Chile has pulled out of hosting two major international summits, including a UN climate change conference, as anti-government protests continue.
President Sebastián Piñera said the decision “caused him a lot of pain” but his government needed “to prioritise re-establishing public order”.
The COP25 climate summit was scheduled for December, while the Apec trade summit was due next month.
The UN said it was now “exploring alternative hosting options”.
Chile’s decision comes amid global climate protests, including a week of strikes led by environmental activist Greta Thunberg last month.
And as the news was announced, a US-based organisation also separately revealed that millions more people are at risk of coastal flooding from climate-driven sea-level rise within the next century than previously thought.
Meanwhile, it was hoped the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum – due to be held in Santiago from 15 to 17 November – would help ease tensions between the US and China.
White House officials said US President Donald Trump had been planning to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Apec, to discuss a possible trade deal.
The two nations have been locked in an escalating trade war for some 18 months.
