Car smuggling is an evil that undermines the economies of Bolivia and Chile.

Vehicle smuggling is a long-standing problem that affects the economy of Bolivia and neighboring Chile, a gateway for those motorists who continue on illegal routes into Bolivian territory, some coming from abroad and others stealing in the country. Chilean north.

Between January and July this year, 1,687 undocumented vehicles were confiscated in Bolivia, most of them in the Andean region of Oruro (515) and La Paz (494). details provided by Efe National Customs.

Those motorists who manage to bypass the controls later circulate mostly in Bolivian border towns, many without papers or control numbers, and others with “double” papers, i.e. cloned or forged.

Anxiety is constant, with more force when the voices of people who bought these vehiclescalled “chutos” in Boliviaand this requires an amnesty for its “nationalization” or regularization.

The exact number of “chuto” vehicles currently circulating in Bolivia. The most conservative estimate is 200,000 units, but the import sector says more than 500,000, Luis Orlando Encinas, general manager of the Bolivian Automobile Chamber (CAB), told Efe.

“It’s not us who are directly affected by the ‘chuto’ importers. This is a problem and a detriment to the entire Bolivian state,” Encinas said.

According to the businessman, between 50,000 and 60,000 vehiclestherefore, the eventual “nationalization” of these half million “chuto” cars would be equivalent to ten years of imports.

Those who demanded an amnesty for the legalization of about 200,000 undocumented vehicles They calculated that the Bolivian state would receive about $280 million for this.

For Encinas, this amount represents no benefit given that the country must import diesel and gasoline to meet its domestic demand at an annual cost of between $1,500 million and $2,000 million, and that this fuel is then sold at government-subsidized prices. .

Private business in Bolivia and Chile It also highlights that there is a “reception” criminal figure that punishes those who sell or buy stolen goods.

HEAVY STATE FIGHT

Action to combat the crime is being coordinated between customs and an anti-smuggling vice minister created in 2018 after two military personnel were killed in an ambush by car smugglers.

In Efe’s statements, Deputy Minister Fight against smugglingGeneral Daniel Vargas acknowledged that because of the width of the border between Bolivia and its five neighbors, it is sometimes “very difficult” to cover the sections through which the “chuteros” or car smugglers.

Despite this, the “strategic deployment” of the Armed Forces along the borders makes it possible to reach the main routes used for car smuggling”having a center of gravity border with ChileVargas assured.

According to the official, two methods of entry into these cars were identified: one through authorized checkpoints using “double” documents, and the other through illegal steps.

“There are clashes in some cases because they won’t let themselves (vehicles) be removed, and in many cases we have also seen them use firearms and explosives,” said Vargas, who also lamented that some border towns protect smugglers.

RELATED CRIMES

The fight against smuggling in Bolivia found random links between drug dealers D smugglers that reach the border Chile with a small amount medicine to trade it for undocumented or stolen cars, according to Vargas.

While there are concerns in the neighboring country about an increase in vehicle theft encouraged by the market found in Bolivia for motorized, general secretary of the National Automobile Association Chile (ANAC), Diego Mendoza.

According to Mendoza, in the north Chile “The huge increase in crime associated with to car thefteven new ones that have not yet been given a license plate,” and which are taken to Bolivia, where it is already difficult to restore them.

In his opinion, the existing agreement on cooperation on the return of stolen cars between the two countries is “almost not used”, since both sides require legal complaints and the intervention of lawyers, which makes life difficult for victims of these thefts.

He also warned of the rise of car-buying gangs in Chile pay cash to sell them on Bolivia and thus “launder money” from other illegal activities such as drug trafficking or arms trafficking.

SOLUTIONS

For Mendoza, “the laws are dictated today, what remains to be done is to enforce them” in both countries, and for this he considered cooperation between governments.

“The government has offered office set a bilateral agenda with Chile in order to solve the problem of smuggling in general and, in particular, the problem of illegal vehicles that fill our country and affect the economy,” Vargas said.

EFE