Embassy Renovation

While the contractor and numerous subcontractors work at full speed, practically without rest, on the embassy renovation, the staff—some working from home, others in temporary offices, and others back at the embassy—continue working tirelessly. Fortunately, the consular office also reopened its doors in the second week of October.

Visit of Movisie Delegation - Dutch Konowledge Institute of Social Work 

In early October, the Dutch organization Movisie visited Chile with a large delegation. The exchange of knowledge, the celebration of the centenary of social work in Chile, and the commemoration of the bicentenary of bilateral relations were among the objectives of Movisie, which visited numerous NGOs and universities in Santiago. The visit demonstrated the importance of this type of international knowledge exchange, mutual learning, and the joint search for solutions to complex problems.

Netherlands - Guest Country - Gecamin Water Congress

During the second week of October, the Netherlands was the guest country at the Gecamin Water Congress, an organization that organizes several annual conferences for the mining sector. This was an excellent opportunity for the Netherlands to showcase its capabilities in the field of water technology and management. With a highly interested and technically skilled audience of approximately 500 people from the mining sector and little competition at the conference, the Netherlands was able to present itself exceptionally well. Our Chargé d'affaires had the honor of opening the conference, along with Mariana Concha, Water Director of Codelco (the world's largest copper producer).

IV Encuentro Internacional de la Region de Los Ríos - Pop-Up Embassy

The weekend after the water conference, some members of the embassy staff traveled to Valdivia. In addition to a pop-up consulate where 18 Dutch citizens applied for their new passports on Saturday, residents of Valdivia and the surrounding area had the opportunity to experience the Netherlands at the International Meeting. This three-day annual fair showcased various countries and regional producers. At the Dutch stand, we distributed 850 tulips, sponsored by a local bulb grower; dressed over 100 people in traditional costumes (including clogs) for photos with the Binnenhof and tulips in the background; and gave away more than 10 kilos of cheese under the watchful eye of our King and Queen, whose image was displayed on a large poster. Our team patiently answered all the public's questions. They talked about the relationship between the King and democracy, what Dutch cheese is made of and why it's so delicious, why aged cheese is a bit grainy, which trees are used to make clogs, and whether our princesses speak Spanish. If we'd unleashed our inner Dutch entrepreneur, we probably would have sold more than a dozen clogs (because they're much more comfortable than they look), and probably kilos of cheese too, which was enjoyed as a treat. The fair concluded with a professional flower arranging workshop on stage, featuring Nicole Dufey and tulips. The two lucky winners of the bouquets certainly had an unforgettable day.

Visit to Valdivia Lilies and Tulip Fields of Southern Bulbs/Tulips as Part of 200 Years of Bilateral Relations Conmemoration

The Monday following the trade fair, the assembled press and officials, led by the ambassador, visited Valdivia Lilies and the nearby tulip bulb fields. During the tour, the importance of bulb cultivation in Chile and its complementarity with Dutch cultivation was explained, and, of course, beautiful photographs were taken. The importance of the sector to the regional economy, the large number of women employed in it, and other interesting facts were published in various national and regional media outlets in the days following the visit.

Tulip Gala

As a final event, Holland House Chile, with our support, organized a business networking event, the Tulip Gala. Its objective was to strengthen ties between Dutch and Chilean companies and entrepreneurs. After all these activities, it is clear that the tulip remains as popular as ever in Chile and also important to the regional economy of the south of the country.

Team NL at the 2025 UCI Track Cycling World Championships

In the last week of October, Santiago hosted the Track Cycling World Championships. With the Andes Mountains as a backdrop, the Netherlands achieved an impressive 9 world titles and a total of 13 medals. An absolute record.

Pro Humana Breakfast - Corporate Social Responsibility - Following the Dutch Model

As the final activity of the month, Ambassador Elke Merks hosted a breakfast with the NGO Pro Humana on the topic of corporate social responsibility. This topic has a slightly different approach in Chile than in the Netherlands, and it represents an opportunity for the Netherlands to distinguish itself and increase its visibility. Experiences and knowledge about sustainability and social responsibility were shared with several Chilean companies.