Chile Starts Border Trenches to Curb Illegal Migration

SANTIAGO, Chile — President José Antonio Kast oversaw the initial deployment of heavy machinery to dig trenches along Chile's northern border with Peru on Monday, fulfilling a key campaign promise to erect physical barriers aimed at curbing illegal migration and bolstering security just days after taking office.

Kast, who assumed the presidency last week following his election victory, visited the Chacalluta border crossing near the city of Arica to inspect the early stages of construction. There, excavators began carving out trenches several feet deep into the arid Atacama Desert, marking the launch of the government's "Border Shield" plan. The initiative targets key sections of the 169-kilometer border with Peru and extends to parts of the longer frontier with Bolivia, spanning up to 520 kilometers in total. Officials described the barriers as combining trenches, fences up to five meters high, electrified perimeters, motion sensors, thermal radar, and drones equipped with facial recognition and infrared cameras. An additional 3,000 military and police personnel will patrol the area on a rotating basis.

The president, climbing aboard one of the excavators and greeting stationed...