Venezuelan gang’s arrival shakes LatAm’s safest nation

The Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela has extended its criminal activities into Chile, traditionally a safe and developed country in Latin America. Over the past five years, the gang has established sex trafficking operations and other criminal enterprises in Santiago, with reports of violence such as knife fights becoming more frequent. This expansion is part of a broader trend where organized crime groups operate autonomously across different countries following the COVID-19 pandemic. The gang capitalized on the regional economic crisis that caused 7.7 million Venezuelans to flee their country, targeting these vulnerable individuals for exploitation. Chile has seen a significant rise in crime due to the gang’s presence, with its murder rate nearly doubling since 2019. The country has also experienced increases in kidnappings, extortion, and sex trafficking. The spike in crime has shifted the political focus away from addressing economic inequalities to enhancing security, with crime becoming the primary concern for 70% of Chileans. This shift has impacted the popularity of President Gabriel Boric, despite his efforts to improve security policies. A notable incident linked to the gang was the politically motivated assassination of Ronald Ojeda, a Venezuelan migrant and critic of Nicolás Maduro, triggering a diplomatic dispute between Chile and Venezuela. Migrant settlements similar to the one in Maipú have emerged across Chile as the state struggles to assimilate a growing foreign-born population, which increased from 1.8 percent in 2013 to 13 percent in 2023. Claudio González, director of the University of Chile’s Citizen Security Studies Centre, noted that lack of access to education, healthcare, and employment for young migrants creates opportunities for crime groups. This has fueled anti-migrant sentiment among Chileans, although González emphasized that crime victims are mostly migrants. A government-affiliated volunteer highlighted that interventions in these communities are sporadic and fail to address undocumented migrants. The Tren de Aragua gang, described by Venezuelan journalist Ronna Rísquez as a fluid and less sophisticated group compared to more militarized cartels, engages in various criminal activities like assassinations and drug trafficking for other gangs. This rise in organized crime, coupled with conflicts involving indigenous groups in southern Chile, has thrust security to the forefront of political issues, impacting President Boric’s agenda. The government has responded by establishing crime units, launching national crime policies, and reforming laws. Chile is also preparing for its first mass trial of Tren de Aragua members, though the country still grapples with institutional corruption within its police force. Original Text by Ciara Nugent, publish in->FT

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