Alex Matute Johns, who lost his brother to violence 25 years ago, publishes a letter in La Tercera warning about crime plaguing Chile. He highlights the death this week of a 10-year-old boy in Recoleta, a victim of fleeing criminals, and criticizes authorities' passivity.
In an emotional letter to the editor published on October 24, 2025, in La Tercera, Alex Matute Johns shares the personal pain of his brother 'Coke's' disappearance and death 25 years ago, an experience that makes him feel firsthand the absences caused by violence. Johns describes how Chile today suffers from crime that does not distinguish between cities, ages, or social conditions, with organized crime advancing unchecked and a sense of helplessness in the streets.
This week, the author was shaken by the story of a 10-year-old boy who died in an accident caused by fleeing criminals in Recoleta. 'It was not an isolated incident,' he writes, mentioning young people killed by stray bullets, people losing their lives defending their property, and families destroyed in seconds by unleashed violence.
Johns criticizes authorities' responses, which sound empty and repetitive: 'we will file a lawsuit,' 'we will pursue them with the full rigor of the law.' He argues that lawsuits do not return lives, nor do clichéd phrases restore peace. Citizens, he says, need responsibility, action, courage, and leadership, not passivity that makes them complicit.
From his experience, he pleads with leaders not to let organized crime take over Chile. 'React before it's too late,' he urges. 'Chile deserves to live without fear. Families deserve to see their children return home.' He concludes by calling to turn words into actions to avoid resignation to violence.
The letter underscores the urgency of concrete measures against a problem that leaves irreparable wounds, emphasizing that no family should bear the void of loss.