The president indicated that in the face of the phenomenon of crime “we have to unite, this is not left or right, it is everything together.” There are several measures detailed by the Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve. There was transversal support for the head of the Executive to convene Cosena this Monday. He also decided to form “a special security cabinet.” The president declared that “defeating crime, violent crimes, drug trafficking and the proliferation of firearms, I want everyone to know and be very clear about it, is a priority for my Government.” He also proposed a quick process and that the Government have the Critical Infrastructure implementation tool as soon as possible, which would complement the work of the police. The Communist Party issued a statement indicating criteria to combat crime and supported decisions by President Boric.
“The century”. Santiago. 1/2/2024. President Gabriel Boric was emphatic in pointing out that “defeating crime, violent crimes, drug trafficking and the proliferation of firearms, I want everyone to know and be very clear about, is a priority for my Government.”
In a spontaneous meeting with neighbors from the old neighborhood of Santiago, he said that “I made online decisions to strengthen security” and stated that in the face of the crime phenomenon “we have to unite, this is not left or right, it is everything.” together, the honest, hard-working people, against crime.
Along these lines, he announced several measures that his administration will take these days and highlighted that “all security and public order institutions, the entire State, are working to take away space and land from those who endanger our community, those who generate fear. in their daily lives and we are doing work that is serious, that is deep, that is sustainable and that necessarily has to be far from the petty fight.”
“I have decided to convene the National Security Council, Cosena, first thing in the morning next Monday to be able to receive contributions and comments about the best way to implement the critical infrastructure project that is currently being processed in the National Congress and that will allow us have military personnel in critical places where police action must be reinforced,” President Boric announced, as part of the measures that the Government will take to address the public security scenario.
This means that next Monday the President, the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, the president of the Supreme Court, the Comptroller General, the three commanders in chief of the Armed Forces, and the General Director of the Carabineros of Chile, to analyze the internal security situation in the country. You could also invite the Ministers of the Interior and Defense. With all of them, representatives of State institutions, it will be possible to exchange reflections, suggest measures, establish coordination and deliver proposals and opinions on public security, surely linked to the increase in crimes of high connotation and severity, drug trafficking and organized crime. .
Until this weekend there was transversal political and union support for the decision of the head of the Executive to convene Consena. It was emphasized that it will be to consult different state bodies. In fact, there was a debate that, for example, the Army would not have a position in favor of placing soldiers on the streets to combat crime, among other things, because they are not prepared for that role, they have no interest. in assuming it and in the idea that the issue of crime, organized crime and drug trafficking in the Chilean situation is not there to involve the Armed Forces in that fight.
Another measure announced by the president is to “establish a special security cabinet” for better coordination and government work in the face of a delicate situation that is being experienced by criminal acts, many linked to drug trafficking and organized crime.
President Boric expressed that “yesterday arriving from my tour of Chiloé, we had a meeting with the Minister of the Interior, with the Undersecretary of the Interior, with the Delegate of the Metropolitan Region, with the Undersecretary of Crime Prevention, with the Undersecretary of Forces “Armed and where we are going to include the Undersecretary of Justice, the Undersecretary of the Treasury, to be able to have a comprehensive vision that is working every week regarding the security problems and challenges that the country has.”
The measures and decisions that President Gabriel Boric is taking are in line with facing and responding to a negative security framework, especially due to the occurrence of murders, deaths of minors in criminal acts, use of high-powered weapons, kidnappings and actions of organized criminal gangs.
Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, detailed announcements and measures
The President made six announcements, which I am going to reiterate only so that there is clarity about what they consist of. I want to do it within the framework of the line that the government will continue to maintain: security is a people’s right. The State takes charge of that responsibility and, therefore, we work together to respond to the demand to guarantee that right. We know that we have made progress and we also know that there are shortcomings in terms of security that we have to respond to.
The first announcement is that in the Metropolitan Region we will strengthen criminal prosecution. This is a work carried out in conjunction with the Carabineros of Chile, with the Investigative Police, with our presidential delegate of the Metropolitan Region, with the Public Ministry in conjunction with the prosecutor in charge of the ECOH teams of the Metropolitan Region, prosecutor Héctor Muds. We have carried out intelligence work to precisely identify the organizations behind violent crimes. Our objective is to dismantle them and for that we have asked the Investigative Police to form a special team. There are 68 officials who will accompany the work of Prosecutor Barros in the Metropolitan Region in matters of police investigation. We have also agreed with the Investigative Police on the equipment and technology required to carry out special investigation techniques.
The second is the presence of police control. We have done work with the Carabineros of Chile on something that is not easy because we are at a time when there is a lot of tension regarding police resources. There are 550 Carabineros de Chile officials to implement 50 checkpoints in the Metropolitan Region in the morning, in the places with the greatest influx of public, and in the afternoon, in the critical points where violent crimes occur. It is a plan that we are going to evaluate in ten more days, and then we can expand it. We are going to work so that on March 1 there are not 50 points, but rather 100 mobile control points in the Metropolitan Region.
Third, weapons. We are going to radically focus weapons control in the Metropolitan Region, both on regularly registered weapons linked to places where violent crimes are committed, and on the implementation of a program that allows investigation of complaints about the illegal use of firearms. .
Fourthly, the President has announced the call of Cosena on Monday. As you know, it is an instance that was modified in 2005 and it is the President who convenes it. The president of the Senate, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, the President of the Supreme Court, the Comptroller, the three commanders in Chief of the Armed Forces and the General Director of the Carabineros of Chile are summoned. The President has the power to also invite the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Defense and eventually other ministers to this space. It is an advisory space and the President will convene it within the framework of the powers established by the Constitution to request opinions.
Because the President, as he has said, and here comes the fifth announcement, wants it to be processed quickly and for the Government to have the Critical Infrastructure implementation tool as soon as possible, which allows it to complement the work of the police. But that requires processing the law. We hope in the advisory council to be able to hear opinions. We hope that it is given the greatest urgency and that this is a tool that will be available in March as soon as the work of the National Congress restarts.
Finally, as a sixth measure, it has called for the constitution of a security cabinet, as a space for State institutions to respond to the security demands of our citizens.
Public security: the criteria and proposals of the Communist Party
The following is the full text released by the Political Commission of the PC, where the announcements made by President Gabriel Boric were supported:
Commitment to the public security of the country: As a Party, we reaffirm our commitment to the public security of Chile. We recognize that security is an enabling fundamental right and is essential for the exercise of all freedoms. We understand the challenges that working families face in the face of crime and drug trafficking, it is imperative to guarantee tranquility in our streets and public spaces.
New challenges and bold responses: We are aware of the new challenges facing Chile, including transnational organized crime. We recognize the need for bold responses to protect the population. We advocate strengthening security and intelligence systems, not only to stop those involved in criminal activities, but also to provide alternatives and hope to children and young people, preventing them from being tempted by crime.
Comprehensive approach to public security policies: Given the deep inequality in the country, we advocate for comprehensive security policies. This implies preventing impunity, acting in a timely manner and promoting the recovery of public, community, cultural and sports spaces. Solutions must be designed in collaboration with local communities, recognizing their needs and encouraging their active participation.
Support for announced measures: Given the announcements of the President of the Republic, we support the proposed measures, such as the targeting of police presence, investment in equipment and the creation of the public security cabinet with the necessary economic resources, which we understand is a public policy effort that goes in the direction of improving coordination and response in matters of security. We agree with the importance of these initiatives to address the problem of crime and organized crime.
Call to COSENA: Regarding the call to COSENA, which is the exclusive responsibility of the President of the Republic, we recognize the importance of having the opinion of its members, even more so when the right blocks important bills in Congress. Congress will have the last word in the debate on the critical infrastructure project, which will take place in the coming months.
Concern about the Critical Infrastructure Bill: We express our legitimate concerns about the scope of the Critical Infrastructure Bill. It is essential to clearly define the rules for the use of force and prevent any risk of violation of Human Rights. Security should not compromise the integrity of the population or lead to a generalized state of exception as the right seeks to impose. 7. Preventive approach and strengthening of capacities: In the face of the public security crisis, we urge that efforts and economic resources be put into strengthening the preventive capacities of the State.
The security of the population must be protected without compromising other essential rights and freedoms. This is why we believe that it is important to advance in the economic intelligence bill and in the ministry of public security.
