Chile's President Initiates Border Wall Construction Just Days Into Office

Tue Mar 17 2026 18:19:23 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

José Antonio Kast, just five days into his presidency, has begun construction of a border barrier aimed at curbing illegal immigration and drug trafficking along Chile's northern border with Peru.

In a decisive move alongside his campaign promise to control illegal immigration, Chile's new president, José Antonio Kast, has started the construction of a border barrier. This initiative, mirroring similar policies in the U.S., was launched only five days after his inauguration. With a trench to begin the project in the Atacama Desert, Kast emphasizes the urgency of addressing what he describes as the threat from illegal immigration and organized crime. The barrier will stretch across a portion of the 180 km border with Peru and is aimed at enhancing national security.

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, a ditch a few feet wide and deep, has so far been cut into the arid Atacama desert.

It is one of several policies of Kast's that echo pledges by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made constructing a wall at the Mexican border a cornerstone of his immigration policy.

Echoing his rhetoric on the campaign trail, Kast said Chile had been violated by illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and organized crime, adding that he wanted to use the diggers behind him to build a sovereign Chile.

For all of Chile, this is a milestone, he said while at the site, near the border town of Arica.

Kast has portrayed Chile as a country descending into chaos and insecurity, and prior to his election, pledged to restore order and implement sharp spending cuts. Although Chile is one of the safest countries in South America, a rise in immigration and organized crime has spread concern among the population.

In the past decade, Chile's foreign population has increased significantly, from less than 600,000 in 2015 to more than 1.5 million by 2024 according to World Bank data, with around 336,000 estimated to be undocumented migrants, many from Venezuela.

The trench-digging on Monday marks the start of the border shield promise that helped Kast win the presidency by 58% in December. The barrier will consist of trenches and fences, patrolled by military personnel, with additional surveillance systems and obstacles to deter crossings.

The barrier will cover parts of Chile's border with Peru, which spans around 180 km, and a further 900 km with Bolivia; however, it is estimated that only half of this will be part of the construction.

Kast's election, succeeding left-winger Gabriel Boric, signifies the most significant rightward shift in Chile since the end of its military dictatorship in 1990. His affinity for previous right-wing dictator Augusto Pinochet and admiration for Donald Trump aligns him with several conservative policies. Supporters have been seen wearing red Make Chile Great Again hats, a nod to Trump's MAGA campaign.