A spokesman for the U.S. State Department confirmed that the new Chilean president and the U.S. Secretary of State discussed the case of a Penn State professor who has been missing since 1985.

State Department spokesman Justin Higgins said Chilean president Michelle Bachelet and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the case of Penn State mathematics professor Boris Weisfeiler.

Weisfeiler disappeared 21 years ago while he was on a hiking trip in the mountains in southern Chile.

"[Rice] emphasized the importance that the U.S. government attaches to this case, and Chilean president Bachelet said it was important to the Chilean government as well," Higgins said.

Initial investigations by the Chilean government had concluded that Weisfeiler had drowned in the Los Sauces River.

His sister, Olga Weisfeiler, has been working for the past two decades to confirm her belief that the Chilean government mistook her brother for a U.S. government agent, a spy or an insurgent.

She believes that he was taken to Colonia Dignidad, an area that is notorious for the interrogation and torture of political prisoners.

Higgins said Bachelet added that there were new investigations going on concerning Villa Baviera (which was formerly Colonia Dignidad), and more information is still being uncovered.

Rice traveled to Chile to be a part of the inauguration ceremonies for the first female Chilean president.

Prior to her trip, several legislators, including Pennsylvania's U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum and Rep. John Peterson, sent a letter to Rice urging her to make the case a priority during discussions with the new president.

Robert Traynham, spokesman for Santorum, said the senator became involved because Boris Weisfeiler, as a Penn State professor, was a constituent, and Santorum wanted to do everything he possibly could to aid in the case.

"At this time, it is about the Department of State doing everything it possibly can do to get to the bottom of this," Traynham said.

In regards to the future of the case, Higgins said he is unaware of any specific plans on the part of the U.S. government.

"I expect our embassy in Chile will keep on top of this issue," Higgins said.