Is Chile's national security at risk?

Radio Bio Bio, March 11, 2024

The purpose of this opinion column is to demonstrate that national security is indeed at risk, primarily due to the absence of a national security strategy and a system to implement and manage it, rather than the multiple problems we face.

The first and quite obvious reason for this risk is that we lack a national security strategy and system. This is despite specialists in the field raising this issue for quite some time, with no action taken by anyone in the government. This is a problem that has persisted from previous administrations, but given the current reality, it has become more evident and necessary.

It is not the same to have a defense policy and its corresponding military policy, which focus on the defense of territory, seas, airspace, and outer space, as well as the protection of national interests wherever they may be located.

National security, as it should be understood, is not the version from the 1960s and 1970s that was primarily focused on Marxist threats pushed by the Soviet Union and its satellites, with Cuba as its representative in the region. Since then, the term national security has not been well received by many, especially those on the left.

It should also not be understood as the strategy developed by the National Security Council (COSENA), as this body is merely consultative and advises the President of the Republic when summoned, as was the case in early February. COSENA currently lacks a role, purpose, and object, and even less a strategy or system through which to act. It may have a use, but it would need to be part of the strategy designed to address the issue.

Topics for a national security strategy

A national security strategy must address all issues that jeopardize the security and right to live in peace of all Chileans. That is why it is national and encompasses more than just public security, which is unfortunately how the current administration understands it, leaving out issues such as our structural weakness regarding forest fires.

To be precise, we are talking about, among other things, the following risks and threats that the national security strategy and system must address, which become more critical in the absence of a strategy and system to manage them:

1) Professionalized and violent organized crime operating in the main cities of the country.

2) Mapuche insurgency in the Southern Macrozone, which sometimes manifests as delinquency, rural violence, and terrorism.

3) Illegal immigration through our borders with Peru and Bolivia.

4) Undocumented immigrants about whom we know nothing, many of whom could be criminals or agents of foreign states.

5) We are located in a bad neighborhood. Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina are weak states that can be exploited for criminal purposes or by third parties such as Iran or Venezuela.

6) Our cybersecurity is weak and not up to date. It is enough to recall events such as cyberattacks on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or on state services like the Civil Registry, or those affecting banks and critical infrastructure.

7) Forest fires caused both by high summer temperatures and by poor urban planning decisions, which are exploited by arsonists and terrorists.

8) Climate change affecting weather patterns, sea levels, summer temperatures, and many other factors.

As you can see, none of the aforementioned issues are military in nature, which obviously add to the previous ones for national security purposes. It is also evident that there are more than just threats from organized crime, so if we focus solely on public security as the government indicates, we fall short.

The problems I mentioned earlier become more severe considering that we do not have an intelligence system that allows us to know where we stand and what lies ahead. Today, we are at the mercy of problems and the initiative of those who take advantage of us. Intelligence is the guiding light that helps us establish a course and avoid dangers that may affect us.

Having said all of the above, it is clear that if we do not have a strategy and system to address the serious problems we face, national security is indeed at risk, especially when considering the critical nature of the threats, their variety, and quantity.

We are literally taking on water, and the government, affected by its ideology, lack of experience, and presidential blunders, prefers to act like the band on the Titanic, not taking responsibility for what is happening, or waiting for some miracle to allow them to return to their virtual reality.

We also do not have an organization at the government level that takes charge of national security, which is why it is not surprising that public opinion looks to the armed forces to take charge of the strategy and system of national security.

This is because they are one of the few reliable institutions that function and have experience in the matter, understand the problems we face, and have already been incorporated as part of the solution despite not being designed to address many of the ills that afflict us.

We no longer have room for more problems. It is time to resolve what bothers us and to prevent even worse evils. If we do not act soon, we will follow the path of Noboa in Ecuador or have to adopt solutions like Bukele’s in El Salvador. The case of the assassination of Venezuelan Lieutenant Ronald Ojeda is a very powerful signal that cannot be overlooked.

Things are not resolved by sending bills such as those on intelligence, rules of use of force, the creation of a Ministry of Security, or by filing lawsuits that shift the problem to the Public Ministry. They are resolved by starting with a good and comprehensive diagnosis, which paves the way for the design of a strategy that addresses the ills that affect us.

Finally, and something that must be done immediately, is to regain control of the territory. Without that, there is no public security worth mentioning. Parts of Chile are under the control of organized crime and others of insurgents. Without that, no strategy will work. For this, new laws are not needed, only political will.

Richard Kouyoumdjian
Vice President AthenaLab

Source: Radio Bio Bio