Assessments

Chile

In this aerial view, pools of brine containing lithium carbonate and mounds of salt byproduct stretch through a lithium mine in the Atacama desert on Aug. 24, 2022, in Salar de Atacama, Chile.

Economics

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Politics

Lithium nationalization in Chile will face many obstacles in its efforts to attract foreign investment.

Chile's Lithium Industry Holds its Breath as Boric Pursues Nationalization

Snapshots

Supporters of Chile's far-right Republican Party celebrate their victory in the Constitutional Council election on May 7, 2023.

Social Issues

Conservatives' veto-proof majority in the new Constitutional Council will quell investor fears about major changes to Chile's current business-friendly charter.

Chileans Task Right-Wing Parties to Draft Their Next Constitution

United States

Saudi Arabia

Japan

South Korea

Russia

Russian soldiers march in Moscow on May 4, 2023, during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade on May 9.

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: Russia Marks Victory Day, Japan's Leader Visits South Korea

Argentina

Bolivia

China

Germany

Chilean President Gabriel Boric (right) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (left) pose after holding a joint press conference at the Palacio de La Moneda in Santiago, Chile, on Jan. 29, 2023. 

To reduce its reliance on Chinese-made batteries, Germany is seeking to increase its presence in Latin America's ''Lithium Triangle.''

In Search of Lithium, Germany Eyes Partnerships With Chile and Argentina

Columns

On Geopolitics

Brazil

Colombia

Ecuador

Mexico

Peru

A digital illustration shows the flags of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and Peru. 

The rise of left-wing governments in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru is largely the result of growing anti-establishment sentiment fueled by economic volatility.

Is Latin America Experiencing Another Leftist Wave?

Media

Podcasts

Chile is not finished with the constitutional process, despite a resounding defeat for the first draft.

Essential Geopolitics: Changing Chile's Constitution, Round Two

People opposed to Chile's proposed new constitution celebrate in the streets of Santiago on Sept. 4, 2022, after the first results of the referendum showed the number of ''no'' votes far exceeding the number of ''yes'' votes. 

The potential for more protests and constitutional changes will keep the country's regulatory landscape uncertain, likely prompting businesses to suspend large investments.

In Chile, the Rejection of a New Constitution Won't Put the Issue to Rest

Kenya

Europe

United Kingdom

A moving van at No. 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the prime minister of the United Kingdom, on Sept. 2, 2022, in central London. The governing Conservative Party will announce the winner of its leadership contest Sept. 5, and Queen Elizabeth II will appoint the new Conservative leader as British prime minister Sept. 6.

The Weekly Rundown: A New British Prime Minister, a New Chilean Charter

Guidance

Citizens in Santiago receive a copy of the proposed new Chilean constitution on Aug. 29, 2022, ahead of the upcoming referendum. 

Regardless of the result of the Sept. 4 referendum, Chile's left- and right-wing political forces will push for their own constitutional amendments, which will keep legal uncertainty high and threaten decades of regulatory stability.

What to Expect as Chile Votes on a New Constitution

A miner works at the Kiara copper mine in Chile on June 22, 2021. 

Beijing’s planned infrastructure projects could help Chile, Peru and Brazil weather the global economic slowdown by sustaining Chinese demand for copper and iron ore.

China’s Stimulus Spending Will Buoy South America’s Mining Exports

COVID-19

Burkina Faso

Ghana

Guinea

Mali

Myanmar

Members of the Constitutional Convention pose for a picture during the official presentation of the draft they made of the new constitution on May 16, 2022, at the Ruinas de Huanchaca National Monument in Antofagasta, Chile.

The Weekly Rundown: The Chilean Constitution Is Unveiled, an ECOWAS Summit

Demonstrators in Santiago take part in a protest against Chilean President Sebastian Pinera’s efforts to privatize the country’s lithium industry on Jan. 7, 2022. 

The outgoing president's left-wing successor and the delegates drafting Chile's new constitution will likely seek to strengthen state control over mining projects. 

In Chile’s Lithium Sector, the End of Pinera’s Privatization Era Nears

Environmental Issues

Chile's lower house approved a mining tax reform that increases taxes and royalties levied on the country's copper and lithium companies, Reuters reported on May 17.

Chile: Congress Approves Higher Mining Taxes and Royalties

Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced on April 20 that he would seek to nationalize the country's lithium industry, issuing any future contracts as public-private partnerships with state control, Reuters reported the next day.

Chile: Boric Announces Nationalization of Lithium Sector

Chile's National Congress approved a gradual decrease in weekly working hours from 45 to 40, with one hour being removed from the workweek per year until 2026, Exante reported on April 11.

Chile: Congress Approves Gradual Decrease in Workweek

Belize

Cuba

Honduras

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Venezuela

The leaders of Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela met virtually and agreed to take steps to facilitate commercial trade, La Jornada reported April 5.

Latin America: Left-Wing Governments Ally to Reduce Food Inflation

Chile's lower legislative house unexpectedly rejected a government tax reform that would have established an additional wealth tax, eliminated some tax exemptions and increased income taxes for high earners, Bloomberg reported on March 8.

Chile: Lower House Rejects President's Tax Reform

Barbados

Canada

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Panama

Uruguay

The United States and 11 other countries -- Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay -- formally launched discussions on the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP), according to a Jan. 27 joint declaration by the 12 countries.

Americas: 12 Countries Launch U.S.-Led Talks to Boost Economic Ties

Chilean political parties reached an agreement on a road map for a new constituent process Dec. 12 after more than three months of negotiations providing for an initial constitutional draft written by a congressionally elected commission of 24 experts that will then be passed onto a group of 50 popularly elected constitutional advisors, Ex-Ante reported Dec. 12.

Chile: Parties Reach an Agreement for a Constitutional Rewrite Process

Chile's President Gabriel Boric described former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo's failed attempt to dissolve Congress ahead of a scheduled vote to oust him as a self-coup, Reuters reported Dec. 7.

Latin America: Reactions to Events in Peru Could Isolate Boluarte's Government

Afghanistan

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Luxembourg

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

Armenia

Australia

Bahrain

Lithuania

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Benin

Egypt

Maldives

Malta

Ukraine

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

India

Iran

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Cambodia

Iraq

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Burundi

Finland

Israel

Nepal

Cameroon

Georgia

Jordan

Pakistan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

Central African Republic

Fiji

Latvia

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chad

Indonesia

Libya

Comoros

Czech Republic

A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

Denmark

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Oman

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Laos

Palestinian Territories

Djibouti

Holy See (Vatican City)

Malaysia

Qatar

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Eritrea

France

Grenada

Mongolia

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.  

Female

Male

SITUATION REPORTS

Chile: Congress Approves Higher Mining Taxes and Royalties

Chile: Boric Announces Nationalization of Lithium Sector

Chile: Congress Approves Gradual Decrease in Workweek

Latin America: Left-Wing Governments Ally to Reduce Food Inflation

Chile: Lower House Rejects President's Tax Reform

Americas: 12 Countries Launch U.S.-Led Talks to Boost Economic Ties

Chile: Parties Reach an Agreement for a Constitutional Rewrite Process

Latin America: Reactions to Events in Peru Could Isolate Boluarte's Government

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support