The rapprochement triggered immediate criticism from Johannes Kaiser, president of the far-right National Libertarian Party, which defines itself as “friendly opposition” to the Kast administration. Kaiser challenged the government’s clarification that negotiations would focus exclusively on consular and diplomatic normalization without addressing deportation of Venezuelans with criminal records or irregular immigration status. He specifically cited ongoing Chilean investigations into Diosdado Cabello, a senior Venezuelan official, regarding alleged involvement in the 2024 murder of former military officer Ronald Ojeda and connections to the Tren de Aragua criminal organization.
Official data indicates 75 percent of undocumented migrants in Chile are Venezuelan nationals. More than 44,000 foreigners face active deportation orders, with approximately 65 percent Venezuelan. The Kast government campaigned on promises to expel over 330,000 irregular migrants, predominantly Venezuelans, but has executed no Venezuelan deportations since relations froze. Previous Kast administration statements in April 2026 stalled earlier normalization attempts when the president referred to Venezuela’s previous government as a “narco-dictatorship,” prompting Venezuelan Foreign Minister Iván Gil to suspend incipient dialogue channels.
Former Chilean ambassador to Venezuela Jaime Gazmuri endorsed the restoration effort, noting relations “should never have been interrupted.” Former foreign minister Alfredo Moreno warned that consular normalization must address legal cooperation mechanisms for processing criminal deportations, not merely facilitate standard documentation services. The diplomatic rupture originated in July 2024 when then-president Gabriel Boric questioned electoral results declaring Nicolás Maduro victorious, leading Maduro to expel Chilean diplomatic personnel.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
