Peru declares 60-day border state of emergency amid Chile election tensions

On November 28, Peru’s government declared a state of emergency on its southern border with Chile, preparing for a potential surge of migrants fleeing Chile amid fears that far-right candidate José Antonio Kast could win the country’s upcoming presidential run-off.

Under the decree, the Peruvian military will reinforce border controls in the Tacna region for 60 days, extending beyond Chile’s December 14 run-off election, where Kast, known for his hardline immigration stance, faces off against left-wing candidate Jeannette Jara.

The emergency measure is also intended to address crime and other violent situations in the border area. “The Peruvian National Police will maintain control of internal order, with support from the Armed Forces,” the decree states. Earlier on Friday, Peruvian President José Jerí had signalled that the state of emergency was imminent, following reports of dozens of migrants stranded at the Chile-Peru border.

A video posted by the Chilean governor of the Arica border region, roughly 2,200 kilometres (1,370 miles) north of Santiago, showed dozens of people attempting to exit Chile at the Chacalluta-Santa Rosa crossing. A Venezuelan migrant told the news outlet The Clinic that the group was leaving Chile “for fear that they would remove us by force” if Kast becomes president. “They don’t want to let us into Peru,” the migrant said, speaking anonymously. Images broadcast by Radio Tacna showed migrants carrying children along the highway near the border.

Peru serves both as a source and a transit country for migrants travelling from other parts of Latin America to Chile, one of the region’s most prosperous and stable nations. This reverse migration trend has emerged just over two weeks ahead of Chile’s presidential run-off, in which Kast is widely expected to perform strongly.

The 59-year-old former member of parliament, running for the presidency for the third time, has issued an ultimatum to Chile’s approximately 330,000 undocumented migrants: leave voluntarily or face forced expulsion and the loss of property if he takes office. Kast has linked undocumented migration to a rise in violent crime over the past decade.

“To undocumented immigrants in Chile, I say you have 103 days left to leave our country voluntarily,” Kast said in a video posted on social media on Friday, referring to March 11, the date when Chile’s next president will be sworn in following outgoing centre-left President Gabriel Boric.

Addressing the situation, Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela said on the evening of November 28 that the issue will be managed through a “binational migration cooperation committee” starting next week. He stressed, however, that Peru will not accept additional undocumented migrants.

Since 2015, more than 1.5 million Venezuelans have arrived in Peru, fleeing a humanitarian and political crisis at home. “We will not allow irregular migration. We do not have the conditions or capacity to receive more migrants,” de Zela said.

By Tamilla Hasanova