Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast's agenda includes more than 30 bills aimed at strengthening efforts to combat criminal organizations. Photo by Adrian Thomasa/EPA
SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Chilean President José Antonio Kast signed a constitutional reform bill Monday that lays the groundwork for his government's new agenda to combat organized crime.
The initiative seeks to give the state stronger and more explicit tools to confront sophisticated criminal activity. Kast urged Congress to move quickly and approach the legislation with a willingness to reach agreements, with the goal of enacting the measures before the end of the year.
The government's agenda includes more than 30 bills aimed at strengthening efforts to combat criminal organizations.
Key measures include creating a new state of emergency provision that would allow the deployment of the armed forces, establishing a registry of criminal organizations and creating separate high-security prisons for criminal leaders.
