Chiles

SANTIAGO, Chile, Oct. 31 (UPI) — President Gabriel Boric has submitted a constitutional reform proposal to the Chilean Congress that would make the armed forces permanently responsible for security in border areas, aiming to curb organized crime and irregular migration.

Border control is handled by Carabineros de Chile, the national police, and when the armed forces are needed for specific security operations, the government must request congressional authorization every 90 days.

The proposed reform, introduced earlier this month in the Senate for debate, would grant the armed forces power to conduct identity checks and searches. It would also allow soldiers to detain individuals caught committing crimes and hand them over to the Carabineros de Chile, or the Investigative Police.

According to the reform bill, the current situation is described as troubling.

“Along with the impact of irregular migration on the country, social cohesion and public policies, this phenomenon has been exploited by transnational criminal organizations to expand illicit markets such as smuggling, human trafficking and drug trafficking, among others, as well as to facilitate the illegal entry or exit of gang members through unauthorized crossings,” the document states.

Days before the bill’s introduction, Boric said he was confident Congress would move quickly to approve the reform “because that is what Chileans expect.”

The National Prosecutor’s Office, the agency that investigates crimes in Chile, on Monday released its 2025 Organized Crime Report, revealing that at least 16 transnational criminal organizations are operating in the country, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, Colombia’s Los Shottas and the Trinitarios, active in the Dominican Republic and the United States.

Although drug trafficking remains the dominant criminal activity — accounting for nearly half of all income linked to organized crime in 2023 and 2024 — the report noted that crimes such as kidnapping and extortion showed the sharpest increases, while homicides dropped significantly.

The surge in irregular migration and organized crime has dominated Chile’s public and political agenda ahead of the elections. Presidential and congressional elections are set for Nov. 16, and the government is signaling its priorities through measures such as this proposed constitutional reform.

“One of the most prominent issues on the national agenda concerns crime and irregular migration, which people tend to see as connected,” political scientist Claudio Fuentes, director of the Institute for Social Science Research at Diego Portales University, told UPI.

He added that the reform proposal aims to show the government’s concern, “particularly that of the Chilean left, about border security, given the prominence the issue has gained and in the context of the presidential elections.”

Fuentes said the problem is that the government does not control either chamber of Congress, so the initiative will depend on opposition parties.

“It’s unlikely to be approved before the end of the administration [in March] because lawmakers are debating the 2026 budget in the middle of the parliamentary campaign. So this bill is more of a political gesture than a legislative measure likely to be discussed,” he said.

From Fuentes’ perspective, certain aspects must be addressed first.

Another bill pending in Congress would regulate the armed forces’ use of force in situations such as border control. Fuentes warned a risk exists that the military could operate under rules that might expose its members to legal consequences if they are accused of using excessive force in certain circumstances.

Sept. 19 (UPI) — After nearly 12 years of review and controversy, Chile’s Supreme Court has rejected appeals from President Gabriel Boric’s government and environmental groups that seek to block the Dominga mining project.

The potential mine, situated in the Coquimbo region, has been one of Chile’s most controversial in recent years because of its proximity to the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve, home to penguins, sea lions and bottlenose dolphins.

It was first submitted for an environmental impact study in September 2013.

The high court’s ruling does not give the project a green light to operate, but sends it back to the Committee of Ministers — made up of the economy, health, energy, mining and agriculture ministries — that already voted against it three times.

The decision is a blow to the government because it must review the case again and issue a verdict.

Dominga involves a $2.5 billion investment and about 30,000 jobs. It was expected to produce 12 million tons of high-grade iron concentrate and 150,000 tons of copper concentrate annually over a 26 1/2-year lifespan.

“This is a historic ruling, not only for the company but also for the country and its environmental institutions. Dominga is the project with the longest review in the 30 years of the Environmental Impact Assessment System, becoming a true symbol of bureaucracy and judicialization,” Andes Iron, the company that owns the project, said after the ruling.

“With this decision, more than 12 years of procedures and litigation come to an end, clearing all legal and technical questions and opening the way for Dominga’s construction,” the company added. It said the actions of the Committee of Ministers had been irregular, “with legal flaws, unjustified delays and unsupported changes in technical criteria.”

The Confederation of Production and Commerce, which represents Chile’s business sector, also welcomed the ruling.

“It is a clear confirmation that the project complies with current regulations and with all environmental requirements for its construction and operation,” the group’s president, Susana Jiménez, said in a statement.

She added that the “long and cumbersome process Dominga has had to face is proof of the urgent need for a more transparent and technical environmental review system — one that allows projects meeting established requirements to move forward without obstacles.”

The government has not given up, however, saying the Supreme Court’s ruling “does not imply a final decision on the project,” according to the Environment Ministry, one of Dominga’s main opponents.

“The Supreme Court also reaffirms that authority to decide on the project lies with the Committee of Ministers, which already issued a decision in January 2025. The Humboldt Archipelago is a unique ecosystem, a heritage of all Chileans, and the Environment Ministry continues to work decisively for its protection,” the agency said.

Economic analyst Jorge Berríos, academic director of the Finance Program at the University of Chile’s Faculty of Economics and Business, told UPI that Dominga is “a special project, with a strong political component, because it was linked to former President Sebastián Piñera.”

In 2010, the right-wing former president sold his stake in the project for $152 million while in office, a period in which he placed his investments in a blind trust.

The sales agreement included a clause stating that the final payment would only be made if the area where Dominga is located was not declared an environmental reserve by the Chilean government — a condition that was ultimately met.

“From that moment, Dominga took on a political character. The current government does not want it and should be more explicit about that. The company has decided to pursue every legal avenue because it already has its environmental permits,” Berríos said.

He added that the conflict highlights Chile’s serious institutional problem in approving investment projects.

“If a company has to wait five or 10 years to get a permit, it will think twice and move to another country. This cannot happen because it hurts the country’s competitiveness. It has already happened that the forestry company Arauco decided not to invest in Chile but did so in Brazil, where it obtained operating permits in just nine months,” Berríos said.

SANTIAGO, Chile, June 13 (UPI) — President Gabriel Boric’s plan to replace Israel as Chile’s primary arms supplier presents logistical and strategic challenges for the country’s armed forces.

Chile’s president has sharply criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza. In his recent state of the nation address, he supported Spain’s proposal for an arms embargo on Israel “to prevent more children from being killed.”

“I have instructed the defense minister to quickly present a plan to diversify our defense trade relationships so we can stop relying on Israeli industry in all areas,” Boric said.

Since 1977, Chile has purchased more than $850 million worth of Israeli weapons, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

By 1989, Israel supplied 42.5% of Chile’s total weapon imports. During Sebastián Piñera’s administration, Chile signed new agreements with Israel covering weapons, security technology and cybersecurity.

The path toward supplier diversification is complex. Chile’s armed forces maintain a significant inventory of Israeli-made equipment. Changing suppliers requires a transition process that could affect existing system interoperability.

Integrating new platforms and technologies from multiple sources takes time, training and often costly modifications to ensure systems from different countries can operate together efficiently. This is especially critical in joint operations, where compatibility between communications gear, navigation systems and weapons is essential.

Experts say replacing deeply integrated Israeli systems could weaken Chile’s overall operational capability.

“The relationship with an arms supplier goes far beyond the initial purchase. It involves agreements for logistical support, spare parts, long-term maintenance and technological upgrades,” said César Cereceda, a defense expert and president of the Association of Retired Armed Forces Personnel.

Severing or weakening ties with an established supplier like Israel could disrupt the supply chain for critical parts, affecting the operation and availability of existing equipment. Trust and a strong support track record are crucial in military technology procurement, Cereceda added.

Military equipment also requires highly trained personnel for operation and maintenance. Changing suppliers means training troops on new systems, requiring investments in time and resources.

Chile may consider Brazil, Turkey and India as new suppliers, but it must first evaluate whether their products meet the country’s specific defense needs.

Brazil has a developing defense industry focused on land systems, aircraft and some naval platforms. While it has made progress, its technology may not match Israel’s level of sophistication, particularly in high-tech sectors.

Turkey’s defense industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, making notable advances in drones, armored vehicles and naval systems. Its development has been impressive, but it has yet to fully consolidate as a comprehensive supplier.

India’s large industrial base and its ambitious “Made in India” policy are key strengths in its bid to become a defense supplier. However, it still relies heavily on foreign technology for complex systems, and its ability to export advanced weapons at scale remains limited.

“Chile’s defense policy has long focused on diversifying strategic acquisitions,” said Gabriel Gaspar, an international analyst and former deputy defense secretary. He noted that the armed forces operate German armored vehicles, ships from the U.K., Australia and the Netherlands and U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets.

“All of these supply lines rely on NATO-standard technology, offering broad compatibility — from calibers to communication systems,” Gaspar said. “Switching to a different line of weaponry is always possible, but it requires long-term policy and funding.”

The cost of replacing existing technology could range from $15 billion to $20 billion, according to estimates by Fernando Wilson, an analyst at Chile’s Adolfo Ibáñez University.

Reducing dependence on a single supplier would strengthen Chile’s strategic autonomy and reduce its vulnerability to potential embargoes or shifts in bilateral relations.

Exploring new markets would allow Chile to access different technologies and approaches in the defense industry, potentially strengthening its long-term military capabilities.

However, experts say a complete switch in suppliers and the replacement of all Israeli technology and systems currently in use could come at a very high cost.

U.S. and UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles is a two-time Olympian and three-time NCAA individual champion.

She looks completely comfortable in her own skin as she’s performing a floor routine to music by empowering artists like Beyoncé and proudly displaying the more than 20 “amazing art pieces” she has tattooed on her body.

For much of Chiles’ life, however, the body that helped propel her to athletic greatness made her feel “ugly” and self-conscious. But when she first saw photos of herself as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, “I literally started bawling my eyes out,” Chiles recently told People magazine.

U.S. and UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles appears on the cover of the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, on newsstands beginning May 17. The portrait was shot in Boca Raton, Fla., on Nov. 4.

(Ben Horton /Sports Illustrated / Contour by Getty Images)

Chiles said her mother, Gina, reacted similarly.

“My mom actually cried a few times from some of the photos because she’s been there literally every single moment of my life,” Chiles said, “so I think it was more of her realizing how beautiful her daughter is and what I’ve gone through.

“She was there when I would cry and be like, ‘Mom, they’re saying this. They’re saying that.’ Or I would look at myself in the mirror and call myself ugly almost every day. I think it was just really cool for her to know that I get this opportunity and that I get the ability to embrace who Jordan is.”

Chiles was a member of the U.S. Olympic squads that won team silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and team gold at the Paris Games last summer. Chiles was also awarded her first individual Olympic medal, a bronze in the floor exercise, in Paris but it was taken away because of a technicality.

At UCLA, Chiles won two national titles in the uneven bars (2023, 2025) and one on the floor (2023). She also finished second in the all-around competition in 2023 and helped the Bruins to a second-place overall finish this year. Chiles has already announced she will return to Westwood next year for her senior season.

When the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue hits newsstands on Saturday, Chiles will be one of four models appearing on her own cover (Olivia Dunne, Salma Hayek Pinault and Lauren Chan are the others). As opposed to how she felt looking at her own reflection years ago, Chiles said she is “in awe” after seeing herself on the front of the iconic magazine.

“I’ve embraced every single aspect of who I am and I’ve embraced the amazing body that I have,” Chiles said.