Diplomatic Briefing
Your exclusive news aggregator handpicked daily!Archive for Chile
Newsline: Chile’s former EU ambassador becomes foreign minister
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric, who has been struggling with low approval ratings since taking office a year ago, announced a major cabinet reshuffle on Friday, including the foreign minister. (https://neuters.de/world/americas/chiles-boric-swaps-out-foreign-minister-amid-cabinet-reshuffle-2023-03-10/) Alberto van Klaveren, who was Chile’s ambassador to the European Union from 2001 to 2006 and served as undersecretary of foreign affairs from 2006 to 2009 under former President Michelle Bachelet, will replace Antonia Urrejola as minister of foreign affairs.
Newsline: Chile aims to open embassy in Palestinian territories
Chile plans to open an embassy in the Palestinian territories, President Gabriel Boric said, which could make the Andean country one of only a handful to have an embassy-level office in the territories that are contested with Israel. “I am taking a risk (saying) this… we are going to raise our official representation in Palestine from having a charge d’affaires; now we are going to open an embassy,” Boric said, without giving details on where the embassy would be located. (https://neuters.de/world/americas/chile-open-embassy-palestinian-territories-says-president-2022-12-22/) Chilean Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola confirmed the plan on Thursday but said there was no timeline in place yet and that Chile continues to recognize both Palestine and Israel as legitimate states. Leftist Boric, who has repeatedly expressed support for the Palestinian people’s demand for an independent state, made the comments at a private ceremony in Santiago hosted by the city’s important Palestinian diaspora. A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Chile said it would not be making a public statement on the matter. The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside of business hours.
Newsline: Chilean President receives Israeli ambassador credentials after diplomatic dispute
Chilean President Gabriel Boric received the credentials of Israel’s new ambassador on Friday afternoon, two weeks after a diplomatic tussle as the ceremony was postponed due to the death of a young Palestinian. Israeli ambassador Gil Artzyeli had initially been scheduled to attend the ceremony on Sept. 15, but that same day it was postponed in a move Israel’s foreign ministry characterized as “unprecedented.” (https://news.yahoo.com/chiles-boric-receives-israeli-ambassador-195409433.html) Chile’s decision was in response to the death of a Palestinian teenager during a military operation in the occupied West Bank, the Chilean government said in a statement, adding that the ceremony had been rescheduled for Sept. 30.
Newsline: President of Chile refuses to accept Israeli ambassador’s credentials
The president of Chile sparked a diplomatic row with Israel Thursday, after he snubbed Israel’s new ambassador to Chile. On Thursday, Israel’s new ambassador to Chile, Gil Artzeyli, was scheduled to meet with President Gabriel Boric and to present his credentials and formally replace Marina Rosenberg as ambassador. The ceremony – typically a formality – made international news, however, when Artzeyli was rebuffed at the last minute. Walla reported that Artzeyli had already arrived at the presidential residence when he was refused entry. According to a report by Israel’s Yediot Aharanot, Artzeyli was told that the meeting was cancelled after Boric was angered by Israel allegedly “killing children in Gaza”. (https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/359936) In fact, Boric appeared to be referencing the killing of a 17-year-old Palestinian Arab who had attacked IDF soldiers during an operation early Thursday morning, following the murder of IDF Major Bar Falah. Late Thursday night, Chile’s foreign ministry issued an apology to Artzyeli. Chilean foreign ministry officials said the ceremony for receiving Artzyeli’s credentials has been rescheduled to October.
Newsline: Chile to shut down its embassies in Greece, Denmark, Algeria, Syria and Romania
The Chilean ambassadors of Greece, Denmark, Algeria, Syria and Romania were informed, that they will have to finish their affairs before the end of the year, 24 Horas reported. The closure of the embassies are occurring in order to provide a greater national presence in Brussels, considered the unofficial capital of the European Union, as well as in Vienna (Austria). (https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/06/08/chile-to-shut-down-its-embassy-in-athens/) The measure was taken by Foreign Minister Teodoro Ribera, after the Strategic Planning Directorate asked to evaluate the political, economic and development relevance of the different nations where Chile has embassies.
Newsline: Top Venezuelan opposition leader claims asylum at Chilean embassy
A top leader of Venezuela’s opposition took refuge on Apr. 30 at the Chilean embassy in Caracas, amid an opposition-led uprising against embattled President Nicolás Maduro. Leopoldo López was granted asylum by the Chilean government alongside his wife, Lilian Tintori, and his daughter, Chilean Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero tweeted. “Chile reaffirms its commitment to Venezuelan democrats,” wrote Ampuero. (https://thehill.com/latino/441443-top-venezuelan-opposition-leader-claims-asylum-at-chilean-embassy) López, the founder of the Popular Will party, was liberated from house arrest early Apr. 30 by military officers loyal to opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
Newsline: Chinese Ambassador Says Mike Pompeo ‘Lost His Mind’ In Clash Over Venezuela
China’s ambassador to Chile has derided U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, saying he “lost his mind” when he blamed China for the meltdown in Venezuela. Xu Bu made the remarks in an interview published in the Chilean newspaper La Tercera following Pompeo’s attack on China last week while visiting four South American nations. (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/china-pompeo-lost-his-mind-venezuela_n_5cb51d39e4b0ffefe3b59488) Tensions are ratcheting up between the nations as the Pentagon explores possible military options to deter Chinese, Russian and Cuban influence in Venezuela, CNN reported. The Trump administration recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s self-declared interim president and has imposed sanctions wreaking increasing hardships in the country to drive out embattled President Nicolás Maduro. Pompeo scorched Beijing for continuing to back Maduro. “China’s bankrolling of the Maduro regime helped precipitate and prolong the crisis in that country,” said Pompeo, who called Maduro a “power-hungry tyrant.” China is Venezuela’s biggest foreign creditor and is estimated to have provided up to $62 billion in loans since 2007, The Guardian reported. A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry criticized Pompeo’s “groundless allegations” and “attempts to … sow discord between China and Latin American countries.”
Newsline: Chilean Embassy vehicles attacked in Haiti
The Chilean Ambassador in Haiti, Patricio Utreras Díaz accompanied by his wife Brenda Iriarte Rojas, the representative of the NGO “America Solidaria” and representatives of the National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) went to the Boutin area, located between Thomazeau and Croix-des-Bouquets, to assess the progress of the work undertaken as part of the implementation of the drinking water project for the benefit of this community, funded by the Chile, according to Olga Regueira, General Director of America Solidaria in Haiti. (https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27303-haiti-flash-the-procession-of-the-embassy-of-chile-attacked-with-weapon-of-war.html) A visit that was brutally interrupted around 11:30 am on Mar. 26 when 5 individuals armed with AK-47 attacked and opened fire on the procession of the Embassy of Chile (about 18 people) leaving many bullet impact on the vehicles. The security agents of the Chilean Embassy responded and managed to put the aggressors to flight. As a result of this attack, a Haitian volunteer from the NGO “América Solidaria”, a Haitian citizen, Frantz Eliancin, died while the ambassador’s driver was shot in the wrist. Olson Regis, co-director of cooperation, was also slightly injured. Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the attack and confirmed that it will continue with the support it has always given to Haiti.
Newsline: Venezuela opposition politician Freddy Guevara spends year in Chilean embassy
Freddy Guevara, the 32-year-old former vice-president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, has spent a year holed up in the Chilean embassy in Caracas. The high security outside of the embassy is a sign of the tense relations that continue between the two countries, as the Chilean government continues to offer protection to one of President Nicolas Maduro’s most prominent critics. Guevara’s supporters gathered at the embassy on Monday to mark the anniversary of the day he sought refuge. They were demanding an end to his persecution. After Maduro was elected to replace the late Hugo Chavez in 2013, human rights activists say Maduro’s persecution of his critics has been brutal and relentless. Last year, Maduro tightened his grip to power with a Constituent Assembly that replaced the National Assembly. With loyalists in the Supreme Court, the Constituent Assembly issued a new “anti-hate law” that is being used to arrest anyone who speaks against Maduro. Any “hate speech” on social media in Venezuela is punishable with up to 20 years in prison.
Newsline: Chile foreign minister says not sending ambassador to Venezuela
Chile’s Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero said his country would not send an ambassador to Venezuela after Sunday’s presidential election was called a fraud by many countries. The post has been empty since Chile’s Former President Michelle Bachelet left office in March.
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