According to the U.S. media outlet, the decision would show a rapid alignment of Chile’s President with Donald Trump.
President José Antonio Kast is expected to sign an agreement related to critical minerals and security today, among his first measures as acting head of state. This was reported by the U.S. media outlet Bloomberg.
“Early Thursday morning, on his first full day in office, Kast’s administration plans to sign broad agreements with the United States to boost cooperation on critical minerals and security, according to people familiar with the schedule who were not authorized to speak publicly,” said the report published yesterday titled “Chile’s New President Moves Quickly to Align With Trump’s Agenda.” The article highlights that Chile “has just inaugurated a right-wing president who will quickly signal his intention to bring the copper-rich country closer to the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.”
Regarding the agreements expected to be signed, Bloomberg noted that Kast’s press office did not respond to requests for comment, and a press official for Chile’s incoming Minister of Economy and Mining declined to make a statement. The White House also did not respond to a request for comment.
The outlet indicates that the Trump administration is strengthening its ties with Chile at a time when it seeks to reduce U.S. dependence on China for the supply of critical minerals. “In metals, Chile is a global heavyweight, the world’s largest producer of copper and home to roughly one-third of the world’s lithium reserves.”
At a summit held in Washington last month, the Trump administration signed similar agreements with 11 countries, including Argentina, Peru, and Ecuador.
“There is a historic opportunity for Chile,” Juan Ignacio Guzmán, director of the mining consultancy GEM, told Bloomberg, adding that the country’s undeveloped rare earth deposits could also gain prominence.
“The United States is seeking to secure more resilient supply chains that rely less on China, and Chile is a natural partner in that effort given its leadership in copper and lithium,” said Juan Carlos Guajardo, founder of the Chilean consultancy Plusmining.
Bloomberg also noted that during what is usually a smooth transition from one administration to the next, “Kast publicly clashed with Boric this month over a Chinese fiber-optic cable project that the United States strongly opposes, arguing that outgoing authorities had not disclosed key information about the sensitive plans.”
The United States imposed visa restrictions on three outgoing officials from Boric’s government, alleging a broader threat to regional security. Boric’s administration denied having withheld information about the initiative, which is still pending approval.
At the time, the Chinese embassy in Chile accused the United States of showing an “evident disregard for Chile’s sovereignty, dignity, and national interests.”
Source: Emol