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Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Wednesday announced the implementation of a national security plan that includes reforming the Carabinieri Corps, the country’s uniformed police force, and measures to achieve a “total ban on gun ownership.”
In his speech to Congress, the Chilean President stressed that inspections “are being stepped up to crack down on organizations involved in the illegal arms trade” and to prevent armed violence, a new and growing phenomenon in Chile in recent years , gaining a foothold in society.
“Armed violence is not tolerated in our country. And that’s why our Less Guns, More Safe program proposes radically curtailing their legal access,” stressed Boric, who asked Congress for “all the support for passing legislation that will allow us to work towards a total gun ban and so on while strengthening the institutional framework”.
“We’ve seen what’s happening in other countries, we won’t let it happen to us in Chile,” he added in a comment that appeared to be a veiled reference to the recent school shootings in the United States, a country the Boric will be visiting next week to attend the Summit of Americas, its first major international event.
In his speech, Boric also announced a reform of the Carabineros, directed “not against, but in favor of” this armed institution, so that it can better fight against “organizations dedicated to the illegal arms trade” and thus weaken the sense of insecurity in a country that, despite the increase in incidents, remains one of the least violent in the region.