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The U.S. government sanctioned three Chilean officials for undermining “regional security in our hemisphere.”
According to El País, those sanctioned are the Minister of Transportation, Juan Carlos Muñoz; the Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Claudio Araya; and the Chief of Staff of Subtel, Guillermo Petersen.
The three are involved in a fiber optic cable project that connects the Valparaíso region in central Chile with Hong Kong, El País added.
The statement from the Department of State, signed by Marco Rubio, informs that “three officials of the Chilean government who knowingly directed, authorized, funded, provided significant support, and/or engaged in activities that compromised critical telecommunications infrastructure.”
"These individuals and their immediate family members will not be allowed to enter the United States, and their U.S. visas will be revoked," the statement adds.
Rubio hopes to "promote shared priorities, including those that strengthen security in our hemisphere, with the incoming administration of Kast."
Last week, the Boric government sent 1 million dollars in humanitarian aid to Cuba —equivalent to 862 million Chilean pesos— amid the energy and fuel crisis affecting the island.
The shipment has sparked criticism both within Chile and from U.S. politicians.
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