawmakers from Germany,
Costa Rica, Colombia, the United
Kingdom and Jordan.
Eduardo Contreras, also a
human rights advocate from the Universidad de Chile who also works as a
journalist, was appointed ambassador to Uruguay on Wednesday. He previously
served as governor, mayor and, finally, as deputy of Chillán, before the
military coup of Sept. 11, 1973 cut short the Communist Party (PC)
representative’s term and forced him into exile.
During the dictatorship he
lived in Mexico, Panama and Cuba, where in the latter he worked
at the Justice Ministry. His most recent work has been as head of the Law
Department of the Universidad de Ciencias y Artes Sociales (ARCIS).
Héctor Casanueva Ojeda will
be the new Chilean ambassador for the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ojeda had
previously served as the country’s ambassador to the Latin American Association
for Integration (ALADI) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). Like
Ascencio, the new WTO representative also has a background in law, studying at
the Universidad Católica where he specialized in European politics and
relations.
The former head of ProChile,
the institution of the Foreign Affairs Ministry charged with promoting Chilean
exports, Ojeda has also worked for the agricultural and finance ministries.
Finally, the Foreign Affairs
Ministry confirmed Carlos Appelgren will continue as Chile’s
ambassador in Belgium
where he has been deployed since 2009. An economist from the Universidad de
Chile, he entered the Diplomatic
Academy in 1974. He has
worked at embassies in New Zealand
and Uruguay in addition to
representing Chile
within Mercosur and ALADI.
By Belinda Torres-Leclerq
Copyright 2014 – The Santiago Times
Latin American regatta
reaches historic seaport of Valparaíso
http://santiagotimes.cl/latin-american-regatta-reaches-historic-seaport-valparaiso/
Sailing ships from Brazil, Ecuador,
Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina
and Chile
entered the historical Valparaíso harbor on Tuesday, as a part of a six month
cruise.
For four days the gigantic
flags of six sailing ships will be waving in the Valparaíso port before heading
north to Peru.
Having already passed through Talcahuano in Chile’s Biobío Region, they will sail the bay of Valparaíso
and Viña del Mar, and continue their journey
towards their final destination in Veracruz,
Mexico.
“We set sail in Venezuela on Jan. 4, then we met up with the
rest of the ships in Brazil,”
Venezolan Lt. Madriz Antonio told The Santiago Times. “The regatta will end in Mexico
on June 18.”
The transnational Latin
American Regatta, Velas Latinoamérica 2014 is a tradition that takes place
every four years. The Argentine ship Libertad, the Brazilian Cisne Blanco, the
Ecuadorian Guayas, Colombia’s
Gloria, the Venezuelan vessel Simón Bolívar and Chile’s Esmeralda are all open for
the public to visit.
“Not only is this a
manifestation of the commitment of these navies to their nations, but also a
value added to the tourism of Viña del Mar for the days before the Easter
Week,” Viña del Mar Mayor Virginia Reginato said in a press release.
Alongside the regatta,
Valparaíso’s harborside
Plaza Sotomayor is
hosting a diverse market for small scale local entrepreneurs. The space offers
a variety of local products, such as jewelry made from fish scales, homegrown
chilli and craft beer from local microbreweries.
The six sailing ships are
open for the public to visit in the harbor until Sunday. The next regatta takes
place in 2018, coinciding with the bicentenary of the Chilean Armed Forces.
The ships are docked at El
Molo de Abrigo, and the general public can visit them free of charge from 2
p.m. through 8 p.m., until this Saturday.
Snapshots from Santiago’s modern art
fair
http://santiagotimes.cl/snapshots-santiagos-modern-art-fair/
Photo essay: Scores of modern
artists gathered in Vitacura over the weekend to display their work to and
interact with the general public.
Wandering through a maze of
exhibits, visitors to the 3rd annual Feria de Artes XXI (FAXXI) got the chance
to bump into painters and designers and create their own works over the
weekend.
A giant white tent housed
thousands of artists and event-goers for the event that lasted from Friday
through Sunday at the upscale Parque Bicentenario in Vitacura. Nearly 80
artists displayed their work, which ranged from neon-colored acrylic paintings
to delicate paper sculptures.
Chilean movie ‘Gloria’
continues picking up prizes
http://santiagotimes.cl/chilean-movie-gloria-continues-picking-prizes/
‘Gloria’ secured three major
prizes at the inaugural Platino Awards for Latin American cinema, including
Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actress.
Following on from a
successful award-haul last year, Sebástian Lelio’s “Gloria” cleaned up at the
first edition of the Platino Awards in Panama
over the weekend before being nominated for an upcoming event in Mexico on
Monday.
The Chilean movie — a tale of
a middle-aged woman looking to recapture her youth — walked away with the
lion’s share of silverware from the new Platino Awards, winning Best Film, Best
Screenplay and Best Actress for leading lady Paulina García.
Accepting the prize for the
screenplay he co-wrote with Gonzalo Maza, Lelio gushed praise for the new
awards created to promote Latin American cinema.
“This feels like a baptism.
Now I will always be able to say I received the very first Platino Award. A
true honor, indeed,” he said.
Lelio had less success in the
Best Director category, missing out to the Cannes Film Festival-winning Amant
Escalante and his Mexican drug drama “Heli.”
However, the figure garnering
most fans from the movie’s success is undoubtedly García. The Chilean actress was
called “remarkable” by The Hollywood
Reporter following the movie’s release,
while last year García scooped the Berlin Silver Bear award joining the likes
of Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley McLaine, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep.
“Like a typical Chilean, I’m
shaking,” said Paulina García, referring to the regular tremors Chile has
experienced in recent months. The actress took the opportunity to voice support
for those affected by the massive 8.2 magnitude earthquake in Northern
Chile last week.
“My thoughts go out to Iquique which just
recently experienced an earthquake. To everyone in Iquique,
Arica, and Alto
Hospicio, a small town that was badly hit, and especially to those spending the
night outside,” García said. “It’s been six days since the quake and still the
earth has not stopped moving. There have been around five hundred aftershocks
to date.”
The president of the awards
event, Adrían Solar, himself a Chilean, said the Platinos hopes to become a
major fixture for regional cinema promoting movies from across Latin America
and the Iberian Peninsula.
Topping off the weekend’s
triumph, “Gloria” was nominated for Best Latin American Movie the Mexican Ariel
Awards ceremony on Monday. Lelio’s movie will compete against Argentine effort
“Wakolda,” “15 Años y un Día” (Spain)
“Anina” (Uruguay) and
“Melaza” (Cuba) on May 27 in
Mexico City.
Several Chilean films have
been nominated for the same prize in previous years, among them “Machuca,” “En
la Cama, (In the Bed),” “La Nana (The Maid)” and “Violeta se Fue a los Cielos,
(Violeta Went to Heaven).”
Released to largely positive
reviews in the U.S.
earlier this year, “Gloria” has pulled in around US$ 2 million at the box
office to date. The movie was also a success on home turf following its 2013
release, selling 32,000 tickets in its first week, a national record.
By Raúl A. Pinto (raul@santiagotimes.cl )
Copyright 2014 – The Santiago Times