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El Ciudadano

Original article: ¿Soberanía nacional a cambio de tierras raras?: los pactos del gobierno de Kast con EE.UU. que ponen al FBI dentro y los minerales críticos fuera

Experts Warn About the Fine Print of Agreements with the U.S.: FBI Will Intervene in Chile and Trump Administration Will Gain Access to Strategic Rare Earth Minerals

The José Antonio Kast administration has solidified two bilateral agreements with the United States, aimed at enhancing cooperation in security and the management of strategic minerals.

The first agreement is an amendment on narcotics control, allocating one million dollars to “strengthen joint efforts between the FBI and the Investigative Police (PDI) in combating transnational organized crime.” The second agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding concerning critical minerals and rare earths, laying the groundwork for bilateral consultations involving Chilean lithium, copper, cobalt, and nickel.

This information was initially disseminated by the U.S. Embassy in Chile via its X account and website. The ambassador highlighted the participation of Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, Undersecretary Paula Estévez, and Undersecretary Álvaro González, alongside Washington’s special envoy, Thomas G. DiNanno, the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

“Another step in the collaboration between Chile and the United States,” wrote the diplomatic representation, in a tone that, according to critical sources, starkly contrasts with the limited information coming from Chilean ministries.

These agreements, which the government portrays as progress in security and economic development, are now under close scrutiny by opposition sectors.

Police, Military, and Intervention Agreement

A publication by the newspaper ElSiglo.cl warns about the less-publicized aspects of these two agreements, questioning the actual extent of Chile’s sovereignty concerning the signed commitments.

The report revealed that the agreement with the FBI is not merely a technical accord but fits within a broader strategy promoted by Donald Trump alongside extreme right-wing governments. “This type of treaty occurs within the framework of police, military, and intervention agreements,” the publication contends, noting that DiNanno’s presence in Santiago was reportedly accompanied by other officials and FBI agents whose activities were not officially reported.

The publication emphasizes that, despite the official narrative on cooperation and the meetings held with ministers of Defense and Security, the National Prosecutor, and the head of Science, “public information was limited.”

Additionally, the report highlights the funding for the police agreement. While Minister Trinidad Steinert celebrated that “Chile strengthens its intelligence and coordination to anticipate transnational crime,” the analysis in ElSiglo.cl stresses that the one million dollars allocated by the FBI to the PDI is modest relative to the scale of operations enabled by this collaboration. “The cession of investigative sovereignty lacks clear compensatory strategic benefits for Chile,” the article warns, citing Kast’s quick signing, merely 24 hours after taking office, of a preliminary declaration on rare earths with Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau.

Regarding the agreement on critical minerals, there are alarming levels of opacity. “No further information was provided, only that it responds to economic priorities,” the publication states, connecting this operation to the Pentagon’s strategy and Southern Command to secure American dominance over strategic raw materials, directly competing with China.

The report challenges that while Washington gains preferential access to Chilean lithium, copper, cobalt, and nickel, the specific national security or technological development benefits for Chile in return have not been articulated.

It concludes by recalling that the U.S. has signed similar agreements with eleven countries in the region, including Argentina, Paraguay, and Ecuador, all under the logic of geopolitical control. “The focus will be on the exploration, exploitation, and processing of minerals and rare earths, an area where the U.S. has investors, technology, and strategic plans,” the article asserts, leaving an open question about Chile’s role in this new extractive architecture.

Meanwhile, Minister Steinert insists that “the prestige of our police forces makes this cooperation fruitful,” while it is noted that the cost of this fruition has yet to be debated within the country.

La entrada National Sovereignty at Stake? Kast Government’s Deals with the U.S. Granting FBI Access and Addressing Critical Rare Earth Minerals se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.