MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile: undersea cable dispute triggers US visa curbs, leaves Kast to decide on China Mobile project

Kast’s transition team has complained about a lack of information during the handover. Incoming Interior Minister said the episode left Chile “under crossfire” between two key partners

With Chile’s presidential handover set for March 11, outgoing President Gabriel Boric is closing his term amid a diplomatic dispute with the United States over a China Mobile-backed undersea fiber-optic cable project that would link Chile’s coast in the Valparaíso region to Hong Kong—an issue now landing on president-elect José Antonio Kast’s desk.

The standoff intensified on February 20, when the US State Department imposed visa restrictions on three senior Chilean officials tied to the project’s regulatory handling: Transport and Telecommunications Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz; Telecommunications Undersecretary Claudio Araya; and Subtel chief of staff Guillermo Petersen. Washington said the officials had “knowingly” taken part in actions that “compromised critical telecommunications infrastructure” and “undermined regional security” in the hemisphere.

Chile’s Foreign Ministry responded with a diplomatic protest note. Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren called the allegation “absolutely false” and described the measure as “unilateral,” arguing it infringed Chile’s sovereignty.

As the story developed, attention turned to the administrative paper trail. Chilean media reported that the ministry had signed a concession decree on January 27 allowing China Mobile to install, operate and exploit the cable, and that the act was annulled 48 hours later, citing technical errors. The Boric administration maintained the project was still “under evaluation” and argued there was no formal approval while the decree had not been cleared by the Comptroller General’s office.

US Ambassador Brandon Judd publicly defended the visa curbs and said he had warned Chilean authorities in advance, referring to intrusions into Chilean telecom systems by “foreign malicious actors,” without providing specifics. China’s embassy in Santiago, meanwhile, accused Washington of disregarding Chile’s sovereignty and acting in a “hegemonic” manner.

Kast’s transition team has complained about a lack of information during the handover. Incoming Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado said the episode left Chile “under crossfire” between two key partners. Boric said he had ordered officials to gather the information needed for a “well-founded” decision that goes beyond his term’s timeframe.

Boric and Kast are scheduled to meet privately on March 3 to discuss the dispute, just days before the president-elect’s planned trip to the United States for a political gathering in Miami, according to publicly reported schedules.