Chile

Politics

Chile's Congress approved a pension reform in a 110-38 vote, aiming to increase payouts and reduce inequality, El Pais reported Jan. 29. 

Chile: Pension Reform Approval Unlikely to Significantly Improve Government's Popularity

Economics

Military & Security

Chile's President Gabriel Boric proposed a 2.7% annual increase to Chile's budget to boost pensions and healthcare and focus on national security in 2025, with an additional $1.5 billion to increase police patrolling and pay and expand and improve prisons, El Pais reported on Oct 1.

Chile: Increased Security Spending Unlikely To Solve Security Crisis

Chile's Prosecutor's Office seized the cellphone of Supreme Court Justice Angela Vivanco, who is also facing an internal process that could culminate with her expulsion from the country's constitutional court, El Pais reported Sept. 12. 

Chile: Corruption Scandal Involving High-Profile Judges and Politicians Unlikely to Affect Elections

China

Chilean steelmaker CAP announced it will shut down Chile's sole steel mill indefinitely by September after competition with Chinese imports resulted in losses of $500 million over two years, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 7.

Chile: Trade Tension With China To Rise After Steel Mill Closure, but Broader Ties Remain Strong

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The Chilean government will analyze 81 proposals for lithium projects and announce extraction contracts in August, aiming to have four active projects by the end of 2026, Reuters reported on July 9.

Chile: Resource Nationalism Over Lithium Extraction To Advance Under Boric

Brazil

Colombia

Honduras

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on May 1 that Colombia would break diplomatic ties with Israel over the conflict in the Gaza Strip on May 2, CNBC reported on May 1.

Colombia: President Petro Announces Break of Diplomatic Ties With Israel

Mexico

United States

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Mexico and Chile referred a case to the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, or ICC, regarding possible crimes that may have been committed in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, AP reported on Jan. 18.

Chile, Mexico: Governments Refer Possible Crimes in Israel-Hamas War to ICC

Roughly 56% of Chilean voters rejected a newly proposed constitution, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 17.

Chile: Chileans Reject New Constitution Again

Assessments

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U.S. border patrol officials drive near the wall along the Mexican border in Sasabe, Arizona, on Dec. 8, 2023. 

The fallout from Trump's pledged tariffs and mass deportations could worsen living conditions in countries like Mexico, though countries with like-minded leaders, like Argentina, may fare better.

What Trump's Focus on Immigration, Trade and Ideology Means for Latin America

Uruguay

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Protesters hold Georgian flags during a pro-Europe rally in Tbilisi ahead of Georgia's parliamentary elections on Oct. 20, 2024. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Key Elections in Georgia and Japan, Efforts to Resume Gaza Cease-Fire Talks

The Geopolitics of Water

Chile's rising water stress threatens agriculture and mining, but desalination efforts offer hope for mitigating severe impacts.

The Geopolitics of Water: Water Stress in Chile Threatens Agriculture and Mining

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The Weekly Rundown: Putin Goes to China, New U.S. Tariffs on China

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Policemen guard the car of Mayor Luis Chonillo after an attack on the official May 15, 2023, in Duran, Ecuador. Governments can take steps to stave off a surge in violence, but for many in the region, such measures will be politically and economically out of reach.

Governments can take steps to stave off a surge in violence, but for many in the region, such measures will be politically and economically out of reach.

Forecasting Latin America's Next Crime Hotspot After Ecuador

Chad

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Iraq

A man holds a handout in support of Chile’s proposed new constitution on Dec. 6, 2023, in Santiago.

The Weekly Rundown: A Japan-ASEAN Summit, Constitutional Referendums in Chile and Chad

Chilean President Gabriel Boric (center) shows a signed decree that calls for a referendum to approve a new constitution on Nov. 7, 2023, in Santiago, Chile.

Social Issues

While unlikely to drastically change Chile's socio-economic model, the Dec. 17 referendum highlights ideological divisions that will create long-term political and economic uncertainty in the country.

What to Expect as Chile Votes on a New Constitution (Again)

Snapshots

Bolivia

People attend a rally in support of Israel in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 22, 2023. 

Anger over the conflict could temporarily strain Israel and the U.S.'s relations with left-wing governments in the region, while countries with large Jewish or Arab populations may see more security-related incidents.

Latin America's Response to the Israel-Hamas War 

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Russia-Ukraine Conflict

What Q3 security risks should companies expect and prepare for?

Essential Geopolitics: An Overview of RANE's Q3 Forecast

In this aerial view, pools of brine containing lithium carbonate and mounds of salt byproduct stretch through a lithium mine in the Atacama desert on Aug. 24, 2022, in Salar de Atacama, Chile.

Energy

Lithium nationalization in Chile will face many obstacles in its efforts to attract foreign investment.

Chile's Lithium Industry Holds its Breath as Boric Pursues Nationalization

Supporters of Chile's far-right Republican Party celebrate their victory in the Constitutional Council election on May 7, 2023.

Conservatives' veto-proof majority in the new Constitutional Council will quell investor fears about major changes to Chile's current business-friendly charter.

Chileans Task Right-Wing Parties to Draft Their Next Constitution

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

Russian soldiers march in Moscow on May 4, 2023, during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade on May 9.

The Weekly Rundown: Russia Marks Victory Day, Japan's Leader Visits South Korea

Chile stretches along the western edge of the tip of South America, squeezed between the Andean Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It shares with Argentina the world's third-longest international border, which roughly bisecting the Andes. They create a formidable challenge for trade integration between the neighbors. The Atacama Desert marks Chile's northern reaches, where its borders with Peru and Bolivia lie, while its southern limits include territorial claims in Antarctica. Chile’s victory in the War of the Pacific, which it fought from 1879 to 1884 against Peru and Bolivia, allowed it to extend its territory to the north. But tensions persist over parts of that land, which Bolivia continues to claim as its own. Most of Chile's copper reserves can be found in its north, and as the world’s largest copper producer, the sector is vital to its economy.    The metropolitan area of Chile's capital, Santiago, in the central part of the country, constitutes its core, where almost half of country’s population is concentrated. The country's overall population is chiefly homogeneous: More than 80 percent of the people identify as having European or mestizo ancestry. There are significant pockets of ethnic minorities, including the indigenous Mapuches, which are mostly located in the south. These groups have pressed demands for territorial rights and have engaged in often-violent clashes with the country’s security forces, but their numbers are too small to seriously threaten the central government.     Chile’s location on the Pacific Rim make it a portal of trade between Asian countries and the rest of South America. It has struck more free trade agreements than any other country on the continent, many of those with trading partners that also border the Pacific.  

SITUATION REPORTS

Chile: Pension Reform Approval Unlikely to Significantly Improve Government's Popularity

Chile: Increased Security Spending Unlikely To Solve Security Crisis

Chile: Corruption Scandal Involving High-Profile Judges and Politicians Unlikely to Affect Elections

Chile: Trade Tension With China To Rise After Steel Mill Closure, but Broader Ties Remain Strong

Chile: Resource Nationalism Over Lithium Extraction To Advance Under Boric

Colombia: President Petro Announces Break of Diplomatic Ties With Israel

Chile, Mexico: Governments Refer Possible Crimes in Israel-Hamas War to ICC

Chile: Chileans Reject New Constitution Again

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