Thank you very much it’s great to be here in Chile in on the 200th anniversary of the independence of Chile in which the British admiral played a part in not just a political liberation but it was a commercial liberation as well.

And that liberation set Chile on the path to becoming one of the great global countries for free trade with I think 26 free trade agreements with more than 70 countries around the world. And the reason I am here as the first British foreign secretary to come to Chile for 25 years, is to emulate Chile and to learn from you Roberto, and obviously to do a free trade deal eventually with Chile itself.

Because we see great opportunities to develop what is a historic friendship and partnership and later on I will be going to see a new Bupa hospital, British-built, here in Chile.

And it’s great to see some of the famous London bus companies like Wrightbus, competing to supply buses here in Santiago.

And we believe that in addition to our commercial opportunities – by the way we have Chile Day in London in September – in addition to those commercial opportunities there is a political opportunity as well.

We see a great chance to be closer to the Pacific Alliance which is a group of free trading countries. For a British audience they should know that is distinct from the Mercosur, which is of course a customs union

We discussed Venezuela, and we share very much the perspective of Chile on the tragic events unfolding in that country. And we discussed the campaign against trading illegal wildlife, and we agreed that it was vile and reprehensible that in the 21st century some countries could support and condone the use of chemical weapons.

This is an old, rich and historic friendship between two outward looking and free trading economies, and as we say on London double decker buses, now is the time to take it to the next level.

Foreign Secretary Johnson will hold talks with the President Sebastian Piñera and Minister of Foreign Affairs Roberto Ampuero to discuss further collaboration on international security, defence, and post-Brexit trade opportunities.

Speaking ahead of his visit to Chile Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I am delighted to be visiting Chile as part of my tour of Latin America and to have the opportunity to further strengthen our historic relationship. It is fitting my visit comes on the 200th anniversary of the Chilean Navy´s foundation by British Admiral Lord Cochrane.

The UK and Chile already have strong trading links between our countries and with the UK leaving the European Union, I want both nations to grasp this opportunity and to deliver a real boost to British-Chilean trade links in the years ahead.

During his visit to Santiago, Mr Johnson will join the Chilean Minister of Education Gerardo Varela and meet Chilean students where he will launch a project led by the British Council aiming to empower girls through digital literacy and computer coding. The project entitled ‘Girl Power Codefest Americas’ will enhance digital literacy and coding skills among students, and specifically girls, in Chile, Colombia and Peru, underlining the Foreign Secretary’s commitment to improving education for girls across the world – a key personal priority.

He will join the Chilean Minister for Economy at the opening of the Bupa Santiago Hospital, which will officially open next month. British company Bupa is the biggest investor in the healthcare sector in Chile and the 400 hundred-bed hospital in Santiago is Bupa’s biggest healthcare clinic worldwide.

The Foreign Secretary will also attend an event with a select group of Chilean business people and senior political figures, organised by the Chilean Council for International Relations.

Further information

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A woman who falsely accused 4 men of sexual or violent offences has been sent to prison after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred her sentence for being too low.

Anna Judith Costin, 30, accused her victims of rape, sexual assault, or assault during early 2016. None of the men were charged, but as a result of the false reports some spent time in custody, were harassed by members of the public, or suffered psychologically.

Costin was originally sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court in March, where she was given a sentence of a 3 year community order and 60 day rehabilitation activity requirement. Today, after the Solicitor General’s reference, the Court of Appeal increased her sentence to 4 years immediate custody.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

“False rape allegations have a serious impact not only on the lives of the accused, but can also have an indirect but profoundly damaging effect on genuine victims of rape. It is important that Costin’s sentence reflects the gravity of her crimes.”

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has announced the appointment of Terry Makewell to the position of Chief Technology Officer.

Terry has over 20 years’ experience in leadership positions in government, academia and the creative industries, and will be instrumental in further developing the UKHO as a world leading centre in the marine domain. This will support the UKHO in delivering its vision of becoming the world-leading marine geospatial information agency and hydrographic office by 2020.

Terry joins the UKHO from the Office for National Statistics, where he held the role of Chief Digital Officer. His previous government experience includes the role of Head of Digital & Global Media at the Met Office. Terry is also a member of the British Council Digital Advisory Group.

In the private sector, Terry has held roles in the publishing, academic and cultural sectors. He has a degree in Computer Science from Southampton University and gained an MBA (Entrepreneurship) in 2006.

Commenting on his appointment, Terry Makewell said: “I’m thrilled to join such a forward-thinking organisation and to be leading the incredible teams working at the centre of the marine geospatial revolution. It has been great to see how agile delivery methods are central to us delivering value early and often.”

One of Terry’s first engagements at the UKHO was to support its data science experts who presented at the Government Digital Service’s ‘Sprint 18’ conference on 10 May. Here, they demonstrated how the UKHO is using machine learning to exploit satellite imagery in order to help protect the marine environment and promote global maritime trade.

Julie Lennard has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Ms Lennard will take up the post shortly and has been DVLA’s interim Chief Executive since March. Prior to this she was DVLA’s Director of Strategy, Policy and Communications, held since August 2014.

Department for Transport Permanent Secretary Bernadette Kelly said:

It is with great pleasure that I welcome Julie Lennard to the role, leading DVLA at such an important time as it develops into a digital hub for motorists. Julie is an experienced and talented leader and brings a wealth of experience to this crucial role.

Ms Lennard is the first woman to be appointed as DVLA’s Chief Executive. In her previous role as Director of Strategy, Policy and Communications, Julie was responsible for delivering the organisation’s business strategy and policy development, overseeing a directorate that also includes data protection, Parliamentary liaison and communications.

Prior to this, Julie worked at The National Archives where her responsibilities included developing strategic policy relationships with senior stakeholders and overseeing Parliamentary and legislative issues.

Julie has also worked for Which? one of the largest independent consumer organisations in Europe, in a range of roles including as a journalist and representing the campaigning organisation to government departments, agencies and other stakeholders at a national and international level.