CHILE’S AUSTERE FISCAL POLICY, IMPLEMENTED TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY, HAS LEFT THE COUNTRY WITH “A SUBSTANTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICIT,” AND HAS OPENED UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR ATLANTA CONSTRUCTION, RAILROAD AND PORT FACILITY COMPANIES, SAID GABRIEL GUERRA-MONDRAGON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHILE, AT A LUNCHEON AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER-ATLANTA ON DEC. 9.
RAILROADS AND THE NATIONAL PORT AUTHORITY ARE BEING PRIVATIZED, AND WILL NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, SAID MR. GUERRA-MONDRAGON.
THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO PLANNING EXPANSIONS OF SUBWAYS AND AIRPORT FACILITIES, WHICH ARE STILL UNDER STATE CONTROL, HE SAID.
IN ADDITION, CHILE’S FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH MERCOSUR CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN CHILE AND MEMBERS OF MERCOSUR, MR. GUERRA-MONDRAGON SAID. “THERE ARE ONLY TWO PAVED ROADS BETWEEN CHILE AND ARGENTINA, AND NEITHER IS ADEQUATE FOR COMMERCE,” HE ADDED.
ANOTHER GROWTH AREA OF CHILE IS ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY, HE SAID.
“IN THE RUSH TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILE, THE ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN IGNORED,” SAID THE AMBASSADOR. AIR QUALITY IS POOR, HE SAID, AND THERE IS RAW SEWAGE IN MANY RIVERS.
OPPORTUNITIES IN COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ARE GROWING AS CHILEAN COMPANIES TRYING TO COMPETE ON A GLOBAL BASIS DEMAND UP-TO-DATE EQUIPMENT, HE ADDED.
PROCESSED FOODS ARE ALSO BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT AS INCOMES RISE AND CHILEANS ARE ABLE TO AFFORD BETTER QUALITY FOOD IN LARGER QUANTITIES, HE SAID.
MR. GUERRA-MONDRAGON HAS BEEN THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHILE SINCE 1994. HE STUDIED AT FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, THE SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO SCHOOL OF LAW.