Chile Withdraws from Non-Aligned Movement After 55 Years

The administration of President José Antonio Kast announced on Wednesday that Chile will leave the Non‑Aligned Movement (NAM), ending a 55‑year membership that began in 1971 under Salvador Allende. The foreign ministry sent a verbal note to the United Nations, addressed to the current NAM chair Uganda, directing a full and immediate withdrawal. The ministry said the movement “was created in a different global context and does not address the new challenges and current international realities.”

The decision marks a broader shift in Chile’s foreign policy away from Cuba, a founding NAM member, and follows recent moves such as withdrawing support for a UN Secretary‑General candidate and exiting the UN committee on Palestinian rights. Former Chilean foreign ministers and experts criticized the step, warning it could reduce Chile’s influence in the Global South and affect multilateral initiatives such as the High‑Sea Treaty negotiations.