Chile is the only country in Latin America that is part of the Visa Waiver program, which allows its citizens to travel to the United States without needing to apply for a visa. However, in recent days there have been problems experienced by the judiciary and other diplomats and are threatening the country to lose out on these advantages.

At a conference, Orange County District Attorney in California, Todd Spitzer, criticized the operations of a criminal organization composed of foreigners and the difficulties authorities are facing in dealing with the crime wave they lead. In that context, Spitzer has asked federal authorities to stop Chile from being an eligible country for the special visa program, due to a wave of crimes Chileans have committed on the territory of the country..

As the lawyer explained, the judicial treatment of Chilean nationals has created particular complications, creating tensions with the South American government.

The Automated Travel Authorization System (ESTA) is the mechanism that determines a visitor’s eligibility to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). According to Spitzer, when courts try suspects, they ask prosecutors to provide the detainees’ criminal records, but prosecutors cannot provide them because the Chilean government does not.

In late December, after prolonged uncertainty, Washington agreed to keep Chile in the program. According to figures from the US embassy, ​​Chilean travel to the country under the Visa Free program has quadrupled since Chile was integrated in 2014.

Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the misuse of Visa Waivers

“Regarding information containing statements by District Attorney of Orange County, State of Californiaregarding the participation of Chilean citizens in crimes against property, we convey condemns any possible misuse of the Visa Waiver Program which currently benefits more than 300,000 compatriots who travel annually to the United States,” said a statement from the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to CNN.

“Chile, through a multisectoral table consisting of the Ministries of the Interior and Public Security; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; civil registration service and KTP; Police from Chile; and Investigative Police, moving forward with the Action Plan within the framework of the Visa Waiver Program requested by the United States Department of Homeland Security,” they said from the Department of State.

Visa Waiver Program, in detail

• The United States Visa Waiver Program, better known as Visa Free ProgramVWP (abbreviation in English), Visa Free Programis that which allows citizens of certain countries, who are members of this program, to enter the United States on a draft tourism, business and transitand stay for a maximum of 90 days, without a visa, but with an electronic travel authorization. This electronic travel authorization has a duration of 2 years.

• Members of this Program are: Germany, Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, South Korea, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Spain, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Poland, United Kingdom, Czech Republic.
• Chile entered the Program on February 28, 2014, which entered into force on March 31, 2014, the date on which the first Chilean entered the United States, held Travel authorization through ESTA system.
• The ESTA System, Electronic System Travel Authorization, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, is an automated online system used by the United States to determine the eligibility of visitors traveling to the US under the Visa Waiver Program, which is accessed from the website: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov from any part of the world. It belongs to the United States Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection, (Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, CBP/DHS) and is where you apply for a travel authorization, answer all mandatory questions and pay a total of US$21, through credit or debit card.