Chile, US to sign mining and security deals

Chile and the United States will sign mining and security agreements in Santiago on Monday, deepening cooperation on critical minerals and organized crime.

Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, Mining and Economy Minister Daniel Mas and US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno will attend the signing ceremony on Monday, the government said, without providing details on the mining deals.

The agreements build on a push announced last month to coordinate on rare earths and other critical minerals, including financing for projects, recycling of mineral scrap and exploration to boost supply of critical minerals. 

Rhenium, a rare metal with a melting point near 3,180°C and prized in defence and aerospace, will be a key focus of the mining pacts, as the metal is mostly extracted as a by-product from copper, of which Chile is the world’s largest producer.

$1M crime crackdown

Chilean authorities said they will also sign a new security cooperation agreement backed by an initial $1 million investment by the US to combat organized crime. The deal is part of an update to a bilateral pact on narcotics control and law enforcement dating back to the early 2000’s.

Public Security Minister Trinidad Steinert and US officials will sign the deal, which establishes a joint Chilean Investigative Police (PDI)–FBI team and places at least one FBI agent in Chile to support investigations.

The initiative aligns with President José Antonio Kast’s pledge to take a tougher stance on crime and illegal immigration, including measures to dismantle transnational criminal groups that have begun operating in the country.