Original article: Kast firmó «declaración conjunta» con EEUU sobre minerales críticos y tierras raras: Diputados de oposición criticaron «falta de transparencia»

Kast Signs Joint Declaration with the U.S. on Critical Minerals and Rare Earths Amid Opposition Calls for Transparency

In one of his initial actions after taking office, José Antonio Kast’s government signed a «Joint Declaration for Establishing Consultations on Critical Minerals and Rare Earths» with the United States.

The agreement was formalized during a bilateral meeting between Chile’s President and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to a statement from the national foreign office, «The document was signed by Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna and Deputy Secretary Landau, in the presence of the President of the Republic.»

The statement details that the signed text «reaffirms the close cooperation ties between both countries, both under the 2003 Free Trade Agreement and various multilateral forums.»

Furthermore, the note adds that «mutual support in the supply of critical minerals is essential for national security and the industrial sectors of both countries,» noting that these minerals «are vital for the production of advanced technologies.»

Finally, the Joint Declaration aims to generate actions that «promote resilience and security in the supply chains of critical minerals. In this regard, consultations will be established between the corresponding technical counterparts concerning critical minerals and rare earths,» added the Ministry.

Regarding these consultations, it was mentioned that «they will seek to address the development of mechanisms that strengthen the supply chains of critical minerals and rare earths; the joint identification of projects of interest to address gaps in priority supply chains; the management of scrap from critical minerals and rare earths to support diversification; and exploring financing mechanisms, both private and state, for investment projects in critical minerals.»

Kast’s government announced that the first of these consultations will take place within the next 15 days, with the aim of reaching an agreement on these matters.

«They Will Have to Provide Explanations»

Once the news of this agreement’s signing became known, immediate reactions arose. From Congress, Deputy Lorena Fries (FA) criticized that «Kast’s government signed an agreement whose content we do not know,» demanding transparency from the new President.

«Citizens need to understand the decisions he makes, why he makes them, how he justifies them, and where he aims to take the country. That is transparency,» asserted Deputy Fries.

In this vein, the lawmaker announced that «as the FA parliamentary group, we will file a request and summon the Foreign Relations Committee to inform us about the implications and potential violations of sovereignty over our natural resources. Politics must be done openly with the country,» she emphasized.

Meanwhile, Deputy Jorge Brito (also from FA) stated that «it’s a poor starting point that the new Foreign Minister has to go to Congress to explain the agreement that has leaked, where Chile would cede its strategic resources, such as rare earths, to the U.S.»

We will continue to keep you informed.