MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean President announces opening of Embassy in Palestine

Palestine people are seeing their dignity violated every day, Boric argued

Palestine authorities Friday welcomed Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font's announcement Thursday that the South American country would up the status of its diplomatic mission to the Embassy level.

Boric explained that Chile “is going to raise the character of the official representation in Palestine from that of chargé d'affaires that exists today.” Boric also said that “we are going to open an embassy during our government to give it the representation it deserves.”

The Palestinian government argued that Boric's decision stemmed from Chile's “advanced position” in support “of international law and the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state.”

Palestina's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “these affirmations confirm Chile's recognition of the State of Palestine in 2011,” before adding that it “will work to facilitate any next steps in this direction by Chile, a friendly country,” Europa Press reported.

Some 140 countries, including Chile and Argentina, have recognized Palestine as a state.

In Santiago, Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola ruled out any “tensions” with Israel after Boric's announcement and insisted it was all part of Chile “recognizing both nations.”

“Chile's foreign policy remains the same, the recognition of the State of Palestine and the recognition of the State of Israel, there is no modification there,” Urrejola said.

Relations with Tel Aviv were shaken in September when Boric canceled the meeting during which Israel's Ambassador Gli Artzyeli was to deliver his credentials, which took place days later.

“We cannot forget a community that is suffering an illegal occupation and that is seeing its rights and dignity violated every day,” Boric also said this week during a Christmas ceremony with the Chilean Palestinian community, the largest outside the Arab world.

Boric also underlined that the Palestinian people were “resisting” and that such a situation should be spelled out to the fullest for the “international law be respected.”

Since April 1998, the South American country has had a Representative Office before the Palestinian National Authority in the city of Ramallah. Meanwhile, Palestine currently has an embassy in Santiago. Chile recognized Palestine's existence as a state in 2011 and later supported its entry into UNESCO.

In 2018, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Chile and met with then-Chilean President Sebastián Piñera.