PODCAST | What Are European Leaders Seeking in Latin America (and Chile)?

At the beginning of this week, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Chile, where he naturally met with his Chilean counterpart, Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren. The official statement highlighted that the visit took place within the framework of the 200th anniversary of consular relations between the two countries, although it is part of a tour of Latin America that also included Jamaica, Colombia, and, after Chile, Brazil.

The meeting with the Chilean Foreign Minister covered topics ranging from the commercial and political relations between the two countries to global challenges such as climate change. The official joint statement following the meeting also dedicates a paragraph to a specific issue. It states that “both ministers deplored Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the human rights violations currently perpetrated by Russian forces, and the ongoing attacks on civilian areas and infrastructure.” It adds that the officials “reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and reiterated the need for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.”

At the end of that paragraph, it is noted that both ministers agreed to “explore opportunities to support Ukraine now and in its recovery.” The issue of Ukraine has been a common and even central point on the agenda of several European leaders who have visited the region, such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who traveled to the region three months ago seeking direct support for Ukraine’s military efforts. Presumably, it will be an important topic during the visit in a couple of weeks by European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen to Chile and the region.

Beyond the war and recovery efforts for Ukraine, these visits by European leaders also signal a point that does not go unnoticed by geopolitical experts: that Latin America is part of the chessboard in the struggle for influence between Western powers and China. This confrontation is being waged in the economic and political arena, with a particular emphasis on the energy sector, where Chile presents attractive opportunities such as lithium and green hydrogen.

With all this, there is concern about adopting a state-level geopolitical strategy, something that, according to our interviewee today, Chile lacks. John Griffiths, head of Research at the security and defense think tank Athena Lab, speaks today with Crónica Estéreo about the challenges and opportunities for Chile in the global geopolitical chessboard.

Source: Crónica Estéreo (La Tercera)