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I just heard the people in Caleta Llico rejected the Techos para Chile temporary housing they sent. They are designed for Santiago. No insulation. No heating. No protection from the rain.

We have a new mission. Techos para el sur de Chile (roofs for the south of Chile).

Charles,
I could not be more proud to be a part of this group.
Vina Lomas de Cauquenes was our first Chilean export in 2004 and we have been with them since as their second largest exporter, behind the UK. They were the first Organic vineyard in Chile, the first Fairtrade and along with our help, got them a visit from Presidenta Bachelet as I helped establish their Pais varietal as an official denomination of origin. When I received the email from their winemaker on Monday saying that they had lost tons of wine from the tanks and that their farmers and coop members were in desperate needs and without homes, I couldnt move fast enough to get them on the list of the top needy. They were so concerned that on top of these issues they didnt have the money at the moment to pay the coop members for the wine lost that I hoped we could do something for them fast.

I have to thank you once again and to the entire AllChile team, Spencer Global and the AllChile Search and Rescue team for the continued good that I have been proud to say I am a part of.

Sincerely,

Chris

No worries. The ALLCHILE.NET air force is on the way. We are going to make the Berlin airdrop look like amateur hour.

We have news about what the real problems are there. Our pilot Vince was pissed when he landed tonight to do recon and seen the problem and is sending photos of the hanger where there is aid stacked to the roof.

There is an entire hanger full of aid allready there, but he did not see one truck go out while he was on the ground.

We had to send special instruction to the military designating that the aid from our planes that are going to start landing in the morning not be redirected. Otherwise the military just takes the aid and secures it or sends it somewhere else. We now have a military liaison officer that is helping us insure our aid is left alone when it hits the ground, but we are going to have one eye on the situation all day to make sure the aid we are sending does not end up in that hanger.

The vineyards owners and management is going to help us distribute the aid to the workers.

By the way, when this is all over my wife has requested a bottle of wine. She really needs it (i might help drink it too).

Charles,

Keep in contact with Felipe, the winemaker and Saul, the GM, they are the best eyes on the ground and Felipe knows everyone there. Let me know if you need help, I talk to them all day on Skype.
Let me know as well any specifics you find about bad coordination so I can speak to my govt contacts. They tend to listen to me as a US based investor in Chile. I have pulled power a few times, most recently in getting my trade samples of EVOO and wine routed as an official embassy attache when no one elses left the country due to customs issues.

As for the wine, let me know what you like, I will have it sent to you asap.
Please PM me your address in Temuco.

PM me your skype also if you use it, I am on there all day and its a faster contact.


Chris

The best way to reach us is by my U.S. phone number in my signature. That is a vonage line. We stopped using skype in Chile some time ago because of connection problems (mostly software problems with people calling us, rather than us calling them). PM me your U.S. landline number if you like and I will give you a call. All our calls are free internationally.

I am a fan of syrah and my wife likes Carmenere, but we are really not all that picky (hold the merlot please). I hope one day we can all share a glass of Chilean wine in a rebuilt Chile.

Cauquenes isnt known for either but their Sauv Blanc and Carignan are very good.
I can get you the best Syrah I have ever had from our other supplier in Chile, but feel its more fitting to send you something from Cauquenes. I will get a mixed assortment case for you guys.
Isnt it 3am there?

Yea, that post was mas o menos 3 AM. We also think wine from the area we are helping would just taste better.

We have cloud cover in Temuco, but that often lifts by noon.

Vince is in LA, and reporting that it looks like he will be able to fly.

We are really worried about this aid redirection problem. We are calling everyone with the tail numbers, license plates of cars that are going to pick it up, to make sure it gets out.

We are hearing about this problem over and over again in various locations. The aid is on the ground, but the governors and the mayors are fighting over who should have authority over the distribution. In the mean time, the aid is just sitting on runways and in warehouses around the 8th and 9th region.

This is a common problem with big govt but I think you have the best plan, focus on the individual need and make sure what we do doesnt get routed back to the stockpile.

Vince is on his way back to Temuco, after delivering everything he could today. We will know more as soon as he checks in here shortly. We also have trucks on the way Sunday.

We need to get the doctors, vince's brother, and the university students off the island. We also need to get the shipment of insulin to the island, and the weather seems to be improving here.

Sending Donations:

I just called US Bank. They said I could go to my local branch and make a deposit into Charles' account.

Charles, if you're ok with this method let me know. For those of us with a US Bank branch close by it will solve the wire transfer fee.

Yea, hold on. I just got an email that someone had trouble wiring to that account. I am verifying that all the info is correct.

Man, I just can not get break. Either from the banks or the earthquakes. At least I know what kind of damage the earthquakes will do.

There was two errors. One was my zip code, correct info below and around the site (I need a vacation). The other was I called BofA, and the lady never told me the first time that my account was not active. I spent 15 mins on the phone with her making sure I had all the transfer info correct. This time I called they told me it was not active and they activated the account, but it will take 2-3 days.

1. In the U.S.A. and from outside Chile:

Wire or electronic transfer to the following account in dollars:
Charles Spencer
Bank of America
Account Number: 501003045121
ABA / Electronic Routing number: 026009593
SWIFT Number: bofaus3n

If they ask for an address, use:

205 North Lamb Unit D
Las Vegas, NV
89110

We need to plan better next time for international banking disasters.

House Votes for Faster Tax Breaks for Chile Gifts

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10062631

The House has passed a bill that would allow taxpayers to write off charitable donations to Chile earthquake relief efforts when they file their 2009 taxes this spring.

Under current law, donors would have to wait until next year, when they file their 2010 returns, to claim the deductions. The House bill would allow donations made by April 15 to be deducted on 2009 returns.

The House passed the bill Wednesday on a voice vote, with no opposition. It now goes to the Senate. Congress passed a similar bill for donations to Haiti quake victims made before the end of February. The bill would extend the deadline for Haiti donations until April 15 as well.