Benefits of Being Exempt from Getting a Visa to the United States

The elimination of the visa to the United States is inclusive because it will allow the incorporation of a segment of citizens who are currently excluded from a trip to [the U.S.] and the importance offered by that country.

Paradoxically, one of the greatest benefits for the Chilean people, as far as the exemption of the visa to the United States is concerned, will be to reduce the main enemy of this project: The Chilean finds it hard to believe in his own value. At the end of 2010, when we began working on this goal from the chancellery and the embassy in Washington, I was in charge of answering to the same question several times a day: Will it be possible for the U.S. to include Chile in the visa waiver program? Do you really think that the U.S. will ever be willing to take the necessary steps with a country such as ours? Incredulity reigned.

It is understandable. There was a certain sense of logic in that attitude. Here, it was not easy to transmit the great importance that Chile has in Washington. From here, it is not easy to imagine the deep esteem that America feels toward our institutions and our democracy, toward the reliability of our professionals, our workers, our students. How to explain that the U.S. respects our traveler, whose rate of illegal overstay is almost zero there? How to explain that the U.S. wants us as partners and is not afraid of us?

Because of this, it is important to congratulate the teams of the chancellery and the embassy on the work that allowed Secretary of State John Kerry’s announcement this week. Ambassador Bulnes spearheaded powerful work in order to keep advancing the fulfillment of requirements. He probably had to overcome this anemic but diminished barrier I am talking about.

It is true. When we left the embassy in March 2012, the goal had been launched to eliminate the visa. It was on the way and was advancing promisingly, but some important steps that were later fulfilled were missing. Thus, it is hard for these goals to be fulfilled when you lack leadership in terms of coordination of the mission in Washington. This happened a decade ago with the free trade agreement and the outstanding work of then-ambassador Andrés Bianchi.

Chile was admitted to the visa waiver program, which has a much deeper meaning than saving the traveler a few dollars (always important) or avoiding the annoyances of an administrative procedure. There are three dimensions that emerge: national recognition, social inclusion and geopolitical importance.

Under the first, the United States gives its political confidence to Chile in a field that is sensitive and delicate to them: security. Both countries become partners in international security. Even more, the elimination of the visa is inclusive because it will allow the incorporation of a segment of citizens who are currently excluded from a trip to [the U.S.] and the importance offered by the U.S. However, the subsequent virtuous circle, which has a geopolitical dimension, is the most fascinating one. A Chilean who begins traveling to that country may want to pursue his studies or keep on researching, working or building opportunities in a bilateral relationship that is not only commercial but human.

Then, when finding out that this objective, launched with a middle-term horizon of around two to three years, is reaching its goal, the only thing to do is to believe. Chile is a great country.