Chilean prison guards call for more prisons

The head of the prison guards of Chili He called on Monday for the construction of more prisons to deal with prison overcrowding, which could be worsened by prosecutors’ decision to temporarily detain foreigners without local identity documents.

In Chile there are about 46,000 prisoners, although prison capacity is 42,000 and is expected to rise to about 50,000 in the first months of next year. Commander Mario Benítez expressed his concern about the prosecutors’ decision to request the provisional detention of foreigners who, at the time of their arrest, did not have Chilean identity documents.

“It will have a huge impact on the prison system”he warned. Prosecutors announced the move a day after it was determined that at least two of the alleged killers of a police officer were foreigners. Both are Venezuelans: one had an outstanding arrest warrant and the other had an order to deport him from the country.

A third Venezuelan is being sought who allegedly also participated in the event. The National Chief of Police, General Ricardo Yáñez, asserted that both are “directly linked to the fatal events”while the prosecutor in the case, Felipe Olivari, pointed out that there is “robust evidence” who incriminates them in the crime.

The murder of three police officers in 23 days hit the government of President Gabriel Boric hard, who is often reminded by the right-wing opposition that in his time as a university leader and two-time deputy he severely criticized police action in the repression of protests.

The president announced last week an extraordinary contribution of 1.5 billion dollars to reinforce police security in their operations and implements. The government mandated that police vehicles have armored doors and that everyone must wear body cameras, which are currently in short supply.

According to a survey by the Universidad del Desarrollo published on Monday on 76% of those consulted believe that the government reacted late in the fight against violence. According to official figures, last year crime grew by 44% compared to 2021, including homicides and robberies with violence or surprise.

Source: AP