Chile

Economics

Politics

Chilean Finance Minister Mario Marcel resigned and was replaced by Economy Minister Nicolas Grau, Reuters reported on Aug. 21.

Chile: Finance Minister's Resignation Unlikely To Result in Policy Shifts

Chile's National Congress approved in a 93-27 vote a bill to expedite permitting processes for investment projects in the country, Reuters reported on July 1.

Chile: Expedited Permitting Rules Underscore President's Moderate Push in Last Year in Office

Energy

Military & Security

Heavily armed gunmen attacked the construction site of a Chinese-owned hydroelectric plant in Chile's central southern province of Biobio, setting fire to 48 trucks and three other pieces of heavy earth-moving equipment, Radio Bio-Bio reported on April 20.

Chile: Mapuche Militancy Will Continue To Pose Latent Security Risks Following Large Arson Attack

Chile's Congress approved a pension reform in a 110-38 vote, aiming to increase payouts and reduce inequality, El Pais reported Jan. 29. 

Chile: Pension Reform Approval Unlikely to Significantly Improve Government's Popularity

Chile's President Gabriel Boric proposed a 2.7% annual increase to Chile's budget to boost pensions and healthcare and focus on national security in 2025, with an additional $1.5 billion to increase police patrolling and pay and expand and improve prisons, El Pais reported on Oct 1.

Chile: Increased Security Spending Unlikely To Solve Security Crisis

Chile's Prosecutor's Office seized the cellphone of Supreme Court Justice Angela Vivanco, who is also facing an internal process that could culminate with her expulsion from the country's constitutional court, El Pais reported Sept. 12. 

Chile: Corruption Scandal Involving High-Profile Judges and Politicians Unlikely to Affect Elections

China

Chilean steelmaker CAP announced it will shut down Chile's sole steel mill indefinitely by September after competition with Chinese imports resulted in losses of $500 million over two years, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 7.

Chile: Trade Tension With China To Rise After Steel Mill Closure, but Broader Ties Remain Strong

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The Chilean government will analyze 81 proposals for lithium projects and announce extraction contracts in August, aiming to have four active projects by the end of 2026, Reuters reported on July 9.

Chile: Resource Nationalism Over Lithium Extraction To Advance Under Boric

Assessments

United States

Venezuela

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Cambodia

Thailand

India

Pakistan

People watch the USS Gravely, a Navy warship, departing the Port of Spain on Oct. 30, 2025. The U.S. warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 26, 2025, for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Saudi Meeting, Military Escalation in the Caribbean

Chile's presidential candidate Evelyn Matthei (C) poses with her team after registering her candidacy at the Electoral Service of Chile in Santiago on Aug. 16, 2025.

Global Elections

Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast is most likely to win, portending a shift toward pro-business policies and stricter security measures. But a leftist, center-right or ultra-right president could also be elected, each with different visions for Chile's future.

Chile's Presidential Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Columns

On Security

Kenya

Madagascar

Nigeria

South Africa

Ecuador

Peru

Jordan

Lebanon

Morocco

Tunisia

Turkey

Indonesia

Philippines

Serbia

Bangladesh

Nepal

Fire rages through the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu on Sept. 9, 2025, after youth protesters set fire to the building. 

Recent events in Nepal, Madagascar and elsewhere show how digitally coordinated, leaderless protests can succeed, but eventually face even larger challenges in sustaining the momentum for change.

Worldwide Gen Z Protesters May Be Disappointed With Their Success

Qatar

Europe

United Kingdom

Russia

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani addresses a press conference following Israeli strikes in Doha on Sept. 9, 2025. 

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Qatar Hosts an Arab-Islamic Summit, EU Announces New Sanctions on Russia

Argentina

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominican Republic

El Salvador

Guatemala

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Suriname

Uruguay

(L-R) Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina attend a plenary session of the China-CELAC ministerial meeting at the Great Hall of the People on May 13, 2025, in Beijing, China. 

Global Trade

Latin America and the Caribbean will welcome China's increased engagement, but strong ties to the West and China's economic slowdown will limit Beijing's influence in the region.

Despite Stronger Trade Ties, China's Influence in Latin America Will Remain Limited

Snapshots

Chile's President Gabriel Boric speaks during the "Palestinian Christmas: From Bethlehem to Chile, a light of hope" ceremony in Santiago on Dec. 17, 2024.

Social Issues

During his last year in office, Chilean President Gabriel Boric will moderate his economic policy and bolster security to unify his coalition and reflect voters' changing priorities.

In Chile, What To Expect From Boric's Last Year in Office

Americas

U.S. border patrol officials drive near the wall along the Mexican border in Sasabe, Arizona, on Dec. 8, 2023. 

The fallout from Trump's pledged tariffs and mass deportations could worsen living conditions in countries like Mexico, though countries with like-minded leaders, like Argentina, may fare better.

What Trump's Focus on Immigration, Trade and Ideology Means for Latin America

Palestinian Territories

Japan

Georgia

Protesters hold Georgian flags during a pro-Europe rally in Tbilisi ahead of Georgia's parliamentary elections on Oct. 20, 2024. 

The Weekly Rundown: Key Elections in Georgia and Japan, Efforts to Resume Gaza Cease-Fire Talks

The Geopolitics of Water

Chile's rising water stress threatens agriculture and mining, but desalination efforts offer hope for mitigating severe impacts.

The Geopolitics of Water: Water Stress in Chile Threatens Agriculture and Mining

Spain

The Weekly Rundown: Putin Goes to China, New U.S. Tariffs on China

Policemen guard the car of Mayor Luis Chonillo after an attack on the official May 15, 2023, in Duran, Ecuador. Governments can take steps to stave off a surge in violence, but for many in the region, such measures will be politically and economically out of reach.

Governments can take steps to stave off a surge in violence, but for many in the region, such measures will be politically and economically out of reach.

Forecasting Latin America's Next Crime Hotspot After Ecuador

Chad

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Iraq

A man holds a handout in support of Chile’s proposed new constitution on Dec. 6, 2023, in Santiago.

The Weekly Rundown: A Japan-ASEAN Summit, Constitutional Referendums in Chile and Chad

Chile stretches along the western edge of the tip of South America, squeezed between the Andean Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It shares with Argentina the world's third-longest international border, which roughly bisecting the Andes. They create a formidable challenge for trade integration between the neighbors. The Atacama Desert marks Chile's northern reaches, where its borders with Peru and Bolivia lie, while its southern limits include territorial claims in Antarctica. Chile’s victory in the War of the Pacific, which it fought from 1879 to 1884 against Peru and Bolivia, allowed it to extend its territory to the north. But tensions persist over parts of that land, which Bolivia continues to claim as its own. Most of Chile's copper reserves can be found in its north, and as the world’s largest copper producer, the sector is vital to its economy.    The metropolitan area of Chile's capital, Santiago, in the central part of the country, constitutes its core, where almost half of country’s population is concentrated. The country's overall population is chiefly homogeneous: More than 80 percent of the people identify as having European or mestizo ancestry. There are significant pockets of ethnic minorities, including the indigenous Mapuches, which are mostly located in the south. These groups have pressed demands for territorial rights and have engaged in often-violent clashes with the country’s security forces, but their numbers are too small to seriously threaten the central government.     Chile’s location on the Pacific Rim make it a portal of trade between Asian countries and the rest of South America. It has struck more free trade agreements than any other country on the continent, many of those with trading partners that also border the Pacific.  

SITUATION REPORTS

Chile: Finance Minister's Resignation Unlikely To Result in Policy Shifts

Chile: Expedited Permitting Rules Underscore President's Moderate Push in Last Year in Office

Chile: Mapuche Militancy Will Continue To Pose Latent Security Risks Following Large Arson Attack

Chile: Pension Reform Approval Unlikely to Significantly Improve Government's Popularity

Chile: Increased Security Spending Unlikely To Solve Security Crisis

Chile: Corruption Scandal Involving High-Profile Judges and Politicians Unlikely to Affect Elections

Chile: Trade Tension With China To Rise After Steel Mill Closure, but Broader Ties Remain Strong

Chile: Resource Nationalism Over Lithium Extraction To Advance Under Boric

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support