Chile's Kast Criticizes UN, Joins Trump Security Bloc in Debut Speech

Chilean President José Antonio Kast delivered his first address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, sharply criticizing the organization for failing to address global conflicts and proposing three reforms: reducing bureaucracy, suspending non-priority agendas, and overhauling the Security Council. Kast argued the UN reflects a 1945 reality rather than today's world.

Accompanied by Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna and other officials, Kast stated the UN "has not been up to the challenges of our times" and deliberates excessively while executing slowly. He prepared the speech with presidential advisors Cristián Valenzuela and Eitan Bloch using Foreign Ministry inputs.

“The UN has not been up to the challenges of our times. It is not only a leadership problem, but also a problem of action.”

Hours after the speech, the government confirmed Chile would formally join the Shield of the Americas, a U.S.-led security initiative spearheaded by President Donald Trump. The move upgrades Chile from observer to full participant in the 15-nation coordination mechanism focused on transnational organized crime and information sharing.

The decision was finalized by Kast and his political committee before the New York trip. Senator Rojo Edwards attended the Shield meeting alongside the President and Foreign Minister. Diplomatic circles have expressed concern over the political signal sent by aligning with the Trump-led bloc, though membership carries no legal obligations.

Reactions in Chile's Congress split along partisan lines. UDI deputy Constanza Hube praised the "solid" speech and its call for UN modernization. RN deputy Diego Schalper defended the government's commitment to multilateralism. Opposition lawmakers, including Communist deputy Daniela Serrano and Broad Front deputy Jorge Brito, criticized Kast for blaming previous administrations for economic stagnation and avoiding responsibility for current unemployment and fiscal deficits.