COLUMN | The Creation of a National Agency Against Organized Crime

The only initiative that can be launched now or on the first day of a new presidential term is what is proposed here: a national center against organized crime, which complements other proposals aimed at making national security, state intelligence, national defense, and public safety more effective.  

In a conversation with Pablo Zeballos, held last week during a seminar for young people that AthenaLab conducts twice a year at the Termas de Jahuel, Pablo suggested the idea of creating a national agency against organized crime as a quick and effective measure to address this problem, which has become more complex, now including cases of drug-related corruption in the Army and the Air Force of Chile (FACH).

We are in difficult times that require effective yet economical solutions, as public finances are strained, and I do not know of any politician, like Milei in Argentina, except perhaps Johannes Kaiser, who is willing to significantly reduce social spending (pension, health, education, housing, and social and economic development) to reallocate funds to public safety, the intelligence system, and national defense, which are key and critical aspects of Chile’s national security.

AthenaLab or members of its team have already recommended a regular use and purpose for the National Security Council, the existence of a National Security Advisor for the Presidency of the Republic, measures to operationalize the National Intelligence Agency (ANI) and the intelligence work being done in Chile, and on this occasion, taking Pablo Zeballos’s idea, the creation of a National Agency Against Organized Crime.

So far, we see the government making ineffective efforts in combating organized crime; they lack strategy and objectives in this area. They are correctly focused on shaping the Ministry of Public Security and creating a national public security policy, which is broader than just organized crime, and moreover, is different from having a strategy, as it does not delve into the specifics of what to do, why to do it, and the objectives to achieve.

It is evident that public security issues extend beyond organized crime, but having an organization dedicated to and focused on this makes a lot of sense. We are envisioning something that is formed following the military logic of the Joint Inter Agency Task Force (JIATF), that is, a national organization beyond the police and the Public Ministry. We are thinking of an organization that reports to the Undersecretary of Public Security, which is joint (involving all police and military branches), combined (with liaison officers from countries of interest), and multi- or inter-agency (all institutions and services are represented, including the Public Ministry, SII, UAF, Customs, Gendarmerie, and ANI).

What is being proposed does not entail significant incremental costs. Centers of this type are formed with a specific purpose, using existing resources, which makes their establishment, implementation, management, and control straightforward. It would not conflict with the Public Ministry, which has an investigative and procedural objective; rather, it complements it well, especially now that the figure of a supraterritorial prosecutor has been created who aims to have an organization within the Public Ministry that can address issues such as organized crime and high-complexity crimes throughout the national territory.

Continuing to address the problem of organized crime with existing structures and resources has proven to be ineffective overall. The results are evident. Other solutions, such as closing the border or filling the country with cameras and reading portals, help, but they are very costly, take time, and do not guarantee results. They are good for communication strategies, but nothing more than that. The only initiative that can be launched now or on the first day of a new presidential term is what is proposed here: a national center against organized crime, which complements other proposals aimed at making national security, state intelligence, national defense, and public safety more effective.

It is crucial to appoint a suitable person, technically prepared, focused on objectives and results, who understands strategies, has the capacity to manage teams, and has access to the political level.