Significance: The meeting had a symbolic resonance on which both heads of state were keen to focus. Troops under the Argentine General José de San Martín fought alongside Chile’s independence hero, Bernardo O’Higgins, against royalist troops loyal to the Spanish Crown at the battle of Chacabuco. And it was here, 55kms to the north Chile’s capital Santiago that Presidents Bachelet and Macri marked the bicentenary of the start of Chile’s independence, expressing their commitment to integration and unity at a time when there is deep concern in the region, and beyond, about a shift towards global economic protectionism. Chile has long been committed to free trade and is one of the four founding members of the outward-looking Pacific Alliance trade bloc along with Mexico, Colombia, and Peru. Argentina implemented protectionist policies for over a decade under successive leftist Kirchnerista governments (2003-2015), but Macri is determined to open the country up.
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