Senate Vice President Iván Moreira (UDI) called on President José Antonio Kast on Tuesday to speak directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The reason: new remarks by the US ambassador to Chile, Brandon Judd, about Chilean sovereignty in Antarctica and the Strait of Magellan.
According to La Tercera, Moreira dismissed the idea that formal diplomatic channels would resolve the dispute. "We all know that Chile's government is not going to declare him persona non grata," he said. He added that Kast must resolve the problem with Rubio, Donald Trump's top diplomat.
The controversy flared up again when Judd said that "there is no Antarctica that belongs to Chile". According to CNN Chile, that statement came days after other remarks by the ambassador about US cooperation and Chilean sovereignty in the Strait of Magellan.
Chile claims sovereignty over a sector of Antarctica and considers the Strait of Magellan part of its territory. Judd's remarks therefore prompted reactions across various sectors. Opposition deputies called for him to be declared persona non grata, a designation that requires a diplomat to leave the country. Other lawmakers demanded his departure.
Moreira was skeptical. He maintained that Trump would not withdraw his ambassador and that Judd would not heed the Foreign Ministry's protest notes either. "We must not be naive," he said, because the diplomat speaks on behalf of the US president. According to the senator, Trump's foreign policy uses his representatives as a means of exerting pressure.
The governing coalition lawmaker acknowledged a dilemma for the government. On one hand, Kast seeks to improve relations with Washington. On the other, Chile must maintain a balance between China and the United States and continue opening markets to attract investment, amid what Moreira called a "chaotic situation" in the economy.
His proposal is simple: "Pick up the phone" and reach an agreement with Rubio so that Judd stops acting like a politician instead of a diplomat. "This issue has to be resolved because it cannot go on any longer," he warned.
That same day, Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado said that interventions of this kind "distract" and "generate media noise". He also reaffirmed that Chilean sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan is not subject to negotiation or pressure.
Moreira ended with a warning. If Chile allows an ambassador free rein to say whatever he wants, it will set "a very bad precedent", because other diplomats accredited in the country will feel they have the same freedom. So far, the government has not said whether Kast will contact Rubio.
