The Police drummer apologizes to Chile president

Reuters, Dec 5, 2007 11:00 am PST
The drummer for The Police apologized to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet for comments decried as derogatory by the government and invited her to attend Wednesday's concert in Santiago.

Stewart Copeland, whose rock band is on the South American leg of a reunion tour, told Chile's Mercurio newspaper in an interview published in October: "Look, the future President of Argentina would be good for one beer; yours (would be good) for four."

While it was not clear what Copeland meant with the comments, many Chileans took them to mean he found their first woman president, Bachelet, less attractive than Argentine president-elect Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who will be her country's first elected female leader.

Copeland said in a letter to Bachelet -- circulated by the government on Wednesday -- that his words were taken out of context.

"I was mortified to learn this remark reached you and you were asked to comment on such a trivial matter," Copeland, a co-founder of The Police, said in the letter.

Bachelet did not comment on the letter.

"If by chance you are able, Sting, Andy (Summers) and I would welcome the opportunity to personally express our admiration for you and your wonderful country by extending an invitation to you and your guests to attend our performance," Copeland said.

(Reporting by Pav Jordan, editing by Jackie Frank)

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