Santiago, Chile.- At least five people died and several were injured, including Dominicans, in a shooting that occurred this Tuesday at an events center on the outskirts of Santiago. This crime has generated consternation in the country.
“In recent days, we have witnessed an upsurge in organized crime activities, including vendettas and attacks, which undoubtedly generate dismay among the population,” said Gabriel Boric, President of Chile. “I want to be very clear – as a Chilean state, we will not allow organized crime to win the battle.”
The massacre occurred just two days after the murder of four teenagers on Sunday in Quilicura, another peripheral neighborhood of the capital. Authorities conducted several raids on Tuesday in search of the perpetrators.
These events have alarmed Chile, which has been grappling with a security crisis exacerbated by the arrival of transnational organized crime. The homicide rate has risen from 4.5 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018 to 6.3 per 100,000 in 2023. The growing sense of insecurity has made crime the top concern for citizens, surpassing inflation and unemployment.
Despite the increase in violence, Chile remains one of the safest countries in Latin America. In 2023, the region saw at least 117,492 homicides, equating to a rate of 20 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to InSight Crime.
The Chilean government has taken various measures to combat crime, including implementing the largest increase in security budgets in the last eight years. However, the right-wing opposition argues that these efforts are insufficient and calls for a state of emergency to be declared in the capital.