Chilean leaders reject U.S. ambassador's Strait of Magellan remarks

Remarks add to series of controversies since ambassador’s November 2025 arrival

Chilean officials moved Wednesday to rebut U.S. Ambassador Brandon Judd’s suggestion that American cooperation on protecting Chilean sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan depends on closer collaboration with Washington, with Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna saying Chile is able to defend the strategic waterway on its own.

The exchange began at Global Trade Day, an event organized by the shipping company Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores (CSAV), where Judd discussed bilateral relations and Washington’s strategic interests. “If you want the resources we have to fight organized crime, if you want a country that will help you protect your rights over the Strait of Magellan, if you want all those things, then you’re going to have to work with us on the things that are important to us as well,” Judd said.

The remarks drew criticism from President José Antonio Kast’s administration and from lawmakers across the political spectrum, who rejected the suggestion that bilateral cooperation could be tied to Chile’s exercise of national sovereignty.

Pérez Mackenna responded that Chile does not need foreign assistance to defend its territory. “The Strait of Magellan was, is and always will be Chilean,” he said. The foreign minister added that Chile can defend its own sovereignty: “We can defend our sovereignty ourselves. We don’t need anyone’s support. That’s how we’ve been doing it for 200 years.” Pérez Mackenna said the government would assess whether to lodge a formal diplomatic protest over the U.S. ambassador’s remarks.

The criticism extended to Congress, where Senate President Núñez and Vice President Moreira reaffirmed in a joint statement that Chilean sovereignty does not depend on support from other countries. “Our country’s sovereignty is not up for discussion, nor does it depend on the backing, support or recognition of any foreign nation,” they said.

Independent Sen. Bianchi, who represents the southern Magallanes region, also criticized the diplomat’s remarks. “The United States can be a partner, we can have the best of relations, but it is not our guardian,” he said.

In response to the criticism, Judd issued a statement Wednesday night denying that he had made Chilean sovereignty conditional on cooperation with Washington. “I enjoy a good TV series as much as anyone, but this drama is being misrepresented. My words were clearly taken out of context, and at no point did I make Chile’s sovereignty conditional,” he said, according to a statement reported by Chilean outlet Radio Bío Bío. The ambassador also said his remarks at the CSAV event were intended to reaffirm bilateral ties and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries on security and economic development.

Defense Minister Fernando Barros had previously urged consideration of the context of Judd’s remarks, noting that the ambassador had acknowledged Chilean sovereignty over the strait and highlighted bilateral cooperation on trade, technology and security.

The episode adds to a series of controversies involving Judd and Chilean authorities since he arrived in the country in November 2025. One of the first incidents occurred when the diplomat publicly criticized remarks by then-President Gabriel Boric about U.S. President Donald Trump, prompting Chile’s Foreign Ministry to lodge a formal diplomatic protest and describe his comments as interference in domestic affairs.

In February, Judd again drew criticism when he supported Washington’s decision to revoke the visas of three Chilean officials over a proposed submarine cable project with China — a move the Boric administration described as a violation of Chilean sovereignty.

In September, the Chilean Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassador after he claimed intelligence information linked left-wing organizations to violence during Chile’s 2019 social protests. Judd later acknowledged that the United States had not conducted its own investigation into those events and that his claims were based on news reports.

The dispute also comes amid diplomatic tensions between Chile and Argentina over statements by Argentine military officials concerning the Strait of Magellan, a strategic waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at the southern tip of South America. In September, Kast and Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed in a joint statement that existing treaties recognize Chilean sovereignty over the strait.