Chile Ex-President Frei Backs US-Led Escudo de las Américas Pact
CHILE · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Chile, the world’s largest copper producer, has been governed since 11 March 2026 by right-wing President José Antonio Kast.
- —The background On 22 September Kast took Chile into the Escudo de las Américas, a US-led coalition against organised crime, without a congressional vote.
- —Why it flared Ex-presidents Michelle Bachelet and Gabriel Boric asked Kast on 24 September to reconsider, and opposition deputies went to the comptroller.
- —What happened On Saturday 3 October, ex-president Eduardo Frei defended the membership in a letter to the Santiago daily El Mercurio.
- —Where Chile stands Chile joined by political declaration; the foreign minister says nothing was signed and the text is not binding.
- —What it means for you No rule changes for residents or investors; the fight is over whether Congress gets a say in Chile’s security ties.
- —Still open The Senate questions the foreign minister on Wednesday 7 October, and Kast owes deputies the pact documents within 30 days.
Former Chilean president Eduardo Frei has defended his country’s entry into the Escudo de las Américas, the US-led coalition against organised crime. His letter, published on Saturday 3 October, openly contradicts former presidents Michelle Bachelet and Gabriel Boric.
Frei led Chile from 1994 to 2000 for the centrist Christian Democrats. Yet his own party’s deputies disowned his view the same day, showing how deeply the pact divides Chile’s opposition.
What Frei Wrote in El Mercurio
Frei argued that “no nation, and Chile is no exception”, can now respond alone to criminal groups operating across the region. Joining the Escudo de las Américas, he wrote, “strengthens the state’s response to organised crime and drug trafficking”.
He listed practical gains: sharing timely information, better data analysis and training for Chile’s two national police forces. Those are the uniformed Carabineros and the PDI, the plain-clothes Investigations Police.
The letter was blunt about Chile’s security mood. “For years it was believed that Chile was safe from drug trafficking and organised crime,” Frei wrote, according to The Clinic.
“How many more deaths of our police officers must we wait for?” he asked, adding similar questions about threatened mayors and kidnappings. He also urged that no one let “prejudices or ideological considerations” paralyse a firm response.
Frei added one condition. Cooperation, he wrote, must come with full respect for the constitution, the law, fundamental rights and national sovereignty, Ex-Ante reported.
Where Chile’s Membership Actually Stands
The Escudo de las Américas, or Shield of the Americas, is a coordination framework that Donald Trump launched in March 2026. As late as 14 September, Kast said Chile remained an observer, the Spanish news agency EFE reported.
That changed on 22 September in New York, after Kast met Trump, Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The foreign ministry then announced that Chile had become a full member, as covered in Chile Joins US-Led Crime Coalition and Drops Observer Role.
Kast told BioBio the same day that “there is no treaty here”, only coordination against organised crime. He also said the pact does not mean military operations.
Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna went further before deputies on 28 September. “In this case there was no signature; this is simply a declaration,” he said, calling it non-binding, RPP reported.
The Case Against the Pact
Bachelet and Boric set out their objections on 24 September, as covered in Shield of the Americas: 2 Chile Ex-Presidents Ask Kast to Reconsider. They argued that Chile should keep its strategic autonomy rather than pick a side between world powers.
Five opposition deputies then asked the Contraloría, the comptroller that checks the legality of government acts, to rule on the move. They call it a disguised treaty, as reported in Chile Opposition Asks Watchdog to Rule on Kast’s US-Led Security Pact.
On 28 September the Chamber of Deputies also voted to demand the documents behind the pact. Kast has 30 days to reply, as explained in Chile Foreign Minister Survives Interpellation.
A Split Inside Frei’s Own Party
Jorge Díaz, who leads the Christian Democrat deputies, said Frei’s view “differs absolutely” from that of the party’s lawmakers. He framed the issue as one of trade and jobs rather than crime.
Díaz noted that China buys about 37% of Chile’s exports and the United States about 16%, Publimicro reported. “First we have to defend national jobs,” he said.
Support came from the right instead. Guillermo Ramírez, leader of the conservative UDI party, backed Frei and said the pact does not violate Chile’s sovereignty.
Government and Washington Welcome the Letter
Pérez Mackenna thanked Frei on social media. “Countries must unite to confront transnational crime,” the minister wrote, Ex-Ante reported.
The US ambassador, Brandon Judd, also praised Frei’s support on X, El Periodista reported. Judd said Chile “can and deserves to take a leadership role” against organised crime.
He cited a joint investigation with US agencies that, he said, dismantled a Chilean cell of Brazil’s PCC gang. That case is covered in Chile Raids Target First Local Cell of Brazil’s PCC Crime Gang.
What the Letter Does Not Change
A letter from a former president does not alter the legal status of Chile’s membership in the Escudo de las Américas. Its weight is political: a centrist former head of state now sides with Kast against two left-wing predecessors.
The core dispute remains unresolved. The government says a declaration needs no congressional approval, while critics say its content makes it a treaty.
What Comes Next
The Senate debates the Escudo de las Américas in a special session on Wednesday 7 October, La Tercera reported. Kast’s written answer to deputies falls due by late October.
The comptroller has not said publicly whether it will take up the deputies’ request. Its answer will weigh more on the legal dispute than any former president’s letter.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
What is the Escudo de las Américas?
It is a US-led coordination framework against drug cartels and transnational crime, launched by Donald Trump in March 2026. Members share information and coordinate police work; the Chilean government says it involves no military operations.
Did Chile sign a treaty to join?
The government says no, and Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna told deputies there was no signature. Opposition deputies argue that the declaration is a treaty in disguise.
Who is Eduardo Frei?
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle was Chile’s president from 1994 to 2000 for the Christian Democrats. His backing for the Escudo de las Américas sets him apart from Bachelet, Boric and his own party’s deputies.
Does the pact allow US troops in Chile?
Kast has said the pact involves no treaty and no military operations. Critics want Congress to examine the full text before accepting that assurance.
Sources: Ex-Ante, 3 October 2026; The Clinic, 3 October 2026; Cooperativa, 3 October 2026; 24 Horas, 3 October 2026; Publimicro, 3 October 2026; Está Pasando, 3 October 2026; El Periodista, 3 October 2026; El Mostrador, 22 September 2026; BioBioChile, 22 September 2026; EFE via Swissinfo, 14 September 2026; RPP, 28 September 2026; La Tercera, 24 September 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief