The United States is weighing a series of retaliatory measures against Chile in response to the Boric government’s deteriorating ties with Israel, according to a source within President Donald Trump’s administration.
According to the source, “everything is on the table.” Among the options being discussed in Washington: canceling Chile’s participation in the US Visa Waiver Program, increasing tariffs on Chilean exports, suspending student visa interviews, and even closing the US consulate in Santiago.
Chile is currently the only country in the Southern Cone of South America included in the Visa Waiver Program, which allows Chilean citizens to travel to the US without a visa for short stays. Ending that privilege would mark a significant diplomatic step.
The US is prepared to adopt measures as severe as those taken with Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, who severed ties with Israel earlier this year.“The United States will stand with the Jewish people,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a May 28 speech at the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, hosted by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. “We have implemented a vigorous new visa policy that will prevent foreign nationals from coming to the United States to foment hatred against our Jewish community.”
On Tuesday, Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense jointly announced the withdrawal of the country’s military, defense, and air attachés from its embassy in Israel. The move was justified on humanitarian grounds, with the government accusing Israel of “disproportionate and indiscriminate” military actions in Gaza and blocking aid to civilians.
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Boric, in office since 2022, has increasingly distanced Chile from Israel. His administration delayed the accreditation of the Israeli ambassador in its first year and barred Israeli companies from participating in the 2024 FIDAE aerospace fair. In November 2023, Chile recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv, leaving the post unfilled. Chilean media reports suggest Boric could use his Cuenta Pública—a nationally broadcast address before Congress on June 2—to announce a complete break in diplomatic ties with Israel. While such a move remains speculative, analysts say it would mark a major realignment in Chile’s foreign policy.
Some South American governments have grown closer to Iran in recent months, including Bolivia, which reportedly signed new weapons deals with Tehran. A Chilean break with Israel would deepen that trend and could strain relations with Western allies.
Chile’s Foreign Ministry, in its official statement, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to international humanitarian law and called for unfettered humanitarian access to Gaza.
The situation remains fluid ahead of Boric’s speech.