# Chile - United States Department of State

- Special Advisor on International Disability Rights Minkara Travel to Peru and Chile Office of the Spokesperson													HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;Special Advisor on International Disability Rights Minkara Travel to Peru and Chile				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										Special Advisor on International Disability Rights Minkara Travel to Peru and Chile																																		Media Note																														May 6, 2024																																							U.S. Department of State Special Advisor on International Disability Rights (SAIDR) Sara Minkara is traveling to Chile from May 6 to 14 and Peru from May 14 to 16 to promote further integration and inclusion of persons with disabilities in international economic policy.  In Chile on May 6, SAIDR Minkara will participate in a Disability and Inclusion panel at the National Congress of Chile. On May 7, she will deliver remarks for the closing ceremony of the Zero Project Latin America Conference, one of the first regional conferences to promote inclusive education. She will also meet with host government officials and civil society to learn how the United States can work with Chile to advance disability inclusion. SAIDR Minkara will travel to Peru on May 14 to meet with government and civil society in Lima.  On May 15, SAIDR Minkara will participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Public-Private Dialogue on Women and the Economy in Arequipa, Peru, to discuss the importance of women’s financial inclusion as a pillar of economic development.						Tags																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Chile																																Disability																															Office of the Spokesperson																																Official International Travel																															Peru
- Chile HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Chile				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Chile																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																																																		f. Transnational Repression																																																																											g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																											h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption in Government																															Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																															Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Indigenous Peoples																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Chile during the year.Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings; cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment by police; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting Indigenous persons; and crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex persons.The government took steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were isolated reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings, during the year.On April 8, the national police (Carabineros) killed David Toro in Llolleo, Valparaiso Region, after he allegedly refused to pull over at a traffic stop and subsequently hit a police officer with his car. Toro’s family brought a criminal accusation against the Carabineros for excessive use of force. The family also filed a petition before the Constitutional Court to deny applicability of a law passed in March that granted police privileged self-defense rights. An investigation was pending as of September 24.On August 22, judges sentenced a former carabinero to 540 days in prison for abuse resulting in the October 2021 death of a man in San Fernando in O’Higgins Region. According to the National Institute of Human Rights (INDH), an independent government authority that monitored complaints and allegations of abuse, carabineros allegedly choked the man and left him unconscious in his cell; he later died at a medical facility. As of September 24, the prosecution against three other carabineros in the same case remained pending.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										Although the constitution and law prohibited such practices, there were occasional reports of excessive force, abuse, and degrading treatment by police.On June 5, police in Antofagasta detained a former Carabineros corporal accused of “unlawful physical or mental coercion,” abuse, and sexual abuse in January of two individuals, one adult and one child, while the corporal was still in the Carabineros. The former corporal was placed in pretrial detention, and an investigation was pending as of September 30.In November 2022, a court in Araucania Region absolved nine army soldiers of allegedly detaining and binding five persons, driving them to a forest, beating them, and simulating an execution in 2020. The court cited a lack of evidence as grounds for dismissing the case.Human rights groups reported impunity was a problem in the security forces, especially in the Carabineros.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						The country had a hybrid prison system where the government owned most prison facilities, and private companies had concessions to provide services, including laundry and electronic monitoring. Human rights organizations reported overcrowding, poor health care, violence, and abuse by guards were problems in several prisons.Abusive Physical Conditions: The prison system’s population was unevenly distributed, with approximately 50 percent of prisons operating beyond maximum capacity, while others were underpopulated. The INDH reported prisoners were often confined to their cells for most of the day. Poor conditions in some prisons were attributed to antiquated infrastructure, substandard sanitary infrastructure, and inadequate water supplies.Prisoner and human rights groups investigated alleged abuse, gender-based violence, and use of excessive force by prison guards against detainees. In April, a court in Iquique sentenced a prison guard to six years and one day in prison for sexually abusing a woman suspect who was being transported from her detention control hearing to pretrial detention in 2021.Administration: Independent government authorities, including the INDH, generally investigated credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring: The government permitted prison visits by independent human rights observers. Such visits took place at both government and privately operated facilities.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court. The government did not always observe these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						Only public officials expressly authorized by law could arrest or detain citizens, and they generally did so openly, with warrants based on sufficient evidence brought before an independent judiciary. Authorities had to immediately inform a prosecutor of an arrest and generally did so.The prosecutor was required to open an investigation, receive a statement from the detainee, and ensure the detainee was held at a local police station until the detention control hearing. Detention control hearings were held twice daily, allowing for a judicial determination of the legality of the detention within 24 hours of arrest. Authorities had to inform detainees of their rights, including the right to an attorney and the right to remain silent until an attorney was present. Public defenders were provided for detainees who did not hire their own lawyer. Authorities were required to expedite notification of the detention to family members. If authorities did not inform detainees of their rights upon detention, the judge could declare the process unlawful during the detention control hearing.The law allowed judges to set bail, grant provisional liberty, or order continued detention as necessary for the investigation or for the protection of the prisoner or the public.Arbitrary Arrest: On March 3, prosecutors brought charges of irregular arrest, unlawful physical or mental coercion, falsification of a public instrument, and obstruction of justice against two carabineros who allegedly arbitrarily arrested and attacked a youth, age 17, and held him in custody for a day on January 24 in Los Vilos, Coquimbo Region. The two carabineros were fired and placed under house arrest. An investigation was pending as of September 25.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution provided for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.																Trial Procedures						The constitution and law provided for the right to a fair and public trial, and the judiciary generally enforced this right.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.																										f. Transnational Repression										Not applicable.																																				g. Property Seizure and Restitution										Not applicable.																																				h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution prohibited such actions, and there were no reports that the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right. An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for media members.Violence and Harassment: On February 21, the Investigations Police of Chile reported the arrest of a second suspect in the May 2022 shooting of journalist Francisca Sandoval, who died from injuries she sustained after being shot while covering a Workers’ Day demonstration. Media reported Sandoval was intentionally targeted. The National Prosecutor’s Office continued to investigate the crime.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The law provided for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The constitution provided for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, or asylum seekers, as well as other persons of concern.Access to Asylum: The law provided for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government had established a system for providing protection to refugees.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																						The law provided citizens the ability to choose their government through free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																										Elections and Political Participation										Abuses or Irregularities in Recent Elections: National elections were widely reported to be fair and free of abuses and irregularities.The December 17 national plebiscite on a new constitution was widely reported to be fair and free of abuses and irregularities.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption in Government												    																						The law provided criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively. There were isolated reports of government corruption.Corruption: As of September, the National Prosecutor’s Office was investigating 53 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) nationwide to determine if government and political party officials had committed corruption crimes, including tax fraud, nepotism, and embezzlement of public funds, exceeding $40 million. These cases were publicly known as the “NGOs case” or the “Agreements case.” Media reports alleged NGOs with ties to government or political party officials misdirected or mismanaged cash transfers from the national government to these organizations for various development projects.For additional information about corruption in the country, please see the Department of State’s Investment Climate Statement for the country, and the Department of State’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, which includes information on financial crimes.																											Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																						Domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction to monitor or investigate human rights conditions or cases and publish their findings. Government officials were cooperative and responsive to their views.Government Human Rights Bodies: The INDH and the Office of the National Children’s Rights Defender operated independently and effectively, issued public statements and annual reports, and proposed policies to promote and protect human rights. The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies had standing human rights committees responsible for drafting human rights legislation.																											Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalized rape of women or men, including spousal and domestic or intimate partner rape. Penalties for conviction of rape ranged from five to 15 years’ imprisonment. The law criminalized some forms of physical and psychological domestic violence.Family courts handled cases of domestic violence not defined in the criminal code, including psychological and economic violence, and penalized offenders with fines and other sanctions, such as eviction of the offender from the residence shared with the survivor, restraining orders, confiscation of firearms, and court-ordered counseling. Cases of habitual psychological abuse and physical abuse were prosecuted in the criminal justice system. Penalties were based on the gravity of injuries and ranged from 61 days’ to 15 years’ imprisonment. Murder in the context of domestic violence was defined as femicide in the criminal code, and penalties ranged from 15 years to life in prison. The government generally enforced effectively the laws against rape and domestic violence.The Ministry of Women and Gender Equality had a survivors’ assistance and protection program that operated psychological, legal, and social assistance centers and shelters throughout the country and maintained an emergency hotline.Other Forms of Gender-based Violence or Harassment: Gender-based violence, including rape and femicide, was a significant problem.On March 4, a Carabineros captain and a corporal, while on duty, allegedly sexually abused and raped two women in a cabaret in San Carlos, Ñuble Region. The regional INDH office filed a criminal complaint, and the court placed the two officers in pretrial detention. An investigation was pending as of September 30. According to a local court statement, the officers, after entering the establishment under guise of an antidrug operation, threatened the women with arrest before sexually abusing them.Discrimination: Although women possessed most of the same legal rights as men, local human rights organizations reported that the government did not enforce the law effectively and that discrimination persisted in employment, pay, ownership and management of businesses, and education.Certain laws defining the marital relationship enabled economic discrimination within marriage. A common marital arrangement was “conjugal society,” which provided that a husband had the right to administer joint property, including his wife’s property, without consultation or written permission from his wife, but a wife had to demonstrate that her husband had granted his permission before she was permitted to make similar financial arrangements. The law provided that, unless a woman was married under the separate-estate regime or a joint-estate regime, she could not enter a commercial partnership agreement without permission from her husband, while a man could enter such an agreement without permission from his wife.Despite a law providing for equal pay for equal work, one-third of women were paid less than men in similar jobs, according to an organization specializing in market and consumer data.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion on the part of government authorities, but there were reports of involuntary sterilization by personnel in public medical facilities. An August 2022 television news investigative report presented the case of a woman who, prior to the birth of her first child in 2021 in a public hospital in La Florida (Santiago Metropolitan Region), was asked to sign an authorization for an emergency caesarean section, which she later learned included authorization for sterilization. She denied ever consenting to sterilization. The same news report presented additional allegations of involuntary sterilization of Haitian immigrant women during caesarean sections. The Ministry of Health announced an investigation into the allegations shortly after the report was broadcast.The government’s National Health Service provided contraception and reproductive health services. Access to sexual and reproductive health services and information was limited in remote regions, which especially affected poor women. The civil society organization Legal and Social Sciences Research Conclave reported that poor Afro-descendant migrant women faced racism and (in the case of Haitian women) language barriers when trying to access reproductive health services and information.The National Service for Women and Gender Equality provided access to medical, legal, and psychological services for survivors of sexual violence, including the provision of emergency contraception and postexposure prophylaxis as part of the clinical management of rape. Emergency contraception was also available at pharmacies without a prescription for the purpose of family planning.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										Equal treatment and nondiscrimination were explicitly protected in the constitution, and the labor code specifically prohibited discrimination. The government did not enforce the law effectively. There were reports of discrimination against racial minorities and immigrants in public health, employment, and education.The government implemented training programs for public officials on assisting immigrants, incorporated interpreters into offices, and provided information in languages other than Spanish, specifically Haitian Creole, in some government services. Several municipal governments had offices to assist migrants with public services.Haitian and Venezuelan migrants, including those of African descent, reported xenophobia and discrimination in their local communities. On February 1, approximately 4,000 persons engaged in an anticrime and anti-immigrant demonstration in the northern city of Iquique, including an attack on a Venezuelan immigrant and on a vacant migrant camp after the demonstration ended.																																				Indigenous Peoples										The Diego Portales University’s Human Rights Center, in its Annual Report on Human Rights in Chile 2022, reported an escalation in the use of violence in the long-running conflict between some Indigenous Mapuche communities and government security forces over ancestral territorial claims in rural provinces in Araucania and Biobio Regions.The number of persons killed in violence in rural areas that involved Mapuche and non-Mapuche individuals increased significantly after 2017 and included not only Mapuche activists and police but also non-Mapuche and Mapuche workers in the logging and agricultural sectors. Mapuche individuals from certain communities were subject to threats and violence, including excessive use of force during police searches. Mapuche individuals were also disproportionately subjected to threats, violence, and excessive use of force by police in the context of crimes related to drug cultivation and drug trafficking.Indigenous persons and their institutions generally participated in limited ways in decisions affecting their lands, cultures, and traditions. While Indigenous lands were demarcated, some Indigenous Mapuche and Rapa Nui communities demanded restitution of other lands that were privately and publicly owned.According to human rights organizations, Indigenous persons encountered serious obstacles to exercising their civil and political rights, including the right to use natural resources in their territories, to political participation, and to nondiscrimination in employment and equal access to justice. Various civil society observers reported that extractive activities, including logging, mining, and energy projects, significantly altered the traditional livelihoods of several Indigenous groups. Published academic studies concluded, for example, that environmental pollution and the introduction of nonnative tree monocultures used in logging generated soil degradation and water pollution that negatively impacted Mapuche agriculture, health, and subsistence in the southern part of the country. A separate study highlighted that mining activities particularly affected water access and the pastoral livelihoods of the Atacameño, Aymara, Diaguita, and Kolla peoples in the northern part of the country.																																				Children										Child Abuse: There were laws against child abuse, but a lack of effective prosecutions remained a problem. The law rendered persons convicted of child sexual abuse permanently ineligible for any position, job, career, or profession in educational settings requiring direct and habitual contact with children younger than age 18. A public registry of these sex offenders remained in place as mandated by law.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The legal minimum age of marriage was 18 (16 with parental consent), and the government effectively enforced the law.Sexual Exploitation of Children: The law prohibited all forms of sexual exploitation of children, including sex trafficking, and prescribed penalties ranging from five to 20 years in prison, plus fines, for conviction of sexual exploitation offenses. Authorities enforced the law. In December 2022, congress approved a law raising the maximum prison sentences for those convicted of commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. Due to sentencing guidelines for first-time offenders that provided automatic parole for any sentence of less than five years’ confinement, many convicted of commercial sexual exploitation of children received weak sentences, hampering efforts to deter traffickers and hold them accountable.Child pornography was a crime. Penalties for producing child pornography ranged from 541 days to five years in prison. Commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents was a problem, and children were victims of sex trafficking with and without third-party involvement. Children were also used in the production of child pornography.Sexual relations with children ages 14 to 17 could be considered statutory rape depending on the circumstances. Sex with a child younger than age 14 was considered rape, regardless of consent or the victim’s gender. Penalties for conviction of statutory rape ranged from five to 20 years in prison.On September 27, a Chamber of Deputies lawmaker alleged cases of sexual exploitation and pedophilia in at least five Better Childhood (a government agency) shelters for women in Valparaiso Region. The National Prosecutor’s Office opened investigations into these allegations.																																				Antisemitism										The Jewish community consisted of approximately 20,000 persons.The Jewish community reported an increase in antisemitic content in social media posts following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Several subsequent pro-Palestinian protests included antisemitic speech. There were two incidents of swastika graffiti, one in Concepcion in March, and the other in Temuco in September.During a public event in March, Gerardo Gordischer, president of the Jewish Community of Chile, stated, “In Chile there is antisemitic hatred that spreads through social media on a permanent basis, and it increases depending on the status of the Palestinian-Israeli situation, which affects the local Jewish community.”On October 7, the mayor of Recoleta, Daniel Jadue, posted on X (formerly Twitter) an extensive message in relation to the Hamas attack on Israel in which he said, “The people of Palestine have the right to resist. The international community has been silent for years in the face of the genocide and extermination of women and children. Surely Zionism’s response will be fierce. Solution to the conflict is to end the occupation! #FreePalestine.”For further information on incidents in the country of antisemitism, whether or not those incidents were motivated by religion, and for reporting on the ability of Jews to exercise freedom of religion or belief, please see the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				Trafficking in Persons										See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization: There were no laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, cross-dressing, or other sexual or gender characteristic-related behaviors. Seemingly neutral laws were not disproportionately applied to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons.Violence and Harassment: There were reports that police perpetrated and tolerated violence or harassment against LGBTQI+ individuals. There were also reports that nonstate actors incited, perpetrated, condoned, or tolerated such violence and harassment. In March, the Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement (MOVILH) reported that in 2022 it received 1,046 reports of violence or discrimination due to sexual orientation or gender identity, a 6 percent decrease overall compared with 2021. Cases in 2022 included six reported killings, twice as many as in 2021, and an increase in cases of discrimination in schools and in the number of hate campaigns.On September 2, the Investigations Police of Chile arrested a man who admitted to the murder and subsequent dismemberment of a transgender man on September 1. The arrested individual was placed in pretrial detention, and an investigation was pending as of September 30.Prosecutors generally responded to requests to investigate and prosecute those complicit in violence and abuses against LGBTQI+ persons by state or nonstate actors.Discrimination: The law prohibited discrimination by state and nonstate actors based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics. The 2022 marriage equality law recognized LGBTQI+ couples and their families and granted them rights equal to other persons. Authorities appeared reluctant to use the full recourse of antidiscrimination laws, which could include charging assailants of LGBTQI+ victims with a hate crime, which would elevate criminal penalties.Procedural implementation of the marriage equality law presented some problems, especially in the registration of children of same-sex parents. The Iguales Foundation reported excessive delays in the delivery of birth and marriage certificates, errors in the order or spelling of surnames, and denial of service in some Civil Registry offices. On February 8, MOVILH reported government authorities were working with human rights organizations to solve these problems.Social and employment discrimination was a problem. The most common discriminatory acts reported to MOVILH were verbal abuse and discrimination by government workers in public services or by nonstate actors in public spaces.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: The law granted transgender citizens age 14 and older the right to have gender markers on government-issued identity cards and university diplomas changed to reflect their gender identity without a medical exam. For individuals age 18 and older, individual self-identification was sufficient to submit a request to the Civil Registry and Identification Service; for individuals ages 14 to 17, the process was done in family courts.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices: There were no reports of efforts to require “conversion therapy” practices. Human rights organizations reported, however, that social, cultural, and religious intolerance led to recurrent attempts to “convert” LGBTQI+ individuals informally through family, religious, medical, educational, or other community pressures.Intersex activists reported children born with sex characteristics that did not align with typical notions of either male or female bodies were routinely subjected to nonconsensual medical treatment, including surgeries to “normalize” their bodies. This was despite a 2015 Ministry of Health circular instructing such procedures be discontinued. There were no reports that medically unnecessary and irreversible “normalization” surgeries were performed on nonconsenting adult intersex persons.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: There were no restrictions on freedom of expression, association, or peaceful assembly with respect to LGBTQI+ issues.																																				Persons with Disabilities										The law prohibited discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities, but the government sometimes did not enforce these provisions. Persons with disabilities suffered discrimination in employment and occupation, education, housing, and health care. Persons with disabilities could not access all public buildings and transportation on an equal basis with others.While the law required universal and equal access to services, information, and communications, such access was limited. Most public buildings did not comply with legal accessibility mandates. The public transportation system, including many metro stations and most buses, particularly outside Santiago, did not adequately provide accessibility for persons with disabilities. National government communications via television were interpreted into sign language, but not all forms of government information and communications, especially information from regional and local governments, were provided in accessible formats.Children with disabilities attended public and private school with their peers and in segregated schools. Parents could choose whether to enroll their children in special education centers.The law stipulated employers should adopt measures to include workers with disabilities into their workforce; the law required public agencies and private employers with more than 100 employees to reserve 1 percent of jobs for persons with disabilities. The law included an annual reporting requirement. The Labor Directorate, an independent government authority under the Ministry of Labor, reported many companies complied with the requirements set by the labor inclusion law and that many labor contracts included some type of labor inclusion provision. Employment rates for persons with disabilities were highest in the Santiago Metropolitan Region and lower in rural areas, especially Arica and Parinacota Region.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provided for the rights of workers, with some limitations, to form and join independent unions of their choice, bargain collectively, and conduct strikes. The law also prohibited antiunion practices and required either back pay or reinstatement for workers fired for union activity.The government effectively enforced laws protecting freedom of association, collective bargaining, and the right to strike for workers. Workers in the private sector and in state enterprises had the freedom to unionize without prior approval. Police, military personnel, and civil servants working for the judiciary were prohibited from joining unions. Union leaders were restricted from being candidates for or members of congress. The Labor Directorate had broad powers to monitor unions’ financial accounts and financial transactions. For example, unions were required to update their financial records daily, and ministry officials could inspect the records at any time.The law extended collective bargaining rights to intercompany unions, provided the unions represented workers at employers with 50 or more employees and were within the same economic rubric or activity. An absolute majority of all covered workers had to indicate through secret ballot that they agreed to be represented by an intercompany union in collective bargaining. Intercompany unions for workers at micro or small businesses (i.e., with fewer than 50 workers) were permitted to bargain collectively only when the individual employers all agreed to negotiate under such terms.The law did not provide collective bargaining rights for workers in a public or private institution that received more than 50 percent of its funding from the state in either of the preceding two years, or whose budget was dependent upon the Defense Ministry. The law also did not provide for collective bargaining in companies and organizations whose employees were prohibited from striking, such as in health care, law enforcement, and public utilities.The law limited public employees from striking under certain circumstances, depending on sector. While employees in the private sector and workers in formal and regulated collective bargaining units had the right to strike, the law placed some restrictions on this right. For example, a majority of these workers, rather than a majority of those voting, had to approve strikes.The law prohibited employees of providers of services such as water and electricity from striking, and it stipulated compulsory arbitration to resolve disputes in these companies. Additionally, workers employed by companies or corporations whose stoppage would cause serious damage to the health, economy, or security of the country did not have the right to strike.Employers could not dismiss or replace employees for being involved in a strike. Unions were required to provide emergency personnel to fulfill the company’s “minimum services.” Minimum services included the protection of tangible assets and the company’s facilities, accident prevention, ensuring the supply of essential public services, and ensuring the prevention of environmental and sanitary damage.Labor courts required workers to resume work upon a determination that a strike, by its nature, timing, or duration, caused serious risk to the national economy or to health, national security, and the supply of goods or services to the population. Generally, a back-to-work order applied only when a prolonged strike in a vital sector of the economy could endanger public safety or health, and it applied only to a specific category of workers.The government enforced applicable laws effectively, and penalties were commensurate with those for other laws involving denials of civil rights, such as discrimination. Penalties were regularly applied against violators whenever inspectors from the Labor Directorate corroborated violations. Companies were generally subject to sanctions for labor violations, which varied according to the severity of the case. Companies could receive “special sanctions” for infractions, which included antiunion practices. Freedom of association was generally respected.Employers sometimes did not respect the right to collective bargaining. NGOs and unions reported some companies sought to inhibit the formation of unions and to avoid triggering collective bargaining rights, especially among seasonal agricultural workers and in key export sectors such as mining, forestry, and fishing. These companies used subcontracts and temporary contracts when increasing the size of their workforces, making it more difficult for a union to organize the workforce. Subcontracted employees usually earned lower wages than regular employees performing the same task, and many contractors failed to provide formal employment benefits, such as social security, health care, and pensions.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										See the Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										See the Department of Labor’s Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at  https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings/ .																																				d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																														e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: The law provided for a national minimum wage, and it exceeded the poverty income level. In April, congress passed a law to enact a 40-hour work week by May 2028 by gradually decreasing the work week, which was 45 hours. Provisions on premium compensation for overtime work were not affected by the new law.The law provided exemptions from restrictions on hours of work for some categories of workers such as managers; administrators; employees of fishing boats; restaurant, club, and hotel workers; drivers; airplane crews; telecommuters or employees who worked outside of the office; and professional athletes.Occupational Safety and Health: The law provided for occupational safety and health (OSH) standards, which were applicable to all sectors. Inspectors with the Labor Directorate and the National Service for Geology and Mines actively identified unsafe conditions and responded to workers’ OSH complaints. Special safety and health norms existed for specific sectors such as mining and diving. The National Service for Geology and Mines was further mandated to regulate and inspect the mining industry. The law did not regulate the informal sector. By law, workers could remove themselves from situations that endangered health or safety without jeopardy to their employment, and authorities effectively protected employees in this situation.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement: The Labor Directorate was responsible for enforcing minimum wage, overtime, and OSH laws; the directorate effectively enforced these laws. Penalties were commensurate with those for similar crimes such as fraud and were regularly applied against violators. The number of labor inspectors was insufficient to enforce compliance. Inspectors had the authority to conduct regular and unannounced workplace visits, and could impose penalties for violations of labor, wage and hour, social security, and OSH laws.The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor administered and effectively enforced OSH standards. The law established fines for noncompliance with labor regulations. Companies could receive “special sanctions” for infractions such as causing irreversible injuries to an employee. Penalties were commensurate with those for similar crimes such as negligence and were regularly applied against violators.A May-July survey by the Statistics National Institute revealed informal employment represented 26.9 percent of total employment. Labor laws did not cover workers in the informal sector.																																				    							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Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Indigenous Peoples																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Chile
- Opportunity for Lithium Extraction and Value Chain Development in Chile Bureau of Economic and Business AffairsHost: U.S. Ambassador to Chile Bernadette M. MeehanDate and Time: 11:00 am ET, Tuesday, May 14, 2024 Description: Join U.S. Ambassador to Chile Bernadette M. Meehan, Minister of Economy, Nicolas Grau, and CORFO Director of Strategic Affairs Claudio Maggi, to learn more about new opportunities in lithium extraction and value chain development in Chile.  Chile is home to half of all viable lithium reserves in the world and is the world’s second-largest lithium producer. The Government of Chile recently announced new opportunities for private sector investors in lithium exploration and exploitation. Opportunities exist to partner with existing state-owned entities or to make a completely private investment, depending on the salt flat or type of business.Experts from the Chilean government will explain the new National Lithium Strategy, Request for Information (RFI), and tendering process for companies interested in investing in Chile’s lithium industry – from brine extraction to mining technology to value chain development.We look forward to welcoming to this Direct Line Program webinar any U.S. firms interested in learning more about these opportunities in Chile.Please register by May 10, 2024.
- Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas Advances Through a Second Annual High-level Meeting in the Dominican Republic Office of the SpokespersonOn March 10, 2024, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Jose W. Fernandez, kicked off the Second Annual High-Level Meetings of the Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas (EHA) alongside PAHO Deputy Director Mary Lou Valdez, Department of Commerce Deputy Under Secretary Diane Farrell, Executive Vice President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Mr. Jordan Schwartz, and Minister of Health for the Dominican Republic Víctor Atallah at the welcoming reception. Official government meetings were held the next day on March 11, where ministers and vice ministers from 17 countries across ministries of finance, economy, health, foreign affairs and social development were in attendance.Several countries were represented by ministries of health, as well as ministries of finance, economy, foreign affairs, and commerce given the whole-of-government approach the EHA takes through multisectoral workstreams. EHA co-chairs, the United States and Panama, made remarks at the event along with the country host of the meeting, the Dominican Republic. EHA members focused discussions on smart spending, prioritization of health-sector transformation, responsive social protections, technology and health, workforce development, and foundations of resilient supply chains.EHA co-lead countries Brazil, Paraguay, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Chile and the United States affirmed leadership roles for 2024, and members approved the workplan for the coming year. Several USG agencies were in attendance, including USAID, CDC, USTDA and Commerce. USAID and the Department of State made several announcements along with several EHA members. For more information on those announcements please see the fact sheet: https://www.state.gov/economic-and-health-dialogue-of-the-americas-high-level-meeting-outcomes-for-2024/.Learn more about the EHA on the main webpage: https://www.iadb.org/en/home/economic-and-health-dialogue-americas .To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X: @State_E, LinkedIn: @State-E, and Facebook: @StateDeptE.For further media information, please contact E_Communications@state.gov.
- Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas High-level Meeting Outcomes for 2024 Office of the SpokespersonThe Economic and Health Dialogue of the Americas (EHA) was launched on the margins of the 9th Summit of the Americas in June 2022 by the U.S. Department of State. In 2023, the EHA held its first high-level meeting to establish the governance structure and approve scope of work. Since then, countries have organized 11 technical meetings and a first in person encounter in Uruguay at the end of 2023.On the 11th of March of 2024, the 2nd annual high-level meeting of the EHA was held in the Dominican Republic with representation from 17 countries. Ministers and Vice Ministers from health, finance, economy, foreign affairs, and commerce agencies participated to include Ministerial-level participation from of the United States, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Mexico, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Guyana, Guatemala, Suriname, Panama, Colombia, and Paraguay, in addition to high-level representatives from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador. In addition to government representatives, leadership from regional technical organizations participated, including IDB Executive Vice President Jordan Schwartz and PAHO Deputy Director Mary Lou Valdez. Representatives from ECLAC, USAID, USTDA, U.S. Department of Commerce, and CDC were also in attendance.What were the main agreements and outcomes of the 2nd Annual EHA High-Level Meeting in the Dominican Republic?Countries reaffirmed EHA’s commitment to strengthen health systems and economic resilience to emergencies in the region. Paraguay, Uruguay, Bahamas, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and Chile affirmed their commitment to co-lead EHA technical working groups. Panama was praised for their leadership as co-chair of EHA along with United States.PAHO announced the launch of their Public Finance Management tool. The tool will enable countries to conduct analysis of fiscal space for the health sector to support responsible spending as well as sustainable and equitable public health financing. PAHO has committed to the goal of two countries applying the tool in 2024-2025. Several countries expressed interest at the meeting. The work supports the “Smart Spending” workstream.PAHO committed to use the Essential Public Health Functions (EPHF) assessments from 14 countries to produce a policy document that would establish shared priorities and identify institutional capacity gaps across the region that will require future investment to fill, with a sub-regional focus on Caribbean countries. This work will support the workstream on Prioritization of Health Sector Transformation, which is led by the Bahamas. The Bahamas announced the completion of their EPHF assessment at the meeting.Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Chile committed to apply the IDB’s Maturity Assessment Tool (MAT) to measure the capacity of social protection systems to respond to emergencies. Countries like Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Paraguay outlined some of the best practices around social protection during COVID-19, as well as lessons learned from other sectors and emergency response scenarios. The goal for 2024 will be to explore potential regional agreements to coordinate increased preparedness and responsiveness to future crises in the region. This work supports workstream on Responsive Social Protection.EHA countries announced commitment to conduct a pharmaceutical mapping exercise and prepare a regional strategy for nearshoring of critical inputs and consumables. EHA members short-listed mRNA vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and antimicrobials, including for malaria and tuberculosis, as priority products for the 2024-2025 analysis. The United States committed to support this analysis in coordination with co-leads Argentina and Peru. Argentina affirmed their commitment to conduct a regional Private-Public Partnership analysis. This work supports the Resilient Supply Chain workstream.USAID shared progress on the Americas Health Corps initiative, announcing the training of 120,000 healthcare workers in the region thus far.USAID also announced funding for a market analysis of the current capacity within the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region to produce or manufacture vaccine countermeasures for emerging threats, endemic diseases, and local priorities relevant to the regional market. The EHA platform committed to supporting the implementation of recommendations from the analysis.EHA members approved the work plan for 2024-2025 and committed to a mid-year high-level meeting to review progress.EHA members recognized the importance of digital health and utilization of technology in the public health system and proposed establishing a new EHA workstream on technology and health. The EHA Executive Technical Working Group will develop a scope of work for this proposed workstream with the goal of launching it in 2024.For further information, please contact E_Commmunications@state.gov, or visit the EHA website: https://www.iadb.org/en/home/economic-and-health-dialogue-americas .
- Chile (23-926) – Arrangement for the Exchange of Technical Information and Cooperation in Nuclear Safety Matters Office of Treaty AffairsNuclear EnergySigned at Vienna September 26, 2023; entered into force September 26, 2023.
- Welcoming the First Subsea Cable Between South America and the Indo-Pacific Region Office of the SpokespersonThe United States welcomes today’s announcement by the Government of Chile and Google, launching the Humboldt subsea cable route connecting Chile to Australia via French Polynesia.&nbsp;&nbsp;This is the first-ever subsea cable connection between South America and the Indo-Pacific region. &nbsp;When complete (estimated 2026), this transformational project will increase the reach, reliability, and resilience of the Internet by adding a trusted and secure route across the Pacific.The Humboldt subsea cable route is an example of a commercially viable, multi-stakeholder approach to trusted information and communications technology development that will create new economic opportunities in Chile and beyond. &nbsp;These undersea cables, paired with secure 5G wireless terrestrial networks, will accelerate South America and the Pacific Island nations’ digital connectivity and integration with the global economy.This announcement follows the inaugural Leaders’ Summit of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, where President Biden hosted regional leaders, including Chile’s President Boric, to chart an ambitious course for deepening economic integration and mobilizing responsible private investment in the Western Hemisphere.&nbsp; The Humboldt cable represents a concrete example of the potential for greater economic cooperation in the Americas.&nbsp;To help broaden access to modern, trusted and secure communications infrastructure throughout the Pacific, the United States remains committed to expanding access to fast, secure, interoperable, and reliable internet connectivity in the Pacific Ocean.&nbsp; The Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP) plans to contribute $15 million to enable access to fast, secure, interoperable, and reliable internet connectivity in several Pacific Island Countries.&nbsp; This is one way that the United States government is engaging with U.S. companies to enable the expansion of sustainable and reliable Internet infrastructure.For more information, please contact CDP-Press@state.gov.						Tags																					Australia																								Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy																								Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs																								Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Chile																																														Cyber Issues																															Office of the Spokesperson																								Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment																																Summit of the Americas
- United States-Chile Bilateral Tax Treaty Enters into Force HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;United States-Chile Bilateral Tax Treaty Enters into Force				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										United States-Chile Bilateral Tax Treaty Enters into Force																																		Media Note																														December 19, 2023																																							A comprehensive&nbsp;bilateral tax treaty between the United States and Chile enters into force today.&nbsp;The Chile tax treaty is the first new comprehensive bilateral tax treaty signed by the United States to enter into force in more than ten years.&nbsp;The U.S. Senate provided advice and consent to ratification of the treaty on June 22, 2023, and&nbsp;President Biden signed the instrument of ratification in December.&nbsp;The&nbsp;treaty&nbsp;entered into force today when the United States notified Chile that it had completed the required procedures for bringing the treaty into force. &nbsp;The&nbsp;Chile tax treaty will reduce tax-related barriers to cross-border investment between the United States and Chile, facilitating stronger bilateral business ties. &nbsp;Lower tax rates&nbsp;will allow entities doing business in both countries to save&nbsp;money.&nbsp;U.S. and Chilean companies and industry associations have long championed the passage of this tax treaty, which will make Chilean companies more competitive in the United States, and U.S. companies more competitive in Chile.&nbsp;The United States remains the number one market for Chilean women-led and small and medium-size businesses.&nbsp;This treaty will reduce the cost of business for them, as well.The United States has 57&nbsp;comprehensive&nbsp;tax treaties, covering more than 60 nations around the world.&nbsp;The U.S.-Chile&nbsp;bilateral&nbsp;tax&nbsp;treaty is only the second&nbsp;comprehensive&nbsp;income&nbsp;tax treaty&nbsp;in force&nbsp;with a South American&nbsp;country.To access the treaty text, click here.						Tags																					Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs																								Chile																																														Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy																															Office of the Spokesperson																																Taxation																																																					Treaties and International Agreements
- The U.S. APEC 2023 Host Year Elevated Stakeholder Voices Matt Murray, U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsOn November 17, the United States successfully concluded its 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) host year.  Starting in Honolulu late last year, we visited Palm Springs, California, a crossroads of the Americas and Asia, in February to advance resilient and sustainable growth.  We then moved on to Detroit in May, where we saw the Motor City being revitalized as a center of innovative and worker-centered transportation and auto industries, and in August we gathered in Seattle, a global gateway of trade, investment, and innovation for the Pacific Northwest.  We completed our fruitful journey in San Francisco last month.   So, what did we accomplish during our host year?  For starters, the United States proudly hosted 400 technical meetings, 10 ministerial meetings, and over 5,000 delegates from the public and private sectors across the Asia-Pacific region.  APEC 2023 outcomes included announcements of $200 billion of investments from companies in the Asia Pacific into the United States and $50 billion of U.S. private sector investments into APEC economies.  We also directly engaged with more than 12,000 stakeholders and nearly 2,500 press members, and most importantly, APEC Economic Leaders endorsed the Golden Gate Declaration to advance the 21 APEC economies’ important work on sustainability, resilience, and economic inclusion.  Our success this year would not be possible without the engagement of each of our stakeholders and many Americans across the country who showed incredible support for APEC 2023.   Spirit of APEC Connect in the Leaders’ DeclarationAt the beginning of our host year, we took domestic outreach efforts to the next level by launching “APEC Connect,” a nation-wide campaign explaining our U.S. APEC 2023 host year to the American public.  Through this program, we engaged stakeholders from diverse sectors, from trade associations and chambers of commerce to labor groups, Indigenous communities, and diaspora communities across nearly all corners of the country. APEC Connect generated public awareness and broad support for our host year and cultivated partnerships to ensure all Americans can play a part in the APEC process.  The program further helped ensure that APEC’s work on sustainability, resiliency, and economic inclusion benefits people across the Asia-Pacific region. Traveling across the United States beyond U.S. APEC host cities – including to Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Rockville, and Chicago – we learned about economic opportunities and policy outcomes Americans would like to see from APEC to improve their personal and their community’s livelihoods.  It strengthened our stakeholder relations and inclusive approach to make better and more informed decisions about our host year policy priorities.  Much of this was captured in the Golden Gate Declaration, which stated, “Our stakeholders and business communities bring creativity, dynamism, and energy and remain vital partners in our work.  We look forward to further strengthening multi-stakeholder engagement.”  APEC Connect Efforts Enhanced in San Francisco Private Sector and Stakeholder Engagements during the 2023 U.S. APEC Economic Leaders&#8217; Week in San Francisco. &nbsp;In San Francisco, our last destination, the voices we gathered from across the United States through APEC Connect were incorporated into our final efforts to build a better tomorrow in the Asia-Pacific region.  During APEC Economic Leaders&#8217; Week (AELW), civic organizations and San Francisco APEC Host Committees hosted nearly 30 public and stakeholder engagement initiatives, conferences, and events to highlight San Francisco and California as the perfect AELW host and discuss how APEC can help people across the region thrive.  They included the APEC Meets California and Silicon Valley series, The Future Starts in California Conference, and more.  Over 3,000 domestic and international participants joined them.  As APEC Connect ‘friends’ advised, we continued to prioritize women’s economic empowerment and a just transition to Net Zero carbon economies through the inaugural APEC Multistakeholder Forum.  We also met with experts from academia at the APEC University Leaders’ Forum and the APEC Study Centers Conference, and engaged with a range of dynamic youth groups.AELW also featured the extensive public-private collaboration of nearly 2,000 participants at the APEC CEO Summit, the inaugural APEC Sustainable Future Forum, the APEC Business Advisory Council&#8217;s Dialogue with APEC Leaders, and other conversations.  This formal role for public-private cooperation – unique to APEC – is the “secret sauce” which helps us continue to deliver important outcomes for our workers, families, and businesses. Importantly, we also engaged with Small-and-Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in San Francisco and from other parts of the United States.  It was amazing to see that SMEs from different cities and states – Nevada, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Texas – that ‘APEC Connect’ed together earlier in the year were reunited in San Francisco as an integral part of AELW.  The City of San Francisco empowered other important stakeholders and members of communities and dramatically expanded APEC’s public outreach.  They recruited 1,200 multilingual volunteers and more than 300 leaders and elected officials from the city and the State of California.  They also engaged around 400 local groups, including members of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community, who account for more than 30% of the city’s population and serve as connectors between San Francisco and the Asia-Pacific region.  They supported the successful execution of AELW, promoted AELW, provided opportunities for San Francisco and APEC delegates to interact, and distributed 40,000 copies of the city’s APEC flyer to neighborhoods.  The San Francisco media team reached more than 30,000 people via newsletters, their 600 advertisements received over 320,000 impressions, and their website attracted almost half a million visitors. Throughout the year, ‘APEC Connect’ed true champions of regional economic engagement to each other, to the U.S. host team, and to the Asia-Pacific.  The champions are all 12,000 stakeholders APEC 2023 engaged directly with – and more importantly, American workers, families, and businesses.  They all played a pivotal role in ‘Creating a Sustainable and Resilient Future for All’ and building an interconnected, innovative, and inclusive APEC region which benefits all our communities.  
- Promoting Accountability in Support of the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateThe United States is marking Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10th by taking actions to promote accountability for human rights abuses and violations.  Together, the Departments of State and the Treasury today have imposed visa restrictions and sanctions on 37 individuals in 13 countries.With today’s actions, the United States is addressing some of the most challenging and harmful forms of human rights abuses in the world, including those involving conflict-related sexual violence, forced labor, and transnational repression.  Our actions promote accountability for these heinous acts, especially in environments with poor adherence to the rule of law, and support members of vulnerable and marginalized populations including political dissidents, women, civil society leaders and activists, LGBTQI+ persons, and human rights defenders and environmental activists targeted by repressive governments.Many of today’s designations target individuals responsible for gender-based violence and the repression of women and girls globally, including county commissioners and a governor in South Sudan whose forces and militias are responsible for rape and Taliban leaders connected to restrictions on access to secondary education for women and Presidential Memorandum  issued by President Biden last year, which strengthens the use of financial, diplomatic, and legal tools to combat it.The Iranian regime continues to be one of the worst human rights offenders both at home and abroad.  Its abuses include the repression of dissidents and peaceful protestors through lethal force, arbitrary detention, and torture as well as the targeting of dissidents abroad through surveillance, intimidation, and lethal plotting.  The United States today designated two Iranian intelligence officers involved in recruiting individuals to plot against regime opponents in the United States, including current and former U.S. Government officials, as well as surveillance activities focused on religious sites, businesses, and other facilities.Additionally, the Department of State today issued the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act (UHRPA) Report to Congress, while Treasury is sanctioning two People’s Republic of China (PRC) government officials, including one under UHRPA, for their connection to serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang.  Concurrently, the Department of Homeland Security-led interagency Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force is announcing the addition of three PRC entities to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List.We are also revising, expanding, and issuing visa restriction policies for Zimbabwe, Syria, and Uganda to promote accountability for government officials and others involved in repression, human rights abuses, and other unacceptable acts.  In addition, earlier this week, I determined that members of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed war crimes, and that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Darfur.Finally, to reinforce the impact of our designations today of four criminal gang leaders in Haiti involved in human rights abuses, including sexual violence, and of five DRC armed group leaders, we nominated these individuals for UN Security Council designations.  The designations of Haitian criminal gang leaders complement previous U.S. government efforts to disrupt criminal activity in Haiti, including a State Department Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program reward offer of up to $1 million and $2 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Joseph Wilson and Vitel’homme Innocent, respectively.Our actions to promote respect for human rights are stronger and more durable when done in concert with allies committed to the international rules-based order.  We are taking our sanctions actions today in coordination with the United Kingdom and with Canada, each of which has taken similar measures to deter human rights abuses globally. The United States will continue to use all available tools to promote accountability and signal our strong support for human rights and fundamental freedoms.The Department of State imposed visa restrictions pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023 (Div. K, P.L. 117-328), as carried forward by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 (Div. A, P.L. 118-15) and pursuant to Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as well as designations pursuant to Executive Order 13224.  The Department of the Treasury actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, UHRPA, as well as other sanctions authorities.  For more information, see the Department of State’s Report to Congress on the Imposition of Sanctions Pursuant to Section 6(a) of the UHRPA of 2020, P.L. 116-145 and fact sheet, Treasury’s press release, and the Department of Homeland Security press release.