Chile President Gabriel Boric, who is on a State visit to India, has expressed keen interest in developing cooperation in technology, innovation, academic collaboration, culture, arts and cinema, ayurveda and yoga, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Periasamy Kumaran, said on Tuesday.

Addressing a special press briefing, Kumaran said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chile President held a meeting earlier in the day and the two leaders undertook a comprehensive review of the entire gamut of bilateral relations. He said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also called on Chilean President.

Kumaran said, “The President of Chile arrived in New Delhi earlier today. He was warmly received by Shri Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs, and was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport. His first engagement of the day was a call-on by the External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar. This was followed by extensive bilateral discussions with our Prime Minister and delegation.”

“The two leaders undertook a comprehensive review of the entire gamut of bilateral relations, spanning a wide range of sectors including trade and investment, health and pharmaceuticals, mining and mineral resources, defence and security, agriculture and food security, green energy, ICT, digital economy, innovation and disaster management. The president expressed keen interest in developing cooperation in technology, innovation, cultural exchanges and academic collaboration. You will see a lot of the areas of convergence and the discussion that the two leaders had in the joint statement,” he said.

He said that PM Modi and the President of Chile witnessed an exchange of several bilateral documents and Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and made press statements.

The MEA official stated that PM Modi hosted a lunch in honour of Gabriel Boric.

Kumaran said, “The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of several bilateral documents and MoUs. The joint statement lists that out. These include the letter of intent on Antarctica cooperation, cultural exchange program for the period 2025 to 29, agreement on …, MoU for cooperation in the disability sector, MoU on police cooperation against organized crime, cybercrime and combating corruption, MoU on disaster management and renewal of the amended MoU in the field of geology and mineral resources. After this there were press statements by the two leaders. Prime Minister then hosted a lunch in honor of the visiting president.”

He said that Boris visited Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. He stated that Boris will meet President Droupadi Murmu later in the evening, followed by a banquet dinner hosted by President Murmu in honor of the visiting President and his delegation.

Elaborating on Chile President’s schedule in India, Kumaran said, “The President is accompanied by a large business delegation with him. Obviously, we expect many business interactions with Indian industry leaders. In fact, business events have been planned in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru on 2nd, 3rd and 5th April respectively. While in Delhi, the ministers accompanying the President will have over 25 meetings with Indian ministers and business counterparts.”

“The MPs in the President’s delegation will visit our Parliament and interact with the Parliamentarians. President Boric is expected to have official meetings in Mumbai, where the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is likely to pay a courtesy call on the visiting dignitary. There will also be a meeting with the Governor of Maharashtra,” he said.

“In Bengaluru, President Boric will meet the Governor of Karnataka and the Chief Minister of Karnataka. President Boric is keen to attract Indian investments into Chile. There are several opportunities for Indian businesses in the areas of ports, airports, mining, railway infrastructure, renewable energy and a number of other projects. Technology cooperation is also high on the agenda. President Boric expressed keen interest in collaboration and exchanges in the areas of education, culture, arts and cinema, ayurveda and yoga,” he added.

He said that Gabriel Boric arrived in India at the invitation of PM Modi and recalled that the two leaders had previously met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in November last year.

He said, “As you are aware, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of the Republic of Chile, His Excellency Gabriel Boric, is on a state visit to India from 1st to 6th April 2025. He arrived on 1st April, which is today, and will be departing on 6th of April after an extensive program in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The President is accompanied by a high-powered delegation of cabinet Ministers, parliamentarians, senior officials and a large business delegation. This is President Boric’s first state visit to India, although two Chilean presidents have visited India in the past.”

“Prior to this, President Boric had met our Prime Minister in Brazil on the margins of the G20 summit in November 2024 in Rio. As you might know, India and Chile share warm and friendly relations. Chile was among the first countries to recognize India’s independence. Since then, bilateral relations have strengthened across a number of sectors. Our two countries have commonality of views on a wide range of issues. We cooperate extensively in multilateral fora and share similar views on expansion and reform of the United Nations Security Council. Chile has been consistent in its support to India’s claim to a permanent seat in the UNSC,” he added.

He noted that India and Chile recently commemorated the establishment of diplomatic ties. He said that Chile has its own National Yoga Day and ayurveda is gaining popularity in Chile.

Kumaran said, “We recently commemorated 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. Indian culture and traditions are very popular in Chile. There are a number of yoga and ayurveda schools and yoga practitioners in Chile. You would be happy to know that Chile has its own National Yoga Day which is celebrated on 4th of November. Ayurveda is also gaining popularity as I just noted and there are a few Ayurveda institutes, clinics in Chile with close ties to some Indian Ayurveda institutes. There is also growing interest in Indian classical dances, cuisine, films and tourism.”

He called Chile an important partner for India in the Latin American region. He said that both nations share complementary trade and economic relations.

Highlighting the trade ties between two nations, he said, “Chile, as you know, is an important partner for India in the Latin American region. We have complementary trade and economic relations with Chile while we supply pharmaceutical products, engineering goods, automobiles and chemicals, we import a lot of critical mineral resources from Chile, which are important ingredients for our industrial development. Chile is the largest producer of copper in the world. It also has substantial reserves of lithium and other minerals. There is interest on both sides to further strengthen this relationship.”

On the Indian community residing in Chile, he said, “The origins of the Indian community in Chile can be traced back to 1905. Currently, it is estimated that there are about 4,000 overseas Indians, about 1850 NRIs and a little over 2,000 PIOs living in Chile. The majority are from the Sindhi community who are mainly engaged in business and have integrated well into Chilean society. One third of them live in Iquique and the rest are in Santiago, Valparaiso, Vina del Mar and Punta Arenas. In addition, there is a constant flow of professionals and businessmen from India working mainly in the ICT and financial services sectors. Some Indian labour is also present in Chile, working mainly in Indian restaurants and shops. (ANI)

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Chile’s former President Sebastian Pinera, a billionaire tycoon who twice held the South American nation’s top job, has died in a helicopter crash, his office said in a statement.

“It is with deep regret that we announce the death of the former president of the Republic of Chile,” said the statement on Tuesday, adding that 74-year-old Pinera had died in the popular vacation spot Lago Ranco, some 920km (570 miles) south of Santiago.

Chile Interior Minister Carolina Toha confirmed the death of the former president. No further details were immediately released about the cause of the accident.

Chile’s national disaster agency SENAPRAD confirmed that one person had been killed and three people injured. The government did not immediately name who was aboard.

Pinera, also a successful businessman, oversaw quick economic growth and a steep fall in unemployment during his first 2010 to 2014 presidency, at a time when many of Chile’s trade partners and neighbours were facing sharply slower growth.

His second presidency from 2018 to 2022 was marked by violent protests against inequality that led to accusations of human rights violations and ended with the government promising to draft a new constitution.

Pinera was the owner of the fifth largest fortune in Chile, estimated at some $3bn. He worked as an academic in several universities for almost 20 years and as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank.

As a businessman in the 1970s through the 1990s, he worked in a variety of industries, including real estate. He held shares in major airlines as well as telecommunication, real estate and electricity companies. He also created one of the largest credit card companies in the country. In 2009, he handed over the management of his businesses to others.

He entered politics representing the centre right, which was the civilian support of the military regime. At the same time, he distanced himself from the 1973-1990 rule of General Augusto Pinochet, when more than 3,000 suspected leftists were killed or “disappeared.”

Pinera ran three times for president of Chile. In 2006, he lost to socialist Michelle Bachelet; then in 2010, he defeated former President Eduardo Frei. Four years after his first term, in 2018, he won a second four-year term after defeating a leftist independent.

Twelve days before the beginning of his first term, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami claimed the lives of 525 people and devastated the infrastructure of central-southern Chile.

Pinera’s government agenda was postponed in order to take on emergency reconstruction. In 2010, he also led the unprecedented rescue of 33 miners trapped for 69 days at the bottom of a mine in the Atacama desert, which captured the world’s attention.

The event became a global media sensation and was the subject of a 2014 movie, The 33.

He closed his administration having created an estimated one million jobs. (Al Jazeera)

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Devastating wildfires tearing through swathes of Chile have killed more than 100 people, authorities said Sunday, as they warned that the death toll was set to rise.

The Chilean National Disaster Prevention and Response Service said at least 112 people have died so far. Officials also said that 32 bodies have been identified, 38 autopsies have been conducted, and 10 bodies are ready to be delivered to relatives.

News agency photographs and footage over the weekend laid bare the trail of destruction wrought in multiple communities by the infernos. Aerial shots from the El Olivar commune showed dozens of vehicles burned to shells alongside multiple houses reduced to ash.

There are currently 161 active fires burning across the country, the Chilean National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED) said.

SENAPRED Director Álvaro Hormazábal told CNN affiliate CNN Chile that firefighters had controlled 102 of those fires but are still battling 40 others. Nineteen wildfires are under currently observation, Hormazábal added.

President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency as coastal cities like Viña del Mar and Valparaiso choked in smoke. Residents living in central regions were also forced to evacuate their homes. Speaking at a press conference held after visiting affected areas on Sunday, Boric raised fears that the death toll would “increase significantly.”

In a televised statement on Saturday, Boric said that the defense ministry would deploy more military units to affected areas, with all necessary resources made available.

He declared Monday and Tuesday as days of national mourning for fire victims.

Climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon are driving forces behind an increasingly warm planet, scientists say, making events like heatwaves and wildfires more likely.

Wildfires have intensified around the globe, providing a stark reminder of how the climate crisis is upending lives and inflicting billions of dollars a year in damage. And it will only get worse, according to experts. “Uncontrollable and devastating wildfires are becoming an expected part of the seasonal calendars in many parts of the world,” the UN Environment Programme said in a report published in 2022.

The number of extreme wildfire events will increase up to 14% by 2030, according to the UN report. By 2050, the increase will climb to 30%.

In Chile, the fires come as the country battles a summer heatwave. The capital Santiago has been sweltering through consecutive days of hot and dry temperatures climbing above 33 degrees Celsius (91.4°F).

Neighboring Colombia battled recent wildfires, declaring a disaster and also calling for international help to fight the flames.

Emergency crews on the ground in Chile are prioritizing the fires in the port city of Valparaíso because of its proximity to urban areas. Local officials said 372 residents were reported missing.

Located about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of the capital Santiago on Chile’s coast, Valparaiso is a popular tourist destination known for its colorful houses, idyllic hills and its historic old town.

Valeria Melipillán, mayor of Quilpué city, the capital of the Marga Marga Province in central Chile’s Valparaíso Region, told CNN Chile that the wildfires are “probably the largest ever” in the region. Nearly 1,400 houses in the municipality have been damaged, Melipillán added.

Chile’s Finance Minister Mario Marcel told reporters on Sunday that preliminary estimates for damages in the Valaparaíso region was expected to reach “hundreds of millions of dollars.”

While evacuation efforts had been efficient, some living in affected areas did not want to vacate their homes, local search and rescue officials said.

Rodrigo Mundaca, the governor of Valparaiso, said curfews were in place in the towns of Viña del Mar, Quilpué, Villa Alemana and Limache to allow authorities to focus on battling the blazes.

Pope Francis, who hails from nearby Argentina, called upon people to “pray for the deceased and injured victims of the devastating fires that have affected central Chile.”

At least one person has been detained so far in connection to the wildfires, CNN Chile reported.

According to police, the man was at his home in the city of Talca in central Chile doing welding work when a fire accidentally started and spread to nearby grasslands.

The suspect will be arraigned on Sunday in Talca, according to the Maule Prosecutor’s Office. (CNN)

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