Chile announces additional US$1.5 billion to fight organized crime amid security crisis

The president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, announced an additional US$1.5 billion on Thursday to strengthen the State’s fight against organized crime amid a security crisis that has left three police officers dead in the last month.

“It is time to act united, and this is what we are doing, ” said the Chilean president from the Government Palace this day.

Boric remarked that “the message we are sending today as a government and as a State is that when fighting crime, there are no fissures in the Chilean State.

We confront crime with the State and organized society, and we are all responsible for the actions of the carabineros”.

“Crime and delinquency are clear that their main adversary is a united Chile. That is why they are trying to divide us; let us not lend ourselves to that game. They are trying to corrupt our democracy; they will not succeed,” he added.

During the day, the death of a carabinero (militarized police) shot last night while carrying out a police operation in the southern area of the Santiago district, about 15 minutes from the presidential palace, was confirmed, adding to the two officers killed in the last month.

Security has become the primary concern of Chileans in the face of a greater public perception of violent crime and an increase in the feeling of insecurity.

According to official figures, in 2022, kidnappings in Chile increased by 79 percent compared to 2021.

National prosecutor Angel Valencia said on Monday that crimes of all kinds “soared” last year in the northern region of Chile and that half were committed with firearms.

On the other hand, the Minister of the Interior, Carolina Tohá, announced on Thursday that the authorities would intervene in 30 communes of the country with high crime figures.

These communes concentrate a third of the national population and 50 percent of the most violent crimes in the country, she said.

More: Chile news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error