The U.S. ambassador to Chile on Monday defended visa restrictions imposed on three high-ranking Chilean officials, characterizing them as a “sovereign decision” in response to activities the United States says threatened regional security. Ambassador Brandon Judd’s defense came after the Trump administration announced the travel bans, citing the officials’ alleged involvement in a proposed submarine fiber optic cable project linking Chile with China. The restrictions have sparked a sharp rebuke from Chile’s left-wing government.
The visa bans mark the latest escalation in mounting tensions between Chile and the Trump administration, coming as Chile transitions from a president openly critical of Trump to a far-right successor the administration has welcomed.
Among the three sanctioned officials is Chile’s Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz. The U.S. State Department, in an announcement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, accused the three of carrying out “activities that compromised critical telecommunications infrastructure and eroded regional security.”
U.S. Defense of the Restrictions
Judd defended the restrictions at a news conference in Santiago on Monday, saying the decision reflected Washington’s right to determine who enters U.S. territory. “It’s our sovereign right to take actions when we feel that the region’s security is being threatened,” he said.
The ambassador claimed the U.S. had exhausted diplomatic channels before resorting to sanctions and said that despite repeated warnings about the submarine cable project, still in evaluation phase, Chilean authorities failed to provide the necessary transparency.
Chile’s Condemnation
President Gabriel Boric, whose government faces the loss of power to far-right politician José Antonio Kast in two weeks, condemned the move as both overreach and an infringement on Chilean sovereignty. Boric accused the Trump administration of issuing “indeterminate accusations” and “applying unilateral sanctions” without specificity.
Boric has been one of the most vocal critics of Trump in Latin America, characterizing the U.S. president’s leadership style as that of a “new emperor.” Trump, for his part, has expressed dissatisfaction with Boric while openly welcoming Kast’s election victory in December.
Broader Tensions and Future Relations
Responding to criticism from the Chilean government, Judd said the U.S. posed “no threats” to Chile. “What we have strictly told you all the time is that everything we do depends upon communication and security,” he said.
The ambassador, without naming specific countries, referenced what he described as “many malicious actors in this region that want to cause harm, not just to this region and to Chile, but to the United States as well.”
Relations between Chile and the United States have deteriorated significantly under Trump’s second term. Upon Kast’s expected assumption of power, Judd indicated the U.S. would prioritize collaboration with the new administration. “We look forward to working with the new government to provide what the Chilean people demanded,” he said.