"Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast oversaw the first phase of his 'Border Shield' plan at the Chacalluta crossing as work to install the physical barriers along the border with Peru began on Monday. Footage shows the excavation of trenches of approximately three meters deep using heavy machinery, while the president tours the work area guarded by military personnel. The 520-kilometre operation spans from Chacalluta to Colchane, deploying a network of fences, walls, and trenches designed to curb drug trafficking and irregular migration. "I am convinced that the Army, with this work, represents the immense majority of Chileans, far beyond those who chose us for a political position, because, as I said this morning, drug trafficking, organised crime, illegal migration, has no political colour," said Kast. The president was accompanied by key cabinet members, including the Interior, National Defence, Public Security, and Public Works ministers. According to official data, there are an estimated 336,000 undocumented migrants currently living in Chile, largely comprised of Venezuelan and Peruvian nationals. The project forms as one of President Kast's central campaign pledges to ramp up border security, following his inauguration last week."