In Chile, three kidnappings took place in one week. Kidnappings are increasing in the country: more than 67% between 2021 and 2022. Chile is far from the levels of violence that can be observed elsewhere in Latin America, but in recent years certain crimes have become more and more frequent.
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It was the kidnapping of a business leader that aroused public opinion and the media, reports our correspondent in Santiago, Naïla Derroisné. A group of five armed men first stole the phones and wallets of around fifteen employees at their workplace in Rancagua (south of Santiago), and the boss was then kidnapped. After being held captive for more than 24 hours, he was finally released after a ransom. Three of these kidnappers were arrested, a Colombian and two Venezuelans, who entered Chile illegally. Two other people, a Bolivian and a Peruvian, were kidnapped in Iquique, in the north of the country. One was released in exchange for payment of a ransom and the other regained his freedom thanks to the arrest of his captors.
This story is not an isolated case; for several years the country has experienced an increase in the number of kidnappings. And it is directly linked to organized crime, believes the undersecretary at the Ministry of the Interior Manuel Monsalve. To deal with this new delinquency, Attorney General Ángel Valencia announced the establishment of a special brigade: 240 agents will be responsible for investigating serious crimes such as kidnappings and homicides.
The mayor of Iquique denounces the lack of border controls. Which would have led, according to his opinion, to the installation on Chilean soil of foreign criminal gangs who imported certain types of crimes. For months, there has been strong tension on the borders of Peru and Bolivia which has resulted in demonstrations in 2022. And earlier this year, Congress approved a law to deploy the armed forces on these border territories.
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