The Chile-US Cable Spat

CHILE - In Brief 24 Feb 2026 by Robert Funk

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Chile-US relations were struck a firm blow last week when the United States revoked the visas of Chilean Transport and Telecommunications Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz and two other officials, accusing them of actions that could “compromise critical telecommunications infrastructure” and undermine regional security. The dispute centers on the “Chile-China Express Cable”, a proposed trans-oceanic fibre-optic cable between Chile and Hong Kong. The project continues to be evaluated by the Chilean government (although there are conflicting reports regarding at which stage of approval it currently is), but Washington has repeatedly expressed its concern to Chilean officials about the security implications. It has been reported that while Foreign Minister Van Klaveren has doubts about the project, President Boric and his international relations advisor, Carlos Figueroa, as well Chilean Communist Party officials, have been pushing heavily in its favour. The United States fears that the cable could expose data or create leverage over digital networks. American Ambassador to Chile Brandon Judd claimed that he had given Chilean officials specific information about “incursion to Chilean telecommunications systems on the part of malignant foreign actors”. Chile appears to have ignored the warnings. Such risks are incompatible with the principles outlined in the United States’ new National Security Strategy. The move against the Chilean officials is a signal that telecommunications infrastructure is seen by the U.S. as a security issue rather than a commercial one. Connectivity policy has effectively become foreign policy. Still, it seems odd to personalize the dispute into personal v...