Chilean civil servants are on strike today, after last week’s protests.  Civil servants are still requesting a general pay rise of 8 to 10 per cent for salaries below 800 thousand pesos. During the last negotiations, the government only agreed to a 2.5 per cent increase.

This time, health workers are also joining the movement and are calling on patients to turn to health services in case of emergency only.

President Michelle Bachelet

President Michelle Bachelet is starting an official visit in South Korea, China and Singapore.  Her trip aims at consolidating bilateral trade relationships between these Asian countries and Chile.

She is flying today to South Korea, where she will discuss the Free Trade Agreement signed by both countries in 2004.

The right-wing “Coalition for Change”, led by Presidential candidate Sebastian Pinera, is divided over gay issues.

Pinera’s team has produced a TV spot showing a gay couple. Some members of the coalition are opposed to its broadcasting, which they believe contradicts their family values, and could do more harm than good to their candidate.

However, Senator Evelyn Matthei insisted that the spot be broadcast on TV as planned. She said a majority within Pinera’s party was in favour of its diffusion, and that nobody could lose votes for “treating a group of people with respect.”

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