U.S. Ambassador Declares Chile’s Rare Minerals Crucial for National Security: Strategic Push for Control Intensifies

Original article: Chile, bajo el acecho de EE.UU. por minerales tierras raras: “Son esenciales para la seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos”, afirma embajador

U.S. Pressures for Strategic Control Over Critical Minerals in Chile

The U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Brandon Judd, publicly described the supply chains for cobalt and rare earth elements from Chile as «essential for U.S. national security.» On January 20th, he expressed support on his official X account for Chilean Cobalt Corp. (C3) to resume cobalt extraction, arguing that this would «benefit the relationship between the U.S. and Chile while creating good jobs with decent wages for the Chilean people.» This statement, along with a photo of him meeting with company executives, follows the signing of a letter of intent by C3 to acquire up to 100% of a rare earth deposit in November 2025.

Ambassador Judd’s position, quoted directly from his post, underscores a strategic and prioritized interest from Washington regarding these critical minerals, which are fundamental for the tech and defense industries. This unusual statement from a diplomatic representative explicitly linking a sovereign nation’s resources to U.S. national security marks a clear intent to influence and accelerate specific extractive projects within Chilean territory, framing them in a narrative of bilateral benefit.

This development has not gone unnoticed by certain sources:

Business Ties with the Trump Network

As the ambassador publicly applies pressure, other companies with projects in Chile deepen their connections with key Republican figures. According to an investigation published by Resumen.cl, Aclara Resources, which seeks to exploit rare earths in Penco, has forged a strategic alliance with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a political figure closely aligned with Donald Trump. In an official company video, CEO Ramón Barúa met with Landry to discuss collaboration on mineral separation technologies, a project the governor endorsed for its potential to «strengthen the United States’ rare earth supply chain.}

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Resumen.cl’s investigation highlights that Landry is not only a Republican loyalist close to Trump but also a military veteran and former police officer who has advocated for tough security policies. He currently serves as the special envoy of the Trump administration for Greenland, a territory considered vital for U.S. national security. Trump himself has supported Landry, asserting that he understands how essential Greenland is for this security. This context politicizes the alliance with Aclara significantly, placing the Chilean project within a broader, militarized geopolitical agenda.

These coordinated moves—direct diplomatic pressure and business agreements with the Republican political environment—reveal a comprehensive strategy by the Trump administration to secure access to and processing of rare earths and cobalt, utilizing Chile as a key supplier. The narrative of U.S. «national security» and «local benefit» clashes with environmental concerns and issues of sovereignty raised by these projects in local communities, presenting a complex scenario of economic dependence versus strategic autonomy for Chile.