\n
\nA fines de junio, la presidenta Michelle Bachelet visit\u00f3 Washington, DC, tras una invitaci\u00f3n del presidente Barack Obama. Como la segunda mandataria latinoamericana en ser recibida en la Casa Blanca desde que el nuevo gobierno asumi\u00f3 el mando de Estados Unidos, despu\u00e9s de la visita del presidente de Brasil, Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva, Bachelet viaj\u00f3 con una importante delegaci\u00f3n pol\u00edtica y comercial que incluy\u00f3 al presidente de AmCham<\/b>, Ricardo Garc\u00eda. <\/p>\n
Durante su visita, aprovech\u00f3 la oportunidad para encontrarse con un grupo de m\u00e1s de 200 l\u00edderes empresariales en un desayuno auspiciado conjuntamente con el Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), la C\u00e1mara de Comercio de Estados Unidos y la C\u00e1mara Chileno Americana en Washington (CamCham). Tras calificar de \u201cexcelentes\u201d las relaciones bilaterales, la mandataria invit\u00f3 a los empresarios estadounidenses a continuar creyendo en Chile y a invertir a\u00fan m\u00e1s en \u00e9l.<\/p>\n
Hablando en ingl\u00e9s, la presidenta se refiri\u00f3 a la fortaleza y madurez de las relaciones bilaterales tanto en t\u00e9rminos econ\u00f3micos como pol\u00edticos. Estados Unidos ha sido por mucho tiempo el socio comercial y de inversi\u00f3n m\u00e1s importante de Chile y los resultados del Tratado de Libre Comercio de los dos pa\u00edses ha superado todas las expectativas, no s\u00f3lo en t\u00e9rminos de vol\u00famenes, sino tambi\u00e9n en su naturaleza mutuamente beneficiosa, afirm\u00f3 la jefa de Estado en el desayuno. <\/p>\n
La presidenta Bachelet enfatiz\u00f3 el compromiso de Chile con el crecimiento y la equidad -sellos de su Gobierno- e identific\u00f3 la s\u00f3lida gesti\u00f3n econ\u00f3mica como un factor clave del \u00e9xito de Chile. Su compromiso de ahorrar en los buenos tiempos -como refleja la creaci\u00f3n de su fondo de riqueza soberana- le ha permitido gastar y entregar est\u00edmulo fiscal al empleo y una red de seguridad social para los miembros vulnerables de la sociedad en los actuales tiempos de vacas flacas, destac\u00f3. Si bien reconoci\u00f3 la necesidad de realizar mejoras en la calidad de los programas de Gobierno, en particular en aquellos relacionados con la educaci\u00f3n, la mandataria a\u00f1adi\u00f3 que Chile ha logrado un equilibrio entre sus estrategias pol\u00edticas, econ\u00f3micas y sociales que tambi\u00e9n ha servido a las personas.<\/p>\n
La presidenta tambi\u00e9n hizo hincapi\u00e9 en el actual compromiso de Chile con la integraci\u00f3n pol\u00edtica y econ\u00f3mica a trav\u00e9s del fortalecimiento de las relaciones bilaterales y multilaterales, incluidos los pa\u00edses miembros de la APEC, la Uni\u00f3n Europea y Am\u00e9rica Latina as\u00ed como con Estados Unidos. En esta \u00e1rea, enfatiz\u00f3 la importancia de construir puentes como un medio para alcanzar consensos sobre soluciones pol\u00edticamente viables y de largo plazo para temas clave, una estrategia que Chile tambi\u00e9n ha usado internamente para resolver importantes desaf\u00edos locales.<\/p>\n
Con respecto a Estados Unidos, la presidenta Bachelet dio a conocer claramente una s\u00f3lida relaci\u00f3n basada en una mentalidad pol\u00edtica similar y una estrecha relaci\u00f3n personal entre los dos jefes de Estado, as\u00ed como tambi\u00e9n entre los gobiernos de ambas naciones. Su opini\u00f3n, dijo, es que los dos pa\u00edses tienen un privilegiado di\u00e1logo pol\u00edtico que se ha desarrollado m\u00e1s all\u00e1 del comercio y refleja visiones compartidas sobre las agendas global y regional que apuntan a los esfuerzos conjuntos sobre las iniciativas \u201cCaminos a la Prosperidad en las Am\u00e9ricas\u201d y \u201cArco del Pac\u00edfico\u201d. A fin de cuentas, sostuvo, la fortaleza de la relaci\u00f3n est\u00e1 anclada en los valores compartidos de democracia, mercados abiertos y protecci\u00f3n de los derechos humanos. <\/p>\n
Ilustrando las continuas oportunidades ofrecidas por esta relaci\u00f3n, el desayuno sirvi\u00f3 como el punto de reuni\u00f3n para la suscripci\u00f3n de un memorando de entendimiento entre Chile y Estados Unidos sobre energ\u00edas renovables. Esto abre nuevas \u00e1reas para la colaboraci\u00f3n entre los dos Gobiernos as\u00ed como tambi\u00e9n nuevas oportunidades para la inversi\u00f3n del sector privado en energ\u00edas renovables en Chile.<\/p>\n
La presidenta cerr\u00f3 el evento invitando a la comunidad empresarial de Estados Unidos a seguir creyendo en Chile y a invertir a\u00fan m\u00e1s ah\u00ed, no s\u00f3lo para apuntar al mercado local del pa\u00eds, sino que tambi\u00e9n como una plataforma para hacer negocios m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de sus fronteras. Asimismo la mandataria invit\u00f3 a los presentes a participar en el Foro de Competitividad de las Am\u00e9ricas que se celebrar\u00e1 en Chile en septiembre.<\/p>\n
La presidenta Bachelet encant\u00f3 completamente a los presentes no s\u00f3lo por afirmar que la \u201cresponsabilidad rinde frutos en el largo plazo\u201d, sino tambi\u00e9n por su generosidad, simpat\u00eda y calidez personal.<\/p>\n
Kathleen C. Barclay<\/b> es ex presidenta de AmCham Chile y presidenta del Comit\u00e9 Editorial de la C\u00e1mara.
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\nLate last month, President Michelle Bachelet visited Washington, DC, on the invitation of President Barack Obama. Only the second Latin American president after Brazil\u2019s Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva to be received in the White House since the new administration took office, she traveled with an important political and business delegation that included AmCham<\/b> president, Ricardo Garc\u00eda. <\/p>\n
During her visit, she took the opportunity to address a group of over 200 business leaders at a breakfast sponsored jointly by the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Chilean American Chamber in Washington (CamCham). Describing bilateral relations as \u201cexcellent\u201d, she invited U.S. businesspeople to continue to believe in Chile and to invest even more. <\/p>\n
Speaking in English, she referred to the strength and maturity of bilateral relations in both economic and political terms. The U.S. has long been Chile\u2019s most important trading and investment partner and the results of the two countries\u2019 Free Trade Agreement have exceeded all expectations, not only in terms of volumes but also of their mutually beneficial nature, she told the breakfast. <\/p>\n
President Bachelet emphasized Chile\u2019s commitment to growth and equity – hallmarks of her government – and identified solid economic management as a key factor in Chile\u2019s success. Its commitment to saving in good times – as reflected in the creation of its sovereign wealth fund – has enabled it to spend and provide fiscal stimulus for employment and a social safety net for vulnerable members of society in the present leaner times, she pointed out. Although recognizing the need for improvements in the quality of government programs, particularly those related to education, she added that Chile has achieved a balance between its political, economic and social strategies that has served its people well.<\/p>\n
She also drew attention to Chile\u2019s ongoing commitment to economic and political integration through strengthened bilateral and multilateral relationships, including APEC countries, the European Union and Latin America as well as the United States. In this area, she emphasized the importance of building bridges as a means to developing consensus on long-term politically viable solutions to key issues – a strategy that Chile has also used internally to resolve major domestic challenges.<\/p>\n
With respect to the United States, President Bachelet clearly articulated a strong relationship based on political like-mindedness and a close personal relationship between the two heads of state, as well as between the administrations of both countries. Her belief, she said, is that the two countries have a privileged political dialogue that has developed beyond trade and reflects shared views on global and regional agendas pointing to joint efforts on the \u201cPathways to Prosperity\u201d and \u201cPacific Arc\u201d initiatives. At the end of the day, she said, the relationship\u2019s strength is anchored in the shared values of democracy, open markets and protection of human rights. <\/p>\n
Illustrating the continuing opportunities afforded by this relationship, the breakfast served as the venue for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Chile and the U.S. on renewable energy. This opens new areas for collaboration between the two governments as well as new opportunities for private-sector investment in renewable energy in Chile.<\/p>\n
The President closed the event by inviting the U.S. business community to continue to believe in Chile and to invest even more there, not only to target the country\u2019s domestic market but also as a platform for doing business beyond its borders. She invited all those present to participate in the Americas Competitiveness Forum to be held in Chile in September.<\/p>\n
She won the hearts as well as the minds of those present not only by her statement that \u201cresponsibility pays in the long run\u201d but also by her personal warmth, charm, and generosity.<\/p>\n
Kathleen C. Barclay<\/b> is a past president of AmCham Chile and chair of the Chamber\u2019s Editorial Committee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A fines de junio, la presidenta Michelle Bachelet visit\u00f3 Washington, DC, tras una invitaci\u00f3n del presidente Barack Obama. Como la segunda mandataria latinoamericana en ser recibida en la Casa Blanca desde que el nuevo gobierno asumi\u00f3 el mando de Estados Unidos, despu\u00e9s de la visita del presidente de Brasil, Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva, Bachelet viaj\u00f3 con una importante delegaci\u00f3n pol\u00edtica y comercial que incluy\u00f3 al presidente de AmCham<\/b>, Ricardo Garc\u00eda.Late last month, President Michelle Bachelet visited Washington, DC, on the invitation of President Barack Obama. Only the second Latin American president after Brazil\u2019s Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva to be received in the White House since the new administration took office, she traveled with an important political and business delegation that included AmCham<\/b> president, Ricardo Garc\u00eda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","news_tax":[],"user_type":[],"class_list":["post-4117","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n