June 30 marked the six-month anniversary of 2023, a period that was the subject of an analysis of foreign media coverage of Chile. As is customary in the international arena, the information focused on the political context, internal events such as the forest fires, and the situation in the southern macro-zone. However, there was also significant coverage of the transition to clean energy, science and innovation issues, as well as multilateral reforms and agreements, and Chile's eventual future role in the lithium industry.
Only in the area of sustainability, mentions of our country totaled more than 1,850 publications, highlighting the opportunities of the Chilean market for the exploitation of lithium, as well as the possibility of generating a strategic alliance between France and Chile for its sustainable exploitation.
Along the same lines, the announcement of the National Lithium Policy in April caught the attention of the international press, whose news focus was the strategic importance of this resource in the energy transition, highlighting that the country strengthened its role as a key supplier of minerals in the region and globally.
The increase in the transactional value of copper and the search for sustainable technologies for its extraction were also strongly highlighted in this area, as well as the government's decision to reject the Dominga project, within the framework of the policy of prioritizing environmental protection.
Green hydrogen and the advances that our country has achieved in the development of its industry were also other milestones recognized by foreign media. An example of this is the coverage made by Reuters agency, which reported on the results of the Aurora Energy Studies for the European Union. According to these reports, by 2030, Chile and Australia would be the non-European countries with the most competitive prices globally in terms of imports.
Astronomy and science from the end of the world
Announcements in science and innovation also attracted positive interest from the international press during this first semester, with a total of 2,462 articles, including space exploration "from the privileged Chilean skies", as well as marine biodiversity, climatic phenomena and advances in innovation.
Among the publications are the calculation of the age of the galaxy closest to the Big Bang and the effects of the collision of galaxies, both discoveries made by foreign researchers from the ALMA telescope array in the Atacama region.
Also in this area, Clarín interviewed the Minister of Science, Carolina Gainza, where the media highlighted President Boric's administration as the first to implement a national science policy.
National achievements and the future of the constituent process
As part of the commemoration of the first year of government, international media such as El País, Semana, El Tiempo, Gestión and El Comercio reviewed the milestones and achievements of the executive. Among these topics are the fiscal surplus 2022, the increase in foreign investment and the decrease in inflation as economic results, as well as expansions in the coverage of public health care, the increase in the minimum wage and environmental advances.
The feminist seal of the first year of government was also highlighted, crowned with the launching of the Feminist Foreign Policy in June, an event that placed Chile as the first South American country to implement it, highlighting gender equality as "a democratic value".
In terms of challenges for the coming months, the international press echoed the pressure posed by the migration crisis and the Mapuche conflict, as well as achieving the promised structural reforms and the impact of the new constitutional process.
Other related news
