On March 11, 2026, Chile’s new president Jose Antonio Kast inherits a scandal over a Chinese undersea cable project canceled under US pressure on his inauguration day. The incident has Latin American countries questioning who decides regional infrastructure. Santiago awoke to a mix of celebration and tension.
The Chilean capital Santiago awoke on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, to a mixture of celebration and tension. Jose Antonio Kast, elected in November with just over 58 per cent of the vote after defeating the Chilean Communist Party candidate, was inaugurated at La Moneda Palace.
Kast inherits a scandal from the previous administration of Gabriel Boric, where the United States forced Chile to cancel a Chinese undersea cable project. The project, known as the Humboldt Project, was led by China Mobile International and aimed to connect Chile to Antarctic regions, including the Atacama Desert.
The controversy highlights Washington’s concerns over Beijing’s influence in Latin America. Keywords associated include South China Morning Post, Antarctica, Donald Trump, United States, Humboldt Project, China Mobile International, Atacama Desert, Washington, Hong Kong, Beijing, Santiago, Chile, Gabriel Boric, La Moneda Palace, and Jose Antonio Kast.
Latin American countries are now asking who gets to decide what infrastructure the region builds, amid broader US-China geopolitical tensions. Specific details of the threats remain undisclosed in available reports.
