Kast Unveils a 30-Measure Plan to Fight Organized Crime in Chile

Chile · Security

The presidential frontrunner wants tougher prisons, faster arrests and a new agency to strip criminals of their money. Critics see echoes of a heavier hand.

The presidential frontrunner has unveiled ACOT, a sweeping package of more than 30 measures aimed squarely at organized crime. Security has become the defining issue of Chilean politics, and José Antonio Kast intends to own it.

Why security dominates the race

Chile was long seen as one of Latin America’s safest countries. In recent years, that reputation has frayed.

The arrival of transnational gangs and a rise in violent crime have rattled a public unused to it. Kast has made cracking down his signature promise, and ACOT is the detailed blueprint behind the slogans.

What the organized crime plan would do

The plan is broad, spanning the constitution, the courts, prisons and the border. It is a package, not a single law.

At its core is a promise to treat organized crime as an existential threat to the state. And to arm the state accordingly.

More than 30 measures are bundled together, from tougher sentences to new institutions.

Harder penalties, harder prisons

Several measures target punishment. Membership in a criminal organization would itself become a crime, with stiffer penalties.

Groups that recruit minors would face harsher sentences still, aimed at protecting the young from gangs. For the biggest fish, Kast proposes a special prison regime for major traffickers and organized-crime leaders.

Speeding up the state

Other measures try to make the system move faster. The window to detain a suspect caught in the act would double.

It would rise from 12 hours to 24, giving police more time to build a case before a suspect walks free. A national registry of criminal organizations would also be created, to track the groups operating in Chile.

Hitting criminals in the wallet

One of the more novel ideas targets money rather than bodies. Kast proposes a new agency dedicated to illicit assets.

It would seize, administer, liquidate and ultimately destroy the wealth built on crime. The logic is that gangs run on profit, and draining that profit hurts them more than any single arrest.

The migration dimension

ACOT also reaches into migration, a politically charged link Kast draws deliberately. It would lengthen detention for certain expulsion cases, in some reports from a matter of days to as long as 60.

Critics argue this conflates migration with crime; supporters say the two overlap at the border.

A constitutional backbone

Some proposals aim to rewrite the rules at the highest level. One would enshrine protecting citizens’ security as a duty of the state.

Another floats a new constitutional state of exception for grave breakdowns in public order. These are the parts that most worry civil-liberties advocates, who fear an over-mighty state.

The debate it provokes

Supporters see ACOT as an overdue, serious answer to a genuine crisis. Chileans are frightened, and they want action.

Opponents warn of a slide toward heavy-handed policing, longer detentions and blurred rights. That tension, between safety and liberty, is the fault line running through Chile’s whole election.

Why it matters beyond Chile

Chile’s security debate is being watched across a region grappling with the same gangs. A hard-line model that appears to work here could influence neighbours, as El Salvador’s crackdown already has.

For investors, stability and the rule of law are inseparable from the security question.

What to watch next

As a candidate’s plan, ACOT is a statement of intent, not yet policy. Its fate depends on the election.

The measures that require constitutional change would face the hardest path through Congress. For now, Kast has set the terms of the debate, forcing rivals to answer on his chosen ground: crime.

The El Salvador shadow

Any hard-line security pitch in Latin America now invites comparison with El Salvador. Its mass crackdown slashed murders but drew criticism over rights and due process.

Kast’s plan is less extreme, but the same question hovers: how much liberty will voters trade for safety.

What business is watching

For companies, security is not an abstract debate. Extortion and theft raise the cost of doing business.

A credible plan to restore order is, in that sense, also an economic plan. But investors also prize the rule of law, and worry about measures that could erode it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ACOT?

It is a security plan unveiled by presidential candidate José Antonio Kast. Bundling more than 30 measures against organized crime and terrorism in Chile.

What are its main ideas?

They include criminalizing gang membership, a special prison regime for crime leaders. Faster arrests, a registry of criminal groups and an asset-seizure agency.

How does it treat migration?

It would lengthen detention for certain expulsion cases, a link between migration and crime that critics dispute.

Why is security such a big issue in Chile?

Once seen as very safe, Chile has faced rising violent crime and transnational gangs, unsettling the public and dominating the election.

Is ACOT now law?

No. It is a candidate’s proposal. Many measures, especially constitutional ones, would need to pass Congress to take effect.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error

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