Will Chile take a harder stance on criminals before gangs over-run the country and the government? I was liberal until I saw what happened to California with the homeless and the gangs. (World’s most violent country claims murder-free year — RT World News)
The likely answer is no.
Any government that even attempts to clamp down on crime and violence gets fiery denouncements from within and outside the country and further disruptions that are unpalatable.
Just the insanely weak response of the Piñera government to the 2019 Red October nearly got him kicked out of office. And attempts to provide the Carabineros with the tools they need to begin to control the delinquency and violence are shot down by the congress as affronts to “human rights.” This is a country that does not sufficiently desire to control its crime.
Disturbing though it may be, we can’t forget that 20-30 percent of the population here still supports the rioting of 2019 and the sort of alternative constitution that was rejected last September. Short of a new Pinochet, there is very little hope for the sort of strong measures seen in El Salvador recently.
A good (Spanish language) podcast on El Salvador came out yesterday. For more, read the description at the below link. It´s 50 minutes long and used on the ground reporting from an actual recent visit to the country.
The word “pandilla” is a good one to know before listening to it. Not heard much in Chile, but in central American and the Carribean it means “gang” usually in the criminal context.
thanks for the other perspective Mendoza
thanks Findes, grim but realistic