State of emergency decreed in Chile due to protests against migrants

The Government of Chile sent this Saturday, February 12, a military deployment in four border provinces of the Antofagasta and Arica regions, in the north of the country.

The decision to decree a state of exception was taken after two days in which they blocked roads and truckers strikes, as a sign of protest against illegal migration.

Interior Minister Rodrigo Delgado announced the news after an emergency meeting with members of the region's transportation union. "The state of exception will allow collaboration between the Armed Forces and the Police with two focuses: combating drug trafficking and migrant smuggling," he commented.

The provinces that are militarized are Parincota, Tamarugal, Arica and El Loa, located on the border of Bolivia and Peru. With the presence of these officials, control will be reinforced with air and land means, such as highway radio patrols, helicopters, motorcycles and a surveillance plane. The Minister informed.

What triggered the protests in recent days was the death of a truck driver in Antofagasta on February 10. Among the actions taken are roadblocks in various parts of the country and the blockade of a regional airport, in addition to stopping various mining works.

New immigration law in progress

The Chilean government announced that the new migration law has already been activated, which is promoted by President Sebastián Piñera. It seeks to strengthen and improve border surveillance and curb irregular migration.

"People who want to enter Chile must do so through the door, not through the window, and also be honest about the real reasons for their entry," said Delgado.

This rule came into force in 2021, but the respective approval was lacking, which was published this Saturday in the official gazette.

It was learned that as of this same date, expulsions from the country can be speeded up and even deportations can be carried out quickly and without judicial procedures.

These measures were taken because in these provinces and in other northern areas there has been a strong migration crisis for several months.