(Dis)control in the Public Security Chain

El Líbero, January 26, 2024

Regaining control is essential for the stability of the State, although that possibility seems distant. This is especially true when decisions are made from within the ruling party that go in the opposite direction.

Control. This concept, which refers to dominance, preeminence, and oversight, has been invoked by at least two ministers. From the Ministry of Justice, it was claimed that they had control over the prisons, while the Ministry of the Interior dismissed the notion of disorder at the border. The reality is that perception diverges from the conceptual definition and, in practice, encompasses more than just those ministries. The problem is systemic.

In 2022, there were estimated to be over 800 organized crime gangs within the penitentiary system; a year later, the Carabineros reported more than 1,200. At the end of 2023, during an operation in two prisons in Valparaíso, weapons, drugs, and cell phones were seized. The so-called ‘peloteros’ have gained notoriety by throwing balls filled with drugs to meet the demand of a captive market within the prisons. Cell phones are used to maintain operations that occur outside the prison walls. And thus, one can continue to enumerate events that demonstrate the lack of control in the country’s prison system.

At the border, some report 500 illegal entries daily during the worst moments of the migration crisis, while other actors highlight the office hours of the customs at Colchane. The government had to deploy military personnel to address a problem that destabilizes the northern regions, and some cells of the Tren de Aragua control unauthorized crossings to conduct their human trafficking business.

The Organized Crime and Homicides Team of the Prosecutor’s Office reported that between November 13, 2023, and January 14, 2024, there were 104 homicides, 32 kidnappings, and 58 crimes associated with organized crime. These figures indicate that the situation is far from being under control.

This scenario is compounded by statements from the leader of the Communist Party, who supports the intentions of a parliamentarian from that party to take Chile to international courts over the revocation of grace pensions for “prisoners of the uprising” with criminal records or convictions. Once again, control, or rather, disorder within the ruling ranks.

Losing political and operational control of security should be the primary concern of our leaders, as once that occurs, the chances of success for various proposed measures diminish.

Regaining it is essential for the stability of the State, although that possibility seems distant. This is especially true when decisions are made from within the ruling party that go in the opposite direction.

There are two years left in the government, which will be marked by local and national elections. Undoubtedly, electoral processes influence decision-making. Maintaining power is always a goal for those in politics. However, it is worth reminding them that ‘Politics’ comes from ‘Polis,’ which means city, and thus its matters are what Politics should address—and how we need our leaders to focus on that!

Pilar Lizana
Senior Researcher, AthenaLab

Source: El Líbero