Window of opportunity in ChileBy Marcel OppligerChile has elected a new government that has the opportunity to take a fresh look at some key aspects of foreign economic policy, mainly a greater focus on Asia, including Taiwan. The early 2000s “pink wave” included Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, then-Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, then-Bolivian president Evo Morales, then-Ecuadoran president Rafael Correa and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, among others. The next election cycle brought successors from the opposition in most of the region (including Chile), though not in Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua or Cuba. However, this “conservative” counterwave did not last long and it was followed by a “second pink wave” in many of the same nations — until now. What it means for Taiwan is a window of opportunity, because it should be easier to strengthen ties with a new crop of nonsocialist governments.

Source: Taipei Times January 30, 2026 16:06 UTC