Relationship dossier
Chile
United States
Relationship assessment
Trade and travel cooperation coexist with the legacy of U.S. intervention in Chilean politics.
Chile toward United States
+40Chile entered into and implemented a free-trade agreement with the United States. Chile also opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a notable policy disagreement with Washington.
United States toward Chile
+45The United States entered into and implemented a free-trade agreement with Chile and admitted Chile to the Visa Waiver Program in 2014. Earlier U.S. intervention in Chilean politics, including efforts to undermine Salvador Allende's government, remains a major source of historical tension.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has a durable cooperative foundation in trade and travel arrangements, alongside a consequential history of U.S. intervention in Chilean domestic politics. Later policy disagreements, including Chile's opposition to the 2003 Iraq invasion, have not displaced the bilateral economic framework.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Chile and the United States maintain a substantially cooperative relationship, anchored by the bilateral free-trade agreement and practical cooperation including Chile's participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. The relationship also carries significant historical strain from U.S. intervention in Chilean politics before and during the 1973 coup. Chile's opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq reflected a policy disagreement, but did not prevent bilateral trade cooperation.
Areas of tension
- U.S. intervention in Chilean politics before and during the 1973 coup.
- Chile's opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Key developments
The United States–Chile Free Trade Agreement entered into force.
Chile became the first Latin American country admitted to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
Major uncertainties
- The breadth and implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond trade and travel arrangements are unclear.
- The extent to which historical disputes continue to shape current government policy is uncertain.