Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino will travel to Chile in March 2026 for the inauguration of President-elect Jose Antonio Kast. The two leaders agreed to relaunch bilateral relations during a phone call on Monday, December 15, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mulino accepted a formal invitation from Kast to attend the swearing-in ceremony. The Panamanian president was accompanied by Foreign Minister Javier Martinez Acha during the diplomatic conversation, according to an official statement from the Presidency of Panama.<\/p>\n
President Mulino emphasized the common ground between the two nations. He specifically noted Chile’s status as a primary user of the Panama Canal<\/a>. This shared economic interest makes revitalizing relations a priority for both administrations.<\/p>\n “Panama and Chile have much in common, being one of the principal users of the Canal, so the mutual interest in relaunching relations during their terms takes on great importance,” Mulino said. [Translated from Spanish]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Kast, who has never visited Panama, extended an open invitation for a future trip. He suggested a visit could occur after his March inauguration. The call followed Kast’s electoral victory in Chile’s runoff presidential election just one day earlier.<\/p>\n According to preliminary data from Chile’s Electoral Service of Chile<\/a>, the 59-year-old former right-wing congressman secured 58.18 percent of the vote. His opponent, leftist candidate and former minister Jeannette Jara, received 41.82 percent. Jara served in the outgoing administration of President Gabriel Boric<\/a>.<\/p>\n The election results mark a significant political shift in Chile. Kast’s upcoming presidency is poised to reshape the country’s foreign policy engagements. His direct outreach to Mulino indicates an early focus on relationships within the Americas.<\/p>\n\n
Kast’s Victory Sets Stage for New Diplomacy<\/h2>\n