US Ambassador to Chile Brandon Judd accused President Gabriel Boric’s administration of restricting bilateral communications since the start of Donald Trump’s term in the White House.
The diplomat’s statements come a few hours later second presidential round in Chilein a context of pronounced tension and expectation regarding possible changes in the country’s foreign policy.
In an interview with The Mercurio of Antofagasta, Brandon Judd He pointed out that he had not been able to establish a relationship since arriving in Chile “open and cooperative” with the government led by Gabriel Boric.
“It was disappointing not to be able to have that open communication with the president. There are very good people in the administration, but the president has cut off communication with the United States,” Judd said. Furthermore, he warned that this separation affects cooperation in key areas of Chilean society. particularly in matters of security and the fight against crime.
Judd emphasized this The United States is the main partner Chile’s fight against crime, an issue that expresses citizens’ concerns in recent polls
However, the Chilean government’s response was through Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Gloria de la Fuentewho rejected any breach of bilateral relations and defended the maintenance of official diplomatic channels.
De la Fuente emphasized that the State Department recently held meetings with the US mission and claimed that there are two centuries of historical relations and more than 20 years of free trade agreements.
In addition, the undersecretary explained that diplomatic relations are managed by the State Department and are subject to the constitutional authority of the President, although she clarified that relations with the United States are “cordial and active” and dialogue mechanisms are in place in economic and trade areas.
The figures from the Undersecretary of State for International Economic Relations support this vision: The United States is Chile’s second largest trading partner and the exchange reached $31,636 million at the end of 2024with an average annual growth of 6.3%.
However, the exchange of diplomatic positions takes place in a sensitive political climate. More than 15.7 million Chileans They are called to vote this Sunday to elect Boric’s successor.
The second round is approaching Jeannette Jara (Left and Progressivism) and José Antonio Kast (Radical Right), who has expressed sympathies for leaders such as Donald Trump.
Security and migration were at the center of the election debate. According to the report, Kast proposes stricter immigration policies and a greater crackdown on organized crime, and proposes the mass expulsion of migrants and the opening of new high-security prisons EFE. Jara, on the other hand, appealed to the progressive electorate and demanded achievements such as shortening the working day, the minimum wage and pension reform.
(With information from EFE)
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