RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The death of a truck driver who allegedly had a confrontation with a group of foreigners in northern Chile sparked strikes by truckers in various parts of the country on Friday against irregular migration and the closure of a regional airport.
In the north of Chile, the truckers’ union of Antofagasta first declared the strike on Thursday night and caused the blockade of the route linking the regional capital with the city of Mejillones, where, during the afternoon, a truck driver died.
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According to the Carabineros police force, the driver lost his life after falling through a level crossing after a group of carriers had a “confrontation” with a group of foreigners.
Three people were arrested after the episode; at least two were migrants.
“We repudiate with all our strength these acts committed by criminals who killed this young truck driver. The circumstances are being investigated, but two immigrants were allegedly involved,” said the presidential delegate of Antofagasta, Daniel Agusto.
The National Confederation of Truck Owners of Chile (CNDC) and the Federation of the Northern Zone declared themselves “on alert.” During Friday morning, there were roadblocks and transport strikes in various points of Chile, from the northern city of Iquique to one of the entry routes to the capital Santiago.
The temporary suspension of commercial flights at Diego Aracena airport in the Tarapacá region (north) was also announced.
“We have a misgovernment that does not give guarantees of a regularized migration process,” said Ricardo Diaz, governor of the Antofagasta region.
In the last year, northern Chile has experienced a migration crisis with massive waves of clandestine migrant arrivals and the collapse of small border towns.
In parallel, strikes against the irregular entry of foreigners and xenophobic attacks have been on the rise since last September.
The last ones took place just ten days ago in Tarapacá, with roadblocks, closure of stores, and interruption of operations at the main airport.
Despite the pandemic and the social crisis of 2019, Chile remains one of the most attractive countries for migration within Latin America due to its political and economic stability.
The inclement altiplano passes in the north continue to form the main irregular entry route, a passage where at least two people have lost their lives so far this year and a score since the massive flow began in February 2021.
There are 1.4 million migrants in Chile, equivalent to more than 7% of the population, and Venezuelans are the most numerous, followed by Peruvians, Haitians, and Colombians.