Op-Ed

It has captured the imagination of the international policy and business world, but will the alliance create a knowledge and technology-intensive Chilean economy?

The Pacific Alliance, an economic integration initiative among Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, once seemed destined to become just another acronym in the Alphabet Soup of Latin American regional blocs.

Analysis: As rumors link Manuel Pellegrini to giants Manchester City, questions emerge about the Chilean’s compatibility with the cut-throat world of English football.

‘The Engineer’ and the anomaly

Manuel Pellegrini, the 59-year-old Chilean manager, looks to be on the verge of taking over at Manchester City, arguably the world’s most endowed soccer club.

Analysis: Juventus’ Chilean star could herald a new era in European soccer.
 
Arturo Vidal, the combative Chilean midfielder, scored the winning goal for Juventus on Sunday in the Italian giant’s game against Palermo. The 25-year-old Santiago-born soccer star converted from the penalty spot in the 59th minute to secure his team its 29th Serie A title, though fans of the Turin-based club claim it as their 31st; a reference to two league trophies stripped of the club following the “Calciopoli” 2006 match-fixing scandal.
 
Recent strikes by port workers and miners show once again that the country’s economic model has excluded wide swaths of society. The response of political and business leaders shows that they still do not get the point.

The last month has seen another outburst of popular discontent in Chile. Workers at the northern port of Angamos went on strike March 16, after port operator Ultramar responded to a regulation limiting hours worked per week by axing workers’ thirty minute lunch break. Dock workers  around the country joined in solidarity, grinding the country’s export infrastructure to a halt for over two weeks. Most recently, workers at state-owned Codelco, the source of around 10 percent of the world’s copper, held a 24-hour strike to demand better pensions and enforcement of subcontracting laws.

Analysis: Despite revealing support for military junta within Catholic Church, cables don’t change defense of human rights by Chilean clergy.

In October 1973, leaders at the highest levels of the Catholic Church held strong opinions of the recent military coup in Chile. Kept secret until recently revealed by Wikileaks, the views are chilling: Hearty, uncritical support of the military junta and a nasty, pompous attack on those trying to get the facts to the world about the ongoing human rights violations in Chile.

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