Chile's new president has begun work on a border barrier just five days after being sworn into office.
José Antonio Kast appeared at the site along Chile's northern border with Peru on Monday to inspect the trench and chat with construction workers, hailing it as the first step towards meeting his campaign promise to stem illegal immigration.
Only a small portion of the planned barrier has so far been cut into the arid Atacama desert - a ditch a few feet wide and deep.
This represents one of several policies of Kast's that echo pledges made by US President Donald Trump, who has prioritized wall construction at the Mexican border.
Echoing his rhetoric on the campaign trail, Kast stated, Chile has been violated by illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and organized crime, adding that he wanted to use the construction machinery behind him to "build a sovereign Chile".
Kast emphasized, For all of Chile, this is a milestone, while at the construction site near the border town of Arica.
Despite being known as one of the safest and most stable countries in South America, the rise in immigration and organized crime has stoked concerns among Chileans.
The country's foreign population has increased from less than 600,000 in 2015 to over 1.5 million in 2024, with estimates suggesting around 336,000 are undocumented migrants, primarily from Venezuela.
The trench-digging marks the initiation of the border shield project that aided Kast's election victory with 58% of the vote in December. The barrier will consist of trenches and fences, patrolled by military personnel, with plans for additional surveillance systems and obstacles to deter crossings.
Chile shares a 180km border with Peru and a further 900km with Bolivia, but the Chilean government has stated that the barrier will only cover approximately half of this distance. Kast's presidency signifies a significant rightward shift in Chilean politics, following the legacy of former right-wing dictator Augusto Pinochet, whom he has openly praised.
Additionally, Kast and Trump appear to align on several issues, including unsanctioned migration, with Kast's supporters notably donning red Make Chile Great Again caps, mirroring Trump's own campaign style.
