Latin American authorities crack down on illegal trade and unlicensed businesses

Municipal and national officials in several Latin American cities have intensified inspections and enforcement actions against illegal commerce and operations lacking proper permits. In Calama, Chile, the municipal security directorate and mixed patrol carried out a comprehensive sweep of the city's rotating market, issuing six fines to three Bolivian traders for operating a clandestine kitchen and other irregular food sales. The same municipality also heightened patrols to curb the sale of counterfeit and unregulated goods, including food, medicines, and cigarettes.

In Puerto Montt, Chile, the municipality ordered the closure of 11 stores in the Megacentro shopping centre for operating without the required business licenses. In Coelemu, authorities discovered two irregular foreign nationals during inspections of barbershops and restaurants. Bolivia’s consumer defence agency seized expired products and monitored LPG prices in the Villa Verde market. In Spain, 21 establishments in Celaya were shut down for selling alcohol without permission during the second quarter. In Peru, officials confiscated 46 kilograms of poultry deemed unfit for consumption at Mercado Grau.

These coordinated actions underscore a regional push to enforce health, safety, and licensing regulations across markets and service venues.