2009 Chile

Republic of Chile
center|Flag
center|Location
Capital: Santiago
Official Language: Spanish
Government: Representative democracy
Head of State: Michelle Bachelet Jeria
Formation: 1810
Population: 	16,598,074 (2007)
Currency: 	Peso (CLP)
Human Rights Record Human Rights in Chile
Territorial Disputes Territorial Disputes of Chile
Ongoing Conflicts None
Welcome to the international embassy of Chile! (Player added remarks)
=Diplomatic Relations=
Nation currently enjoys diplomatic relations with (List)
Nation is a member of the following international organizations:
*United Nations (UN)
*Organization of American States (OAS)
*Non-Aligned Movement
*World Trade Organization (WTO)
*Union of South American Nations (USAN)
Nation is a signatory to the following treaties (list)
*Treaty for Mutual Cooperation and Friendship between the Republic of Chile & the Republic of Paraguay ()
=Summary=
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile (Spanish: República de Chile), is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage at the country's southernmost tip. It is one of only two countries in South America that does not have a border with Brazil. The Pacific forms the country's entire western border, with a coastline that stretches over 6,435 kilometres. Chilean territory extends to the Pacific Ocean which includes the overseas territories of Juan Fernández Islands, the Sala y Gómez islands, the Desventuradas Islands and Easter Island located in Polynesia. Chile claims 1,250,000 km² (482,628 sq mi) of territory in Antarctica.
Chile's unusual, ribbon-like shape —4,300 km long and on average 175 km wide— has given it a hugely varied climate, ranging from the world's driest desert - the Atacama - in the north, through a Mediterranean climate in the centre, to a snow-prone Alpine climate in the south, with glaciers, fjords and lakes. The northern Chilean desert contains great mineral wealth, principally copper. The relatively small central area dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area also is the cultural and political center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century, when it incorporated its northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. The Andes Mountains are located on the eastern border.
=Brief History=
Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while the indigenous Araucanians (also known as Mapuches) inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Araucanian Indians were completely subjugated. The country, which had been relatively free of the coups and arbitrary governments that blighted the South American continent, endured a 17 year military dictatorship (1973-1990), one of the bloodiest in 20th-century Latin America that left more than 3,000 people dead and missing.
Currently, Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations. Within the greater Latin American context it leads in terms of competitiveness, quality of life, political stability, globalization, economic freedom, low perception of corruption and comparatively low poverty rates. It also ranks high regionally in freedom of the press, human development and democratic development. Its status as the region's richest country in terms of gross domestic product per capita (at market prices and purchasing power parity) is countered by its high level of income inequality, as measured by the Gini index.
=Diplomatic Messages=
Presidential message before the Full Congress of the Presidency of the Republic
Valparaíso, January 2009
Mr. president of the Senate.
Mr. president of the Supreme Court.
Mr. president of the Camera of Deputies.
Dear senators.
Dear deputies.
Gentlemen ambassadors.
Political, military and ecclesiastical authorities.
Citizens of my country:
I speak to all you in a moment of uncertainty, the world economy advances staggering toward an uncertain future, it is the moment to demonstrate to the world and ourselves that the achievements reached by our country in the last years have solid foundations and that Chile is prepared to confront the setbacks that are to come.
I can guarantee that the Chilean economy is solid and that we will maintain the rhythm of growth reached in the last years. We will maintain the annual surplus in the bills of the nation by means of a politics of austerity, so characteristic of the Chilean character, with the objective of guaranteeing the stability of the prices, the security of the system of pensions and to reduce the debt with the World Bank. This will allow to improve the parity of the revenues and to confront the ambitious projects that Chile still needs.
The experiences of the last years have demonstrated us that it is necessary to improve the infrastructures of transport of the nation to national level as in the capital of the Republic. We should make an effort in to strengthen our mining industry and to make sure that the high benefits of the last years are not an illusion, we should also reduce our dependence of the imports and my government will fight to make the Chilean products occupy the place that corresponds them in the international markets.
We must not forget the education. We will look for the weak points of the system of financing, of the system of help and agreements will be looked for with foreign educational institutions with the purpose of facilitating the education of the Chilean youths. We will also establish measures to encourage entrepreneur spirit in these youths, encouraging the creation of new companies, offering tributary incentives for the risk capital and the establishment of new research and innovation lines.
Lastly, in my two remaining years of legislature I will work to strengthen our Republic, creating laws of transparency that will guarantee to the citizenship the control on those in who have trusted to govern.
Among all we will locate at Chile in the place that corresponds him as nation of the XXI century!
¡A continuar unidos en esta gran tarea invito a todas las chilenas y chilenos! ¡Viva Chile!
Michelle Bachelet Jeria
President of the Republic of Chile 
Presidential message by President Michelle Bachelet
Santiago, May 2009
My fellow citizens, I'm here to explain the actions of my government in the last months.
First of all, we have given diplomatic support to Cuba in their struggle to become again a member of the OAS and to abolish the unfair embargo that the US still exercised on the island. We have also sent monetary aid to our cuban friends to help them rebuild the houses and infrastructures damaged by the hurricanes that shocked the Caribbean last year.
As I promised, my government is taking the actions necessary to improve transparency in our country. The first action taken is the Law of Judicial Transparency which is currently being debated on the Senate and the Congress of Deputies, this law will ensure that corruption is wiped away from our judicial system, a judicial system that will soon be free from external influences.
We have also sent for ratification the Chilean-Paraguayan friendship treaty, a treaty which ensures good relations and diplomatic support from our friends from Paraguay, this treaty will also set the frame for more collaboration between our country and Paraguay as well as an investment on the Paraguayan energy market which will allow us to purchase energy from Paraguay at reduced prices after a small investment.
Finally, my government has obtained support from the most prestigious architects from the US to perform the restructuring of the infrastructures so long needed by our country. A total investment of 3 billion dollar will help to relieve the traffic problems of Santiago, as well as to open the door to future and ambitious projects like the highways that our country needs to catch the train of the XXI century.
I'm proud to say this is only the beginning, I will work to improve Chile's presence on the international stage and to strengthen our links with other South-American nations like we have done with Paraguay. I will also work to expand our energy market and perform the changes needed in our industry to avoid our dependence on the benefits from copper production.
¡Larga vida a la República! 
Michelle Bachelet Jeria
President of the Republic of Chile 
Economic stimulation investment
Santiago, September 2009
In order to prevent the negative effects of the international situation on Chile's economy, the Ministry of Finance has prepared a set of measures that will stimulate Chile's economy.
The total amount of the investment is $1b.
$0.3b. will be used to increase the Small Enterprise Guarantee Fund (FOGAPE). This fund can be used by small enterprises to guarantee a certain amount of capital to get credits and funding from economic entities.
$0.3b. will be used to increase the Corfo Funds, used to finance small and medium enterprises on innovation projects.
$0.1b. will be used to create a Young Entrepeneurship Fund, this fund will be used to support and encourage the creation of new enterprises led by young chilean entrepeneurs.
((Game effect:increase $1b. on Economics spending))
Hugo Lavados
Minister of Economy
Presidential message by President Michelle Bachelet
Santiago, November 2009
Dear Chileans.
Again I am here to give explanations about my government's actions in the last months.
In the first place I want to make a call to tranquility due to the recent crisis of the Ébola virus in Africa. The South African government has undertaken quick and effective measures against the propagation of the virus and although the Nigerian government's performance is not being resolutory I want to insist in the fact that you there are almost no probabilities that the Ebola arrives in Chile. Anyway the Ministry of Health has advised the population to avoid traveling to Nigeria if it is not strictly necessary and we are prepared to maintain in quarantine the flights coming from Nigeria if its government doesn't decide to implement the opportune measures of security.
During these months my Government has prepared a series of advertising campaigns with the purpose of sponsoring Pisco, our national drink, abroad, also providing help to Pisco producers with the purpose of increase and to improve our production.
Last month the Ministry of Economy approved additional funding to the FOGAPE and Corfo Funds to help the small company and the young entrepeneurship. These funding ascends to a total of $1.0b and it will stimulate the labor market and the investment in these moments of international economic uncertainty. I can guarantee that this measure will help us to keep up the economic growth that we have maintained during this decade and so will make the measures that my Government is preparing in this same moment.
I want to conclude giving thanks to you, the Chilean people for the support that you have shown to me and my cabinet. We won't fail you.
¡Larga vida a la República! 
Michelle Bachelet Jeria
President of the Republic of Chile 
Aid to Mexico
April 2010
The Government has sent 200 Carabineros trained to carry on rescue missions and volunteers from K-SAR Chile will to the flooded areas in Mexico. The Carabineros and the volunteers will land on Cancun Airport in order to begin helping our mexican friends as soon as possible.
The Chilean Air Force has also provided a plane to transport food supplies from Paraguay to Mexico. 
Presidential message by President Michelle Bachelet
August 2010
Dear fellow citizens.
I would be lying if I said that this new century has begun as a century of peace and prosperity, the September 11 attacks, the Iraq war, the economic crisis and the terror of the nuclear weapons will be, unfortunately, what the coming generations will remember about us.
But it would be an error to think that we are defeated, while the rest of the world is still fighting against the echoes of past conflicts South America has not ceased in its unstoppable ascent, moved by the desire of a better future for our children the nations of South America have fought restlessly against the poverty, against the corruption, against the drug lords and against the enemies of the freedom. And there, in that fight, Chile has always been there, heading the true revolution of South America, the revolution of a people that had to give their blood and their lives to get their independence and that knows the horrors of the war and the dictatorship, people who knows where they want to arrive and that will never take a step back. It is for this reason, for this twenty years of development and uninterrupted growth, for this two hundred years of fight for freedom that I want to give you spirits in these moments of uncertainty, I want to urge you, my dear Chileans, to maintain the cold head and to work harder to get an even better future.
In the last weeks I have kept silent regarding the conflict in Russia and to the bombing of Ho Chi Minh City . Well, above all I must say that what happened in Vietnam is a cruelty, President Medvedev released a horror that we all believed thing of the past and that puts in evidence the defenseless state in which we, the non nuclear nations, are before those that do possess this weapons. The actions of Medvedev have put an end to their good name and have reserved him a place among the most infamous leaders in history, but in spite of this we should not extrapolate the actions from Medvedev to all Russia. However, I also consider that the attitude of the great majority of the international community has been tremendously irresponsible. To isolate Russia expelling her from the international organizations that we all use as reference and common understanding channel has been a stupidity, an action characteristic of the panic that has put us to all in a situation from which we can't move back To isolate Russia expelling her from the international organizations that we all use as reference and common understanding channel has been a stupidity, an action characteristic of the panic that has put us to all in a situation from which we can't move back.
Lastly I want to announce that next month a summit will take place in Valparaíso, a summit to which my good friend the Paraguayan President Ferdinand Lugo will attend with the objective of strengthening even more the links of friendship that already unite the republics of Paraguay and Chile; I hope the combined initiatives of Paraguay and Chile serve as example to all America and we can take out the OAS of the drowsiness state in which is sunk.
Thank you for your attention and your support ¡Viva la República!
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Valparaiso Chile-Paraguay Bilateral Summit
Opening speech by President Michelle Bachelet
President Lugo.
Gentlemen ambassadors.
Political, military and ecclesiastical authorities.
Welcome to Valparaiso, the seat of the Chilean National Congress. I must say that I am proud and happy to host this summit; a summit which I hope will serve as an example of unity and friendship between the nations of America. This summit crystallizes a year of hard work, the work that the government of my good friend President Lugo and my own have done over the past year to strengthen the ties of friendship existing between our nations.
I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the people of Paraguay for its two hundred years of freedom and independence, we also celebrate two hundred years of the first Junta de Gobierno and I hope that this summit will serve as a celebration of that freedom, to honor the lives of those who have given their lives for the sake of the homeland and the freedom of their brothers and to commit ourselves to never let their sacrifice be in vain.
It is the intention of our governments that South America does not have a single motor, we are working to make all of South America is a global benchmark for progress and stability, an example of how hard work and accordance to the rules dictated by common agreement of the International Community is the real source of progress.
Finally I want to use this summit as a platform to ask all of America to regain the lost momentum and engage in the final and definitive development of our continent, which is why I think it appropriate to hold a new Iberian-American Summit involving both our brothers in the North and our brethren in Europe Spain and Portugal, the ties that bind us all to be used to secure a future of prosperity for the entire Western Hemisphere.
Dear friends, thank you for your attention. 
Chile-Paraguay Security Collaboration Agreement
Summary: the agreement comprises an extradition agreement and establishes the basics towards an intense collaboration between Chile and Paraguay on security, policial and militar intelligence affairs.
-Chile and Paraguay will work to create a fluid communication channel between the security forces and intelligence agencies of both countries.
-In case that the intelligence services of one of the signatory countries obtains information concerning the national security of the other one, it will send this information immediately to the services of intelligence of the other signatory country.
-In case that the security forces of one of the signatory countries require of the criminal record of a citizen of the other country, this will be immediately sent, unless considerations about national security or secrets of state are raised.
-The number of Paraguayan students that at the moment receive formation in the Cuerpo de Carabineros de Chile will increase to a total of 10.
-This treaty functions as an extradition treaty according to the conditions fixed in the Annex I.
-The forces of security of the signatory countries commit to perform wargames and joint training missions with the purpose of improving their effectiveness and capacity to carry out joint operations.
Annex I. Extradition Conditions.
Article I. Chile and Paraguay commit to reciprocally hand over those individuals that, accused or convicts in one of the two countries as authors or accomplices of any of the crimes enumerated in the Article II, have had given refuge in the other one.
Article II. The extradition will be granted by those crimes that are contemplated in the Penal Code of both countries.
Article III. It's not possible to request extradition for political crimes.
Article IV. Chile and Paraguay are reserved the right to deny or grant the extradition of their own citizens, being committed to motivate their decision appropriately in the event of negative. In this case the government which was required the extradition will prosecute the claimed criminal as if the fact has happened in its own territory.
Article V. Chile or Paraguay won't proceed to the extradition of those criminals that are already being pursued or judged by the same crime which served as foundation for the extradition; Extradition won't be requested based on crimes that have prescribed or crimes whose sentence has already been served.
Article VI. If the claimed individual is being judged or serving condemnation for another crime, he won't be handed over to the claiming country until having served condemnation.
Article VII. The extradition doesn't authorize to the prosecution or punishment for a crime different from which served as foundation for the extradition petition.
Article VIII. In the event of urgency the police forces will be able to proceed to the claimed individual's provisional detention, being put in freedom if the necessary documents are not presented for the extradition in the term of time that the required nation estimates opportune. This period will never exceed the two months.
Article IX. The following documentation is to be sent in order to grant the extradition :
-Data, antecedents and necessary police record to check the claimed individual's identity.
-Copy of the condemnatory sentence in case the claimed individual had already been condemned.
-If the claimed individual is a presumed criminal a copy of the penal law applicable to the infraction that motivates the demand will also be sent.
Article X. Chile and Paraguay commit to revise this treaty five years after its signature. Any discrepancy about the application of this treaty will be solved in a diplomatic way, applying to the International Court of Justice if an agreement cannot be reach.
Garmendia Student Exchange Program
Summary: This program allows a one-year exchange of 100 university students (50 from Chile and 50 from Paraguay).
Chile and Paraguay will set 50 university places for the exchange of students; any student that fulfills the minimum requirements can request a place in the exchange program.
Requirements:
- The student should have the Chilean or Paraguayan nationality, as corresponds.
- The student should not have criminal records.
- The student should have studied at least one year in an university of her origin country.
- The student cannot have participated previously in the program.
- The student should be registered in an existent career in the destination university.
The chosen students to cover these places will be selected according to the average grades of their academic profile, giving priority to those students that have better profile.
The governments of Paraguay and Chile will dispose a budget of $XX to pay the costs of transport and lodging in a dormitory for the beneficiaries of the program. Those students that want or can finance its own lodging are free of doing it.
The participant students in the program will be, to all the effects, students of their destination university and they will fulfill the academic activities of this university.
The grades obtained during their stay will be reflected in their academic file and any subject or credits overcame will be recognized in its origin university.
The duration of the exchange is an academic year, at the end of which each student will present a report about her stay in the exchange university.
A professor will be designated in each university to serve as the exchange students' tutor.
The participant universities in this program will be:
Chile.
- University of Chile (Santiago).
- University of Concepción.
- Southern University of Chile (Valdivia, Puerto Montt).
- University of Santiago.
Paraguay.
Paraguay and Chile commit to start this program for the academic course 2010-2011. 
Press release from the Valparaiso Summit
The Government of Chile announces that the Chilean Air Force will be sending an AWACS plane to Paraguay in order to help on the fight against drug traffic.
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Educational System Reform
December 2010
President Bachelet has approved the most important reform of the chilean educational system since the restoration of democracy. This reform is intended to put Chile on a leading position on South America's education.
Budgeted with $6.00b the reform focuses on chilean universities. The number of degrees available on chile's public university will increase, new equipment will be bought for university laboratories and the number of professors will increase. Deals will also be negociated to merge university studies and the enterprise world.
Inspectors to Trinidad & Tobago
January 2011
In order to determine whether the allegations of Venezuela about sponsorship to drug traffickers by the government of Trinidad and Tobago are certain the Government of Chile sent a team of inspectors on these islands.
The Chilean government hopes that the testimony of these inspectors will help bring a peaceful solution to this crisis. 
Michelle Bachelet. Candidate for Secretary-General of the NAM.
February 2011
Candidature Goals: The NAM has been a headless giant for decades, almost unable to accomplish its goals because the lack of consistency.
The NAM has also been dying since the fall of the Soviet Union, without the two blocks that we all decided not to align to, the NAM has been misused, almost every proposal brought here was an attempt to favour a country’s policies and own goals.
If I am elected as Secretary General I will use the potential of this organization to improve the lives of each and every citizen of our countries, creating joint projects and cooperation programs that will ensure a better life and future for our people.
Why Michelle Bachelet should be elected: As all of you know I have proved to be a serene diplomat and I’ve always worked towards the peaceful resolution of any conflict.
Chile has no major links with any “superpower” and doesn’t depend on any kind of external aid to maintain its economy.
Chile also has a tradition of non-interference and an extensive network of embassies that will serve this organization’s goals, Chile also an example of enduring stability and prosperity.
=Government=
President of the Republic: Michelle Bachelet Jeria
Minister of the Interior:Edmundo Pérez Yoma
Minister of Foreign Affairs:Alejandro Foxley
Minister of Defense:José Goñi
Minister of Finance:Andrés Velasco
Minister of the Presidency:José Antonio Viera-Gallo
Minister Secretary-General of Government:Francisco Vidal
Minister of Economy:Hugo Lavados
Minister of Planning and Cooperation:Paula Quintana
Minister of Education:Mónica Jiménez
Minister of Justice:Carlos Maldonado 
Minister of Labor & Social Security:Osvaldo Andrade
Minister of Public Works:Sergio Bitar
Minister of Health:Álvaro Erazo
Minister of Housing and Urban Development:Patricia Poblete
Minister of Agriculture:Marigen Hornkohl
Minister of Mining:Santiago González
Minister of Energy:Marcelo Tokman 
Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications:René Cortázar
Minister of National Property:Romy Schmidt
Minister of Women’s Affairs:Laura Albornoz
Minister of Culture:Paulina Urrutia
Minister of the Environment:Ana Lya Uriarte
Permanent Representative of Chile to UN: Heraldo Muñoz
=Recent Legislation=
*Law of Judicial Transparency 
=Resources=
*Chile on Wikipedia
*Chile on the CIA world factbook
*Chile on the BBC
*Website of the Chilean government