Chile Forum

We hear that the president is going to Futa today. Vicki here is your big chance to be a super star.

She gets this week to start sorting the mess out or at least acting like she is going to sort the mess out, and then I think we should start making a big scandal about it around the internet.

o.k. kids, looks like we are going to fire up the donation machine. It looks like the money is going to be needed sooner or later.

We just got off the phone with the ONEMI representative in Futaleufu. They are the Chilean version of FEMA (just not as useless). We requested an official bank account for donations be opened. He was going to work on getting one setup, and we will be in touch with him in a couple of hours.

As soon as we have that info, we will be posting it across all the web sites we can. If anyone out there has a web site, personal blog, or anything else that they would be willing to republish the info, or they would be willing to at least post a link to the donation site, we would appreciate it.

We have had on the shelf an incomplete project for promoting tourism in Futa at http://www.futaleufuchile.org/ with the tourism association in Futa. I think we will retool that web site as an information clearing house.

Bachilet can't getting anything done in disasters like this...like on the spot stuff because she has too big a balance of favors she owes rahter than owed to her...so she has to go trought the regular channels and that takes time...behavior like this only erodes confidence in the government because ...every CHilean is wondering what will happpen when the disaster hits the core population of the country...they aren't stupid, don't give up our stuff that we might need later ....it takes favors to get this stuff done because more than likely all the machinery they have is busy doing favors for someone else that no one is supposed to know about and so to protect your job from the boss axing you, you stumble around hoping and delaying untill you get your stuff back to send out on the things you are supposed to be doing....calls ring in and no one answers....that goes for supplies as well...its all in the campo of the jefe or the mother's campo of his hot and naughty secretary...

paciencia no ma'


I'm not going to say anything about putting money into a OMENI_ALLFORME_ACCOUNT in the BancoDeCH-iflados)...just sayn'


p out


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No, we are also organizing multiple other channels that people can use to donate. Some public, some private, some direct. The more the better. It is the best security that money gets through to people that need it. Many of our clients right now are sending money to their friends in the area directly. We may make an option to do something like direct adoption of say a rancher and his family.

ap and rueters photo wire:


http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow ... 08f582414/

p out

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nice photos P

We are hearing that the Argentina town of Equel is being considered for evacuation. This is bad news all the way around as it is one of the major resupply towns for Futa.

We still have had no word from the President. We seen the news photos of her arriving in Futa and going in to the city hall.

We hear that the government is going to start buying animals in the area to help the ranchers. Estimates we are hearing is anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 animals are in the area.

There are about 200 people left in Futa. The bank was still closed today and money is an issue...not that people don't have money, they can't GET money! Tomorrow the bank is supposed to be open, so as one of those people, I will go see what I am allowed to withdraw and divide it between us, our landlord and his nephew (who is our builder) - none of us have a dime and all of us need money to travel. We'll go slightly thirdsies with whatever we get out of the bank, We are butchering all the neighbors chickens in a little while and giving them to people who remain. Not because there is no food, but because there is no feed. Better to have a last supper of chicken, than to just let them die. I have no idea what is happening in el campo with animals.

We have also been told that we can travel across to Argentina without the required Argentina Seguro, and can take the dog. We'll go - tomorrow...all depends on getting money for gas to keep on trucking as far as we have to go.

Bosque wept this afternoon at the thought of butchering the family laying hens. I shudder to think what Nono and Ismael are going through with their sheeps and beloved oxen out in Sector Azul. I'm sure it's a scene that will be repeated over, and over and over.

Vicki

We just got a call from SAG. They will be issuing an official temporary waver for people to travel across the boarder with their pets.

On other fronts, we have been in touch with various offices and organizations. They are working on opening a dedicated disaster fund account for the area.

Here is the blog that has been opened by the Palena association: http://arribapalena.blogspot.com/

The president announced that all the existing agricultural loans from the government are going to be forgiven, trucks are on their way to pick up the animals and sell them, and feed for the ones remaining was also on its way.

Where is Mr. Douglass Tompkins at? He could make a lot of points being a good neighbor in this situation. He`s got the money to help out - I saw La Presidenta hugging people in Futa - I guess she feels their pain But is that all she`s going to do? Get some "face time" on TV? I have suspicions that the locals may be turn out to be unhappy with the amount quality or timeliness of the govt. aid. I hope it works out OK for everyone affected.

well showing up while there is still any sort of active danger is more than I can say for other presidents I know. Everyone here knows I am not much of a fan, but she is there and that is a start.

We got a few things in motion now, as we are slowly tracking down where everyone has relocated to and coordinating with them. We have already started, dropped, or revised a few possible plans as things have gotten worse or changed.

We have been racking our brains for more things we can do. Mostly it is just too early to tell. Most of this is up to the volcano. Someone send a PM to the Chaiten volcano and ask what the plan is.

Our hearts are just breaking for Futa.

Golden opportunity missed...."Go for broke Mister T"..

A couple of Chinook's landing in a near area,giving away one gallon jugs of "american" water and supplies,courtesy of Mr. Douglass Tompkins, will solve a lot of his visa problems or not...He might become more popular than la "Senora" and unwrap the fury of the government and he easily can be deported for that infamous spitting in the sidewalk that happened many years ago,which has been properly"documented"....

Meantime, the President has promised subsidies to whom.....?

The families that host and give shelter to the displaced ones ...

Oh Vicki I,m so sad for Bosque and Nono and Ismael, they have been on my mind all day. I'm breaking a long silence, though I have been lurking for a while , personal trajedies that now seem insignificant.> God!! I pray this is one of those 6 day wonders and not a prolonged disaster like Montserrat has been in in the Caribbean, my eyes are watering tonight not just for you, but from the tons of SO2 that continues to spue , a hundred plus miles away from the Soufriere Hills volcano.What a price we pay for paradise! Be safe, take care, many of us all over the gd place have you in our thoughts. yes! and please take care of the dear wench!

Well, Mr T or some of his organizations have land in Futa. A lot of it. We cross property lines once in a while with them and our client's property.

We will put them on the to call list.

I am not sure, but the Chaiten Volcano I think might be at least in part inside Pumalin Park South. I know that was the first area evacuated, and just eye balling the volcano from the photos I am fairly certain I know what it use to be. That glacier on top of that lava dome looked like it would make a great ski resort. It is eye catching when you are in the area (now it really is).