Chile's new president has begun work on a border barrier just five days after being sworn into office. José Antonio Kast appeared at the site along Chile's northern border with Peru on Monday to inspect the trench and chat with construction workers, hailing it as the first step towards meeting his campaign promise to stem illegal immigration. Only a small portion of the planned barrier has so far been cut into the arid Atacama desert - a ditch a few feet wide and deep.
It is one of several policies of Kast's that echo pledges by US President Donald Trump - who has made constructing a wall at the Mexican border a common refrain at rallies and a crucial part of his own immigration policy. Echoing his rhetoric on the campaign trail, Kast said Chile had been 'violated by illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and organised crime', adding that he wanted to use the diggers behind him to 'build a sovereign Chile'.
'For all of Chile, this is a milestone,' he noted while at the site, near the border town of Arica. Kast has portrayed Chile as a country descending into chaos and insecurity, and prior to his election pledged to restore order and implement sharp spending cuts. While Chile remains one of the safest and most stable countries in South America, a rise in immigration and organised crime has generated concern. The foreign population in Chile has risen sharply from less than 600,000 in 2015 to more than 1.5 million in 2024, according to World Bank data. Roughly 336,000 of these individuals are estimated to be undocumented migrants, many from Venezuela.
The trench-digging on Monday marks the start of Kast's 'border shield' promise that helped him win the presidency with 58% of the vote in December. Trenches and fences will compose the barrier, patrolled by military personnel, alongside the installation of surveillance systems and obstacles to deter crossings. The nation's border with Peru spans about 180 kilometers and 900 kilometers with Bolivia, though the barrier will only cover roughly half of this expanse.
Kast, who succeeded left-winger Gabriel Boric as president, has signaled the most abrupt rightward shift in Chilean politics since the end of its military dictatorship in 1990. He has openly praised former dictator Augusto Pinochet. Kast's politics also align with those of Donald Trump, despite Chile's unique context. Kast's supporters have been spotted wearing red 'Make Chile Great Again' caps, referencing Trump's campaign slogans as a gesture of political solidarity.
It is one of several policies of Kast's that echo pledges by US President Donald Trump - who has made constructing a wall at the Mexican border a common refrain at rallies and a crucial part of his own immigration policy. Echoing his rhetoric on the campaign trail, Kast said Chile had been 'violated by illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and organised crime', adding that he wanted to use the diggers behind him to 'build a sovereign Chile'.
'For all of Chile, this is a milestone,' he noted while at the site, near the border town of Arica. Kast has portrayed Chile as a country descending into chaos and insecurity, and prior to his election pledged to restore order and implement sharp spending cuts. While Chile remains one of the safest and most stable countries in South America, a rise in immigration and organised crime has generated concern. The foreign population in Chile has risen sharply from less than 600,000 in 2015 to more than 1.5 million in 2024, according to World Bank data. Roughly 336,000 of these individuals are estimated to be undocumented migrants, many from Venezuela.
The trench-digging on Monday marks the start of Kast's 'border shield' promise that helped him win the presidency with 58% of the vote in December. Trenches and fences will compose the barrier, patrolled by military personnel, alongside the installation of surveillance systems and obstacles to deter crossings. The nation's border with Peru spans about 180 kilometers and 900 kilometers with Bolivia, though the barrier will only cover roughly half of this expanse.
Kast, who succeeded left-winger Gabriel Boric as president, has signaled the most abrupt rightward shift in Chilean politics since the end of its military dictatorship in 1990. He has openly praised former dictator Augusto Pinochet. Kast's politics also align with those of Donald Trump, despite Chile's unique context. Kast's supporters have been spotted wearing red 'Make Chile Great Again' caps, referencing Trump's campaign slogans as a gesture of political solidarity.
