Chile’s Incoming President Embraces Controversial Salvadoran Gang Crackdown: What Are the Consequences?

As Chile prepares for a seismic shift in its security policy under President-elect José Antonio Kast, his recent visit to El Salvador’s infamous Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) underscores a troubling trend: the embrace of draconian measures touted as solutions to organized crime but fraught with human rights abuses.Is Heavy-Handedness the Answer to Crime?Kast arrived in El Salvador aboard a helicopter alongside his security minister, eager to glean “good ideas and proposals” from President Nayib Bukele's controversial crackdown on gangs. The message is clear—Chile aims to import elements of Bukele's model that has prioritized incarceration over due process, with little regard...