Senator Iván Moreira of the UDI (Unión Demócrata Independiente, a right-wing party), vice president of the Senado (Chile's upper house of Congress) and representative of the Los Lagos region, lashed out at Brandon Judd, the United States ambassador to Chile. According to the lawmaker, the diplomat gave the country "very bad treatment" with his statements about the Strait of Magellan.
According to BioBioChile, Moreira said that "we are not your colony" and called on the Government to respond more firmly to prevent the episode from becoming a precedent for foreign interference.
The controversy began during Global Trade Day 2026, an event organized by the shipping company CSAV (Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores). There, Judd tied Washington's help on issues sensitive to Chile to Chilean cooperation with US priorities. "If you want a country that helps protect your rights over the Strait of Magellan, if you want all those things, then you will also have to work with us," the ambassador said.
In the same speech, Judd stated that his country is not uncomfortable with Chile's trade with China. He also highlighted military cooperation and collaboration between the FBI and the Policía de Investigaciones (PDI, Chile's investigative police). On tariffs, he said the negotiation will end up going "very, very well for Chile."
Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna responded from Congress. "The Strait of Magellan was, is and will always be Chilean. We can defend our sovereignty by ourselves, we do not need anyone's support," he said. He added that the Cancillería (Chile's Foreign Ministry) was considering sending a formal note of protest.
Moreira doubts that such a protest will be useful. In his view, Judd will not take it into account, because he apparently does not remember that Chile ended slavery before the United States and that the country is a sovereign republic, not a colony. According to the senator, any bilateral dialogue must start from "mutual respect" and "non-interference in our internal affairs."
The tone of the senator, who belongs to the governing coalition, goes beyond that of the government of José Antonio Kast. Pérez Mackenna defended sovereignty, but also tried to play down the conflict. He recalled that relations with Washington have historically been good and confirmed that tariff talks are continuing.
As tensions rose, Judd released an official statement. "I enjoy a good telenovela as much as anyone, but this drama is being misrepresented," he wrote. He denied having placed conditions on Chilean sovereignty and praised the understanding shown by Defense Minister Fernando Barros.
The incident touches a strategic area. The Strait of Magellan is one of the few natural passages between the Atlantic and the Pacific and is under full Chilean sovereignty. For that reason, any suggestion that its protection depends on a foreign power provokes an immediate political reaction in the country.
The episode also comes in the middle of negotiations with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led on the Chilean side by the Undersecretary of International Economic Relations, Paula Estévez. So far, the Cancillería has not said whether it will ultimately send the protest note to Washington.
