Chile's Security Minister Announces Prison Population Surpasses 65,000

Minister of Security Martín Arrau told a weekly police committee that Chile’s prison system now holds more than 65,000 inmates, a figure that rises each week. He linked the increase to the need for the government’s prison‑infrastructure construction plan and stressed that expanding facilities is essential for effective management.

Arrau also noted that about 40,000 people remain fugitives from justice and cited recent police operations that seized weapons, including some originating from Argentina, as well as drugs and improvised firearms. The minister referenced the upcoming Municipal Security Law, which will reclassify municipal security vehicles as emergency vehicles and require professional licences, and mentioned ongoing efforts to strengthen border controls and improve coordination among Gendarmería, Carabineros and other police forces.