March 16 (UPI) -- Chile formally began building trenches and walls Monday at the Chacalluta border crossing with Peru as part of a new security plan launched by President José Antonio Kast's recently inaugurated conservative government.
The initiative, known as "Escudo Fronterizo," or Border Shield, seeks to curb irregular migration and combat transnational crime by strengthening border controls, a campaign pledge Kast made. The plan also will extend to critical sections of the border with Bolivia.
Heavy machinery and military personnel began to arrivie Friday in the Chacalluta area, near the northern city of Arica, to start the project. Authorities plan to excavate trenches up to 10 feet deep and build walls as high as 16 1/2 feet at strategic points. The works could eventually span as much as 323 miles o border territory.
The project also includes surveillance technology, such as sensors and monitoring systems, according to Chilean outlet Radio Biobio.
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