US ambassador defends travel bans on 3 Chilean officials as a 'sovereign decision'

SANTIAGO, Chile — The U.S. ambassador to Chile on Monday defended the recent visa restrictions against three high-ranking Chilean officials, saying it is a ''sovereign decision" to determine who enters its territory.

Ambassador Brandon Judd was responding to the controversy generated after the Trump administration hit the officials with travel bans for their alleged involvement in activities that the U.S. says have undermined regional security. Among those sanctioned is Chile's Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Juan Carlos Muñoz.

''It's our sovereign right to take actions when we feel that the region's security is being threatened,'' Judd said at a news conference in Santiago.

The sanctions were announced Friday by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accused the three officials of carrying out ''activities that compromised critical telecommunications infrastructure and eroded regional security.'' The reference alludes to a project — still in the evaluation phase — that envisions the construction of a submarine fiber optic cable connecting Chile with China.

The Chilean government later said one of the sanctioned officials was Muñoz, but did not comment on the identities of the other two.

Judd claimed the U.S. exhausted all diplomatic avenues before resorting to sanctions and said that despite specific warnings regarding the submarine cable, Chilean authorities failed to provide the necessary transparency.

Washington's decision has sparked outrage within Chile's left-wing government. President Gabriel Boric condemned the move, accusing the Trump administration of issuing ''indeterminate accusations'' and ''applying unilateral sanctions'' that infringe upon Chilean sovereignty.

Asked about the strong reactions within the Chilean government, the U.S. ambassador said there are ''no threats'' from the United States. ''We are not making any threats. What we have strictly told you all the time is that everything we do depends upon communication and security,'' he added.

Judd argued, without naming specific countries, that ''there are many malicious actors in this region that want to cause harm, not just to this region and to Chile, but to the United States as well.''

Relations between Chile and the United States have deteriorated significantly under the second Trump administration. Boric has leveled sharp criticism against his U.S. counterpart, characterizing the Republican's leadership style as that of a ''new emperor''.

Trump, for his part, has openly expressed dissatisfaction with Boric and has welcomed the upcoming presidency of far-right politician Kast, following his landslide victory in Chile's national election in December.

''We look forward to working with the new government to provide what the Chilean people demanded,'' Judd said.