December 19, 2003

President Of Chile To Speak Jan. 9 At UCSD, Receive Honors

By Barry Jagoda

The President of the Republic of Chile, Ricardo Lagos, will receive the UCSD Medal, deliver a public lecture and attend a luncheon in his honor during a visit to the University of California, San Diego, Jan. 9. President Lagos will speak at 9:30 a. m. at the Institute of the Americas Auditorium on the university campus. The visit had originally been planned for October, 2003 but had been postponed due illness in President Lagos’ family.

The UCSD Medal, the University's highest honor, has previously been bestowed on a number of heads of state, including Presidents Raul Alfonsin of Argentina, Carlos Salinas of Mexico and Fidel Ramos of the Philippines.

President Lagos will also address a separate luncheon program on Jan. 9 sponsored by the Institute of the Americas. Information on tickets for this event may be obtained by phoning (858) 453-5560.

President Lagos is a highly regarded lawyer with a Ph.D in Economics from Duke. He was elected President of Chile in 2000, and that nation's economy has surpassed all the others in Latin and South America.

Explaining the honors for Lagos, Institute of the Americas President Jeffrey Davidow, himself a former Assistant Secretary of State and U.S. Ambassador, said "Chile is a success story and Ricardo Lagos deserves much of the credit for that. His willingness to serve in coalition governments after the fall of President Pinochet opened the way for a new era in Chilean democracy, and his stewardship of the economy has promoted economic development."

Media Contact: Barry Jagoda, (858) 534-8567