Lautaro Carmona, president of the Communist Party (PC), joined the call from 14 opposition deputies. The lawmakers asked the Foreign Ministry to declare Brandon Judd, the United States ambassador to Chile, persona non grata.
The complaint concerns the diplomat's public remarks on three sensitive issues: the Strait of Magellan, Chile's sovereignty in Antarctica and the social uprising of 2019. According to El Mostrador, Carmona expressed his support in an interview with Estado Nacional, the TVN program.
The party leader accused Judd of overstepping his role. In his view, a diplomat should act cautiously and need not make all his dealings public. Carmona said the ambassador "walks like an elephant in a glassware shop".
He also said Judd "is repeatedly challenging the established authority within the country". He was referring to the government of President José Antonio Kast. The sources do not report a response from the executive branch or the Foreign Ministry to the deputies' request.
Carmona warned that the ambassador's remarks could lead to misinterpretations and a conflict with consequences for the peoples of Chile and Argentina. "He is playing on territory that is not his; we are far from the United States", he said. According to Radio Universidad de Chile, the party leader sees those positions as a provocation aimed at casting doubt on Chilean territorial sovereignty in relation to third countries.
The PC leader clarified that he does not intend to sever bilateral relations. In his view, withdrawing confidence in a diplomat through formal channels is a legitimate tool. Asked about the option of starting with a note of protest, he said he hoped that measure would have an effect, but insisted that the discussion was already underway.
Carmona also questioned whether Judd was acting on orders from Washington and suggested that it could be a personal initiative. He nevertheless described his conduct as "the expression of an imperial policy". "We are not protectorates", he said.
Radio Universidad de Chile added that the party leader warned of the risk of submitting to possible tariff retaliation from the United States. For Carmona, the real cost to Chile would be to remain silent and give up a critical perspective, although he acknowledged that the country must find a balance.
The PC is not alone in this position. Karim Bianchi, a senator for Magallanes, had already called for the ambassador's departure and described his remarks as provocative and insulting.
In the same interview, Carmona discussed former President Michelle Bachelet, who left the door open to a third presidential bid. He emphasized that she has "the highest approval" on the left, but avoided stating a position in advance. This Thursday, the PC will meet with Bachelet to learn about her proposal in detail.
