Chile Foreign Minister Survives Interpellation as Deputies Give Kast 30 Days on US Pact
POLITICS · CHILE
Key Facts
- The country Chile, governed since 11 March 2026 by conservative President José Antonio Kast. The Chile foreign minister is Francisco Pérez Mackenna.
- What happened On 28 September the Chamber of Deputies held its first-ever interpellation of a foreign minister. Asked why he did not resign, he replied that the deputy was not the president.
- The numbers 66 deputies voted to ask Kast for the Shield of the Americas papers, 72 against, one abstained. One third of the chamber sufficed, so it passed (BioBioChile, T13, 28 Sep).
- What it means for you No visa, tax or residency rule changes. Investors should note that Congress now scrutinises Chile’s balance between China and the United States more closely.
- Still open Kast has 30 days to answer in writing. The Senate has scheduled its own session with the minister for 7 October (El Dínamo).
Chile foreign minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna kept his post after nearly an hour of questioning in the Chamber of Deputies on 28 September. It was the first interpellation of a foreign minister in Chile’s recent history, El Dínamo and BioBioChile reported.
The opposition still won a written demand for the documents behind Chile’s entry into the US-led Shield of the Americas. President José Antonio Kast must answer within 30 days.
A Resignation Demand and a Short Reply
An interpellation is a formal public questioning of a minister, requested by a third of the deputies. It carries no vote on the minister’s job.
Socialist deputy Nelson Venegas questioned him on the Shield, US tariffs and Argentina. Near the end he asked why the minister did not resign.
“Because you are not the President of the Republic,” Pérez Mackenna replied, El Dínamo and La Tercera reported.
The Shield Pact Stays Open
The Shield of the Americas is a US-led alliance against organised crime that Kast’s government has joined. The minister said “there was no signature, simply a declaration” and called it non-binding, La Tercera reported.
Broad Front deputy Gonzalo Winter showed a US State Department document from 10 July listing Chile as a signatory. Either Chile joined earlier than announced or the paper was wrong, he argued, El Dínamo reported.
The request to Kast passed with 66 votes to 72 and one abstention, as it needed only a third of the chamber. The government must hand over the Shield declarations and explain why Congress need not approve them, T13 reported.
Two Protest Notes, Two Governments
The foreign ministry delivered a protest note to Israel’s ambassador, Peleg Lewi, on 28 September. It cited “recent public statements that represent interference in the internal affairs of the country,” the ministry said.
The ministry did not name the statements. T13 and BioBioChile linked them to an X post by Lewi placing former President Michelle Bachelet beside Chávez, Maduro and the Castros.
Asked about US Ambassador Brandon Judd, the Chile foreign minister said a protest had already been made. He clarified that that note dated from the previous government of Gabriel Boric, La Tercera reported.
Coalition Support, With Friction
Claudio Alvarado, interior minister and government spokesman, praised answers given “with firmness” and “a deep sense of state,” BioBioChile and CNN Chile reported. He added that only the president decides on cabinet changes.
That came after Senate President Paulina Núñez of National Renewal called for “major surgery” in the government, both outlets reported. National Renewal’s Diego Schalper called the opposition’s showing “lamentable.”
The same day, the Chamber’s security committee rejected Article 7 of the bill creating a Register of Vandals and Incivilities, BioBioChile reported. The vote ended five in favour, three against and two abstentions.
Paulina Muñoz of the allied National Libertarian Party abstained, saying “we were not coordinated.”The government plans to restore the article with an amendment on the Chamber floor.
The week also saw plan for more than 100,000 jobs and raids on the first Chilean cell of Brazil’s PCC gang.
What It Means for Residents and Investors
The Chile foreign minister told deputies that China accounts for close to 40 percent of Chile’s foreign trade, Ex-Ante reported. He said more than half of Chile’s exports to the United States still enter duty-free.
The stabiliser is that the governing coalition closed ranks behind the minister. The risk is that friction among allies, seen on the register, slows Kast’s security agenda.
What Is Not Yet Known
It is not yet known how fully Kast will answer, or whether he will release every document. The request also covers the 12.5 percent US tariff and Chile’s protest notes to Argentina, T13 reported.
The Senate session on 7 October will show whether the Shield dispute keeps widening. It is unclear whether the Comptroller General, the audit office, will rule on the pact, as the opposition has asked.
More: Chile news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Chile’s foreign minister resign?
No. Francisco Pérez Mackenna stayed in office after the 28 September interpellation, the first ever held against a Chilean foreign minister.
What did deputies vote on?
They voted 66 to 72, with one abstention, to ask President Kast to hand over the Shield of the Americas papers within 30 days. One third of the chamber sufficed, so the request passed.
What is the Shield of the Americas?
A US-led security arrangement whose papers Congress now wants to see; the interpellation centred on Chile’s handling of it.
Does the interpellation change anything for residents?
No visa, tax or residency rules change. Investors should note that Congress now scrutinises foreign policy more closely.
Sources: BioBioChile; T13; El Dínamo; La Tercera; Chile’s foreign ministry; BioBioChile (Alvarado); BioBioChile (register); Ex-Ante; CNN Chile; T13 (Lewi) (all 28–29 Sep 2026).
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