The election of Donald Trump as the new president of the United States is having an impact around the world and, as usual, structural changes are already being announced in the country's governmental entities.

Thus, on Monday, December 2, U.S. ambassador to Chile, Bernadette M. Meehan, submitted her resignation to President Biden and will leave the country on January 10.

Meehan, who has been ambassador to Chile since 2022, has had a growing relevance for the fruit industry of both countries, acting as a mediator between the sanitary entities of both countries (SAG and USDA) to promote the approval of the Systems Approach for Chilean table grapes.

It was Meehan who accompanied the Chilean Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, in June of this year when he officially announced the implementation of this protocol for the export of table grapes from the regions of Atacama, Coquimbo, and Valparaiso to the U.S. market.

On that occasion, Meehan said she was “Very happy and proud to be here to announce that Chile has achieved the Systems Approach for table grapes. The United States is the main market for this product and this protocol benefits not only the workers but also the economy and the people of the Atacama region, as well as the regions of Coquimbo and Valparaíso. We have been working hard for almost 24 years (...) this is another example of the very close relationship between the United States and Chile”.

Meehan, who participated in the final stretch of this long work of Chilean exporters and authorities, always showed her support towards the protocol's implementation, assuring that its impacts could not be underestimated.

The ambassador always emphasized the close relations between the two nations, describing them as “close partners and friends” of the South American country.

Related article: US Ambassador to Chile on Systems Approach for table grapes: "We are working hard"

Active participation in industry events

Meehan not only stood out for his work related to the Chilean table grape industry, but she was always willing to attend industry events and support the growth of Chilean agriculture.

In September, she was present at the Blueberry Day in the town of Virquenco, in the municipality of Los Angeles. On that occasion, Meehan said that the off-season benefits people in both countries and the United States is the main market for Chilean blueberries, with more than US$200 million each year exported from Chile to the country.

Previously, in January 2024, Meehan also visited orchards in Chimbarongo and the packings in Los Lirios, in the O'Higgins Region, to see the “Chilean cherry journey” in person.

During the tour, Meehan indicated that “we have a strong relationship with the associations and we are always thinking about how we can further enhance this mutually beneficial relationship for the people of both countries.”

In addition, in 2023, Meehan visited alongside Frutas de Chile the GARCES Fruit plant in the country's central region, where she was able to visualize the process of packing pits and the high technology that exists today in Chile's fruit exporting industry.

Farewell and replacement of the U.S. ambassador

In her farewell video, published on her social networks, Meehan said that “serving as U.S. Ambassador to Chile for the past two and a half years has not only been an honor and privilege of my life, but a dream come true.”

Given her departure on January 10, ten days before the change of command in the United States, the embassy will be headed by Richard Yoneoka, current Deputy Chief of Mission, who will serve on an interim basis until a new ambassador for Chile is chosen.