Chile has since 2014 been the only country in Latin America where citizens do not need a visa to travel as tourists to the United States. But the privilege of the South American country belongs to a program known as Visa Waiver has entered the US political arena in recent weeks, after Republican Kevin McCarthy, president of the House of Representatives and third-power authority, alleged that some Chileans who had benefited from visas had committed “sophisticated” crimes and none of them had appeared. in court to face possible charges. McCarthy has tied the budget agreement to finance the program to Chile submitting visa applicant criminal records, as other countries do.

A US House committee on Wednesday approved a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but left funds for Chile’s visa waiver program to intensify the integration of travelers’ police and criminal information systems. In parallel, a high-level Chilean technical team, with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, police and the Civil Registry are negotiating in Washington with DHS to renew eligibility for joining the program, which varies for each of the 40 member states, some big Europe. This Friday is the final meeting and a deal is imminent, according to sources involved in the talks.

“We hope that the consensus will lead to a result that is fully satisfactory to both sides. DPR Committee [de Representantes] it has conditioned the financing of the program to fulfillment of the talks. He is within his rights and the agreement gives him an answer,” Chile’s ambassador to the US, Juan Gabriel Valdés, said on Twitter this morning.

In 2022, Chile is the country with the highest number of deportees among those participating in deportation programs. Visa Waiverby 553, an increase of 119.4% over the previous year, according to figures from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service. Spain follows far behind, with 165, and Italy and England each with 102.

The controversy began in mid-May, when Orange County (California) District Attorney Todd Spitzer alleged that his county was facing an “unprecedented” crime wave and that in the last two weeks three assailants from Chile, were accused of participating in home burglaries. The Chilean consulate in Los Angeles tried to contact the district attorney’s office to address the matter, but received no response. On June 11, Chile Commissioner Eliana Ramos, Police Attache, met in California with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Office and representatives from the FBI.

Two weeks later, Ambassador Valdés sent a letter to Spitzer prosecutors expressing his “concern” and “dismay” at the participation of Chileans in criminal activity on his territory and noting that the authorities had been working with DHS for two years. “We are finalizing the text of a new agreement that will increase the automation and promptness of police information sharing,” the ambassador said, adding that he expected the agreement to be signed this week. In an interview with EL PAIS, Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren said that Chile has been “actively cooperating” with US authorities to improve procedures between the police forces of the two countries and thereby “prevent some criminals from taking advantage of this advantage.”

The letter does not calm the waters. Two days later, the Republican McCarthy traveled to Orange County, with a population of three million, where he warned at a press point that they would not approve departure for the Chilean visa-waiver program until security issues were resolved. The shift in the chairman of the House of Representatives caused the issue to escalate to Washington. Until recently, whenever US authorities requested criminal information from a traveler, the Chilean police turned it over. What Republicans are asking is that they be informed of criminal records before travelers set foot on US soil. Requirements vary for recipient countries and are dynamic; they are updated.

“40 countries are part of the program Visa Waiver they are close peoples, friends. The only one in Latin America is Chile. It’s normal to be able to see criminal records, but Chile is different from the others. They’re not going to let us see that,” McCarthy said, accompanied by Republican representatives in California, the Democratic stronghold. The press point came the same day conservative Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent migrants to Los Angeles to criticize Democratic President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. The same tactic was used by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Republican nominee for president.

From the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they confirmed that “good relations with the United States remain, as always”. “However”, they added, “we are concerned that this issue is being politicized in the context of an electoral climate, as it is an important component of our bilateral relations with other Countries, which Chile has endeavored to comply with, and which has allowed us to remain in this program. .”

By 2022, some 350,000 Chileans will travel to the US on tourist visas, which last 90 days, and are obtained after filling out forms on Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), where they asked about the criminal record. The number of travelers is very similar to the first full year after benefits apply.