The US has barred a Chilean Cabinet minister and two other officials from being able to enter the country, part of a diplomatic rebuke over Chile’s trade ties with China, including a proposed undersea cable that could link them.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said the Chilean officials were undermining regional security, and he triggered individual travel bans.
“These individuals and their immediate family members will be generally ineligible for entry into the United States, and any US visas held by them have been revoked,” he said.
Photo: EPA
Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs Alberto van Klaveren said the US’ concerns relate to a request by two private companies to lay a submarine cable linking Chile to Hong Kong.
“The US government believes that cable could in some way pose a threat to its security,” van Klaveren said.
The proposal remains in an early stage and a final decision has not yet been made, he added.
Chilean Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Juan Carlos Munoz confirmed that he is among the three officials targeted with the visa cancelations.
Munoz, widely seen as a technocrat, has led Chile’s efforts to become a digital hub by establishing a series of undersea cables to shore up connectivity. The latest project is cofinanced by Alphabet Inc’s Google and would run from Chile to Australia.
“We don’t discriminate with respect to the origins of different projects and analyze them based on their own merits,” he said, adding that such projects cannot be approved if they threaten Chile’s sovereignty or national security.
Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was surprised by the visa cancelations and rejected the accusation that it had compromised “the security of the continent or third countries.”
It described the US announcement as out of step with its historic ties to Washington, which it sees as a “strategic ally,” and added that US Ambassador to Chile Brandon Judd had been summoned to explain the reasons behind the decision.
“This is a warning sign that should not be taken lightly,” New York University political scientist Patricio Navia said. “The growing confrontation between China and the US is putting South American countries between a rock and a hard place.”
Chile might be forced to take sides, he said.
“It is in the best interest of Chile to remain friends with the US and keep strong trade and cooperation ties with China. Having to choose sides would be devastating for Chile,” Navia added.
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