DT38 | Port Security and Strategic Challenges: Towards a Comprehensive Proposal for the Chilean Port System

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Port security has established itself as a central dimension of national security and the economic resilience of states in the 21st century. In a world where maritime trade is growing, transnational organized crime is becoming more complex, logistics chains are being digitized, and geopolitical competition for critical infrastructure is increasing, ports have ceased to be mere cargo transfer spaces. They have become strategic nodes of national power, international integration, and the operational continuity of open economies.

Given the importance of the topic, this paper seeks to examine the strategic significance of ports in the global system, review the evolution of port security in the international and regional context, and analyze the trajectory, current situation, and main vulnerabilities of the Chilean port system. Based on this, a comprehensive strategy for Chile is proposed, which focuses on institutional strengthening, logistical intelligence, technological modernization, international cooperation, climate resilience, and the development of a legal and organizational framework for the protection of port infrastructure. The main argument of this paper is that Chile needs to move away from the current fragmented and predominantly operational approach to port security, advancing towards a strategic approach that integrates it into the national security architecture, the competitiveness of foreign trade, and the protection of critical infrastructure.

IGNACIO MARDONES
Director of International Affairs AthenaLab