General considerations for a public security strategy for the country

El Mostrador, August 1, 2024

We could point out that, in terms of national security, there has been a before and after since the emergence of organized crime in our country, and to date, the recent governments have not been successful in its neutralization.

There is a clear consensus that the main security problem facing our country today is the actions of organized crime groups, which have generated a level of violence unparalleled in the country.

For example, the AthenaLab 2024 survey reflected that, in terms of perception, citizens (9.5 out of 10 Chileans) indicate that the main threat to our country is drug trafficking and the actions of organized crime. In recent years, this phenomenon has expanded and diversified to the point that our State is, in practice, not exercising effective sovereignty in some areas of its territory, where criminal gangs have not only contested that sovereignty but have consolidated it.

This struggle for territory has expanded and now affects many urban areas of the capital and regions, with a significant impact on the security of the most vulnerable sectors of society, which have dramatically seen their lives and well-being harmed.

The above is of utmost relevance, as the ultimate ratio of a State is the common good, expressed in terms of security, development, and well-being. This is the full responsibility of the current political power that is in charge of the State’s leadership. Consequently, if it is unable to provide an adequate degree of security, development, and well-being, it would not be fulfilling the primary mandate for which citizens have ceded our sovereignty to this form of political organization.

Security is one of the key elements to promote the development and desired well-being of our citizens, issues that the social contract is not satisfying, as today security is the most affected and crisis-ridden area.

We could point out that, in terms of national security, there has been a before and after since the emergence of organized crime in our country, and to date, the recent governments have not been successful in its neutralization. There has been a clear inability to deal with the current violence and criminality, which ultimately undermines the democracy that we all want to preserve and strengthen.

To reverse the above, it is key not only to articulate the various powers of the State and the existing political forces but also to involve all of society. Comparative experience in other countries shows us that there is a threshold of security, which, once surpassed, is very difficult to reverse. Consequently, Chile is at a turning point to address this problem, which constitutes our most serious threat to national security.

Thus, the main objective of AthenaLab’s proposal, given a clear definition of our current problem, is to visualize the key guidelines and propose what should be –among others– the fundamental issues to consider in the design of a probable and future public security strategy against organized crime, where it is naturally defined how the means will be employed to achieve the defined objectives. This must be consistent with the aim of achieving a desired final state that makes it possible to strengthen the security condition that the country demands.

Certainly, this document does not intend to develop a strategy; it only aims to establish some foundational elements for its urgent elaboration in a context of integration and coordination of all responsible actors.

Neutralizing organized crime is the most relevant task to address, and this is achieved through the coordinated and integrated action of all power instruments, as well as with all available institutions and the set of forces and tools of the rule of law.

We must not continue to foster positions that, with clear biases, have encouraged the inhibition of the actions of that rule of law; primarily, through public order institutions and, in some cases, judicial bodies. The above, of course, implies always complying with all legal norms and protecting citizens and their fundamental rights, but it reiterates the urgent need for a clear political will to genuinely solve the problem through the use of force, rather than merely managing the underlying issue.

Consequently, this document, which can be consulted at this link, is structured around the definition of the main problem and context of public security, followed by an examination and proposal of the guidelines deemed essential, visualizing a probable desired final state, and concluding with some general considerations.

John Griffiths
Head of Studies, AthenaLab
Pilar Lizana
Researcher, AthenaLab

Source: El Mostrador