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Chile: Second Country Most Impacted by Terrorism in Latin America According to 2023 Global Index

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Despite a slight rise in the overall ranking, Chile remains one of the countries most affected by terrorism in Latin America, according to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace. With a score of 6.159, the country ranks 17th globally and is surpassed only by Colombia (16th place) in the region.

Far from being good news, this data reflects the persistent severity of internal conflicts in the country, particularly the episodes of violence recorded in the southern macrozone. Although the report does not detail incidents by country, experts agree that the conflict between the state and radicalized groups in the context of the Mapuche conflict is the main factor behind this concerning rating.

While other Latin American countries like Mexico, Peru, or Venezuela show more moderate figures, Chile stands out negatively for maintaining a "high terrorist impact" category, according to the index's parameters, which consider the number of attacks, victims, material damages, and persistent threats.

International organizations have classified several of these events as terrorist acts, deepening concerns about the state's inability to control violence in rural areas, where attacks on machinery, infrastructure, and individuals have occurred. This situation, long considered a social or territorial conflict, has escalated to levels of international alarm.

Although measures such as increased police presence, legal reforms, and dialogue tables have been implemented, the improvement in the ranking (two spots compared to the previous year) does not represent a substantial change in the structural situation of the conflict. In fact, Chile has reached a position it had never before held in such rankings.

Security experts warn that the country risks normalizing a situation of chronic violence in certain regions, which could have serious implications for governance, investment, and social cohesion.

"This is not about celebrating a slight improvement but urgently acknowledging that Chile has a serious internal security problem that is already being observed with concern abroad," says an academic specializing in terrorism.

Looking ahead to 2024, the country's challenge will be twofold: effectively reducing the impact of terrorism while simultaneously avoiding repressive responses that could deepen the conflict.