Original article: «Si quieren proteger el Estrecho de Magallanes…»: Nueva intromisión del embajador de EEUU en asuntos internos de Chile genera molestia en el Senado y La Moneda

U.S. Ambassador’s Remarks on Strait of Magellan Spark Outrage in Chile’s Senate and Government

Brandon Judd, the U.S. ambassador in Santiago, has made headlines once again for his comments regarding domestic issues in Chile, specifically concerning national sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan.

On Wednesday, October 7, the ambassador stated that if Chile desires «a country that helps protect its rights over the Strait of Magellan, if you want all those things, then you will also have to work with us on matters that are important to us.»

Unsurprisingly, these comments did not sit well with officials at La Moneda or in the Senate, where Senate President Paulina Núñez (RN) and Vice President Iván Moreira (UDI) issued a statement questioning Ambassador Judd’s remarks.

«In relation to the recent statements made by the U.S. ambassador to Chile, we want to reaffirm that the sovereignty of our country is not under discussion nor does it depend on the backing, support or recognition of any foreign nation,» the Senate’s statement begins.

The senators added, «Specifically regarding the Strait of Magellan and our sovereign rights over national territory, Chile does not require conditions or external authorizations to defend what belongs to it, which is supported by our history, our legal framework, and international law.»

«Chile maintains cooperative relationships with the United States and many other countries, but these must always be developed based on mutual respect, reciprocity, and, fundamentally, the independence and sovereignty of each state,» they emphasized.

From Congress, Senator Gastón Saavedra from the PS expressed, «We can no longer allow an ambassador to intrude into our country’s foreign, economic, and social relations,» recalling that «we have been firm in demanding a note of protest from the Chilean state regarding the statements from U.S. Ambassador Brandon Judd.»

Discontent at La Moneda

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez, when asked about Judd’s comments, stated, «We can defend our sovereignty by ourselves, we do not need support from anyone to defend our sovereignty; we have been doing so for 200 years. That is what I want to convey to the people of Chile, we are here to defend our sovereignty and we will always do so.»

Regarding a potential note of protest against the U.S. ambassador’s behavior, the minister assured that «this is something we will have to assess (…) what our reaction will be to his statements, I do not rule out anything until the evaluation is finished,» indicated Pérez Mackenna.

We will continue to provide updates.