In a decision dated 29 December 2023, the Chilean Court of First Instance upheld an earlier decision dated 7 November 2023, which had granted a pre-judicial conservatory measure in support of a potential ICSID arbitration. The ruling prevents the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Chile (hereinafter, “Chile“) from calling performance bonds of approximately…

The uncertainties faced by investors and stakeholders in 2023 was intensified by the notable shift in Latin America’s political regimes. The emergence of left-wing electoral victories echoed the political landscape of the 2000s, marked by ambiguity, volatility, and political risk. In the realm of arbitration, several jurisdictions have undergone significant developments. Mexico and Chilean arbitration…

In 2004, Chile enacted Law No. 19.971 on International Commercial Arbitration (“LACI”) based on the UNCITRAL Model Law of 1985 (“Model Law”). This note describes, without assessing its merits, how the process to resolve an application to set aside awards has evolved in practice in Chile (“Application for Set Aside” or “Application”), the sole remedy…

A recent ruling by the Chilean Supreme Court has clarified the extent of control that Chilean tribunals can exert when reviewing the procedural rules applied in arbitration awards seeking recognition in Chile (see Case N° 133.313-2022, dated 27 July 2023). Consistent with previous cases, the Court upheld a broad scope of freedom for parties to…

On 11 August 2023, the Santiago Arbitration and Mediation Center (“CAM Santiago”) – Chile’s main arbitration center – presented its new regulation on emergency arbitration, which was incorporated into the 2021 National Arbitration Rules (the “CAM Santiago Arbitration Rules”). The amended version of these rules also came into effect recently, on 1 September 2023.  …

On 12 May 2023, the Santiago Court of Appeals (“Court”) denied EP Petroecuador’s (“Petroecuador”) (Ecuador national oil company) petition to set aside a US$63 million international commercial arbitration award. The decision is consistent with the Court’s history of denying petitions to set aside international commercial arbitration awards and marks an important milestone for Servicios Integrados…

On December 20, 2022, Chile’s Supreme Court issued a ruling that has been praised by the arbitral community for its pro-arbitration stance in the face of an apparently pathological arbitration clause. In its decision, the highest court of Chile lent decisive support to key international arbitration principles, such as party autonomy, domestic minimum intervention and…

The European Commission has published the Trade and Investment pillar of the Advanced Framework Agreement between the European Union (EU) and Chile (the Agreement), as politically concluded. This seeks to modernise the EU-Chile Association Agreement. Undoubtedly, it represents a success for the EU, as it reinvigorates its trade and investment agenda, particularly in light of…

After struggling with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 remained a period of transition for Latin America.  New arbitration rules and protocols were adopted in jurisdictions such as Ecuador, Brazil and Mexico that reflected best practices born out of the limitations placed on arbitrations by the pandemic.  Other jurisdictions such as Colombia, Chile…

After the October 2021’s plebiscite, Chile began the process of drafting a new constitution, which was entrusted to a “Convención Constituyente“. After a year of work, on July 4, 2022, the final proposal was delivered to the President of the Republic.  The proposed constitution will be submitted to a ratifying plebiscite in September of this…

The case involving Mr. Víctor Pey Casado, the President Allende Foundation, the 1960s Chilean newspaper “El Clarín” and the Republic of Chile – once the longest-running dispute in ICSID history – is certainly a complex one. The dispute has spanned more than twenty years, encompassing three different arbitration proceedings with three separate arbitral awards issued…

On November 26, 2020, the #YoungITATalks session took place with the participation of representatives from government offices of different countries: Mairée Uran Bidegain (Chile), María Paula Arenas Quijano (Colombia), Cindy Rayo Zapata (Mexico) and Ricardo Ampuero Llerena (Peru). All panelists are or, at some point, were responsible for organizing and preparing the defense of States…

Corruption, annulment of arbitral awards and court intervention mark the main developments for 2020 in Latin America.  Our contributors this year reported on the most important judicial decisions and legislative measures impacting the legal framework of various jurisdictions in the region. A new ‘hot topic’ arising from the COVID-19 pandemic is the interplay between arbitration…

The Chilean Supreme Court recently issued a decision that, on its face, respects party autonomy in international arbitration. But, it could do more harm than good. On September 14, 2020, the Chilean Supreme Court (the “Court”) entered a final judgement in the case CCF SUDAMERICA SPA, Rol Nº 19568-2020 (“CCF Sudamericana” or the “Decision”). The…

Chile confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 3, 2020. Since then, Chilean institutions have designed several solutions to adjust their operation during the sanitary crisis.1) Specifically, the President declared a “state of constitutional exception of catastrophe”, which allows the Executive branch to take an array of measures to face the sanitary crisis. See:…

Welcome to the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, Ms. Letelier!  We are grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the Center for Arbitration and Mediation of Santiago (“CAM Santiago” for its initials in Spanish), and its administration of complex disputes, as well as about the attractiveness of Santiago as seat for international arbitration.    To start,…

Introduction In 2019, we witnessed a number of interesting developments in the field of investment arbitration in Latin America. While some of them were in line with expectations, some jurisdictions did deviate from their usual or expected approach to ISDS and surprised us in positive, but also in negative ways. Our authors did a tremendous…

Chile is one of the most dynamic states in Latin America.  The World Bank has observed that “Chile has been one of Latin America’s fastest-growing economies in recent decades”.  And foreign direct investment has increased significantly in recent years.  As investment interest in Chile grows, it is important for both investors and international law practitioners…

Throughout the years, Chilean courts and legislation have fostered a pro-arbitration and a pro-enforcement environment, favoring arbitration and recognizing the benefits that are generally attached to it. In such regard, the Civil Procedure Code, the Code on the Organization of Tribunals, the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards and Law…

On January 1, 2016 the Milan Chamber of Arbitration (“Milan CAM”), issued Rules for Dispute Boards (“Milan Rules”) exactly one year after the Arbitration and Mediation Center of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (“CAM Santiago”) did so in Chile (“Santiago Rules”). Milan CAM has around 950 mediation filings per year and over 130 arbitration proceedings…

2015 has witnessed numerous interesting legal developments in the field of international arbitration in Latin America, although these have been wide-ranging in nature and have not always followed the same path. While some jurisdictions have taken legislative steps to introduce or consolidate pro-arbitration legislation in accordance with internationally accepted standards, others, perhaps influenced by negative…