Chilean Senate advances bill to strengthen port security

The Chilean Senate has unanimously approved the general principles of a bill designed to strengthen port, customs, and logistical security against organized crime. The proposal, initiated by senators Paulina Núñez, Iván Flores, Carlos Kuschel, Iván Moreira, and Cristián Vial, will now move to the Committee on Water Resources, Fisheries, and Aquaculture for detailed refinement.

The legislation aims to enhance traceability, prevention, and risk management within the foreign trade chain. Senator Carlos Kuschel noted that port infrastructure is a strategic area of national security that is currently targeted by criminal organizations through cargo contamination and document falsification.

Legislators highlighted the need for modernization, noting that current port services operate autonomously without sufficient coordination. Current data indicates that only 3% of the 4 million containers arriving at ports are inspected.