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2w ago

Chile Starts Building Northern Border Trenches and Walls Under Kast’s ‘Border Shield’

The government says the barriers will route crossings through official checkpoints using surveillance tools alongside tougher enforcement.

Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast gives a press conference as a machine digs, as part of measures to deter irregular migration, along the northern border at the Chacalluta border crossing, in Arica, Chile, Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
A soldier stands near a machine digging along the northern border at the Chacalluta border crossing, in Arica, Chile, Monday, March 16, 2026, as part of the measures to deter irregular migration. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast gives a press conference as a machine digs, as part of measures to deter irregular migration, along the northern border at the Chacalluta border crossing, in Arica, Chile, Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast walks past diggers along the northern border at the Chacalluta border crossing in Arica, Chile, Monday, March 16, 2026, as part of measures to deter irregular migration. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Overview

  • Work began at the Chacalluta crossing with Peru and at Colchane on the Bolivian frontier, with heavy machinery and military presence on site.
  • Plans call for trenches up to about 3 meters deep and barriers up to roughly 5 meters high at strategic points across the Arica, Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions.
  • The program pairs physical works with watchtowers, sensors, thermal cameras, biometric systems, autonomous drones and a proposed 3,000‑member border force.
  • President José Antonio Kast used emergency powers to issue decrees tightening border controls and deportations and he personally inspected the start of construction.
  • Officials cite irregular migration and cross‑border smuggling, including reported large flows of stolen vehicles, while human rights advocates warn of risks to migrants and due process.