Chile has seen an increase in crime rates in the past few years, likely due to life resuming after quarantine, and citizens are worried for their safety. Homicides rose ⅓ in 2022, and over 50 percent increase in violent robberies. Some are taking initiative and legally buying guns/training themselves in the use of arms for self defense. Despite this, Chile is currently one of the safest countries in Latin America. Authorities think the increase in crime could also be due to an influx of guns/organized crime coming from surrounding countries. Some are worried that the rise of gun purchases for self-defense will lead to civilian-led defense groups that might target poor and marginalized groups, creating a whole new crime issue.
Something that struck me when reading this article is the potential parable in the issues at hand. While there have been notable upticks in crime, there have also been notable upticks in the purchasing of armoured vehicles and registered firearms. These safety precautions are only affordable to wealthy classes in Chile, and until the class problem is improved, crime rates will only get worse no matter how many fortified vehicles and handguns are legally purchased. The increase in drugs and illegal guns from surrounding countries might be due to an increase in demand caused by excess poverty. However, the increase in the security market could lead to an increase in available jobs/economic activity, which might help… It is also important to note that studies have shown increases in citizens arming themselves for “self-defense” does not reduce violent crimes (or really do much in mitigating damage). The president, Gabriel Boric, has said that the government needs “strong institutions” to combat such issues, which does not sound like a good approach. In my opinion, it would be best to at least admit to problems with and address income inequality, rather than ruling with an “iron fist.”
The authorities that blamed the rise in crime on outside countries remind me of how in class we learned about authoritarian regimes deflecting blame rather than admitting to faults and working to fix them. Even though Chile is not currently run by an authoritarian regime, the president Gabriel Boric has lost a lot of support due to his poor handling of the crimes. It makes sense to me that he would deflect blame to protect his reputation, but I also don’t think these accusations are going to help Boric make any progress.