Chilean president Gabriel Boric recalled his country's ambassador in Caracas after Venezuela's foreign minister Yvan Gil described El Tren de Aragua, the notorious criminal organization with heavy presence in Chile, as a "fiction created by the international media."
"The irresponsible statements of Venezuela's foreign minister, ignoring the existence of the Tren de Aragua, are worrying and constitute a serious insult to those who have been victims of this organization," said Boric.
Speaking at the construction launch of a new building for the National Police Intelligence Headquarters Boric went on to accuse Venezuela of not cooperating with the southern countries in the fight against irregular migration and regional organized crime.
He emphasized that denying a reality he considers tangible and proven "is not an option," also describing Gil's words as "deeply worrisome."
Las afirmaciones irresponsables del Canciller de Venezuela, desconociendo la existencia del Tren de Aragua, son preocupantes y constituyen un grave insulto a quienes han sido víctimas de esta organización y además, demuestran una falta de compromiso con la cooperación…
— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric) April 11, 2024
Gil's comments were made on Monday during an event alongside his Colombian counterpart, Gilberto Murillo in Cucuta.
"The fight against the scourge of crime cannot be based on the creation of a false narrative", said Gil. "Chile is well aware that labels for criminal gangs have been fabricated with the sole purpose of tarnishing the Venezuelan identity and its government."
According to El Pais, The Chilean Public Prosecutor's Office has been investigating El Tren de Aragua for at least two years. It is suspected of having committed crimes in various regions of Chile including migrant trafficking, sexual exploitation of migrant women, homicides, extortions, tortures, and drug trafficking.
Since 2022, Carlos González Vaca, also known as Estrella, has been detained, considered by the Prosecutor's Office as the leader of the organization in the country. Hernán David Landaeta Garlotti, also known as Satanás, was also arrested, accused by the police of being a hitman.
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