• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
Authorities of the Government of Chile announced the completion of an effort to remove chemical precursors that had been stored for five years at the Port of Arica.
According to the Presidential Regional Delegation of Arica and Parinacota, the task was carried out over four months and allowed for the elimination of a potential risk to people, the environment, and port operations.
Regarding the task executed with the precursors, the regional presidential delegate, Cristián Sayes Maldonado, highlighted that "we have already managed to transfer, since Wednesday - June 24 -, and today it has arrived at its destination for the total destruction of these 576 tons of ethyl acetate that were in our port."
It is worth remembering that, in October 2025, the Presidential Regional Delegation of Arica and Parinacota reported the beginning of an operation for the removal, transport, and final disposal of chemical precursors seized at the port, in a procedure that was described as unprecedented due to its magnitude and complexity in the history of Chile.
This phase involved removing 41 containers with more than 690 tons of chemical substances used as precursors for drug manufacturing. Among them, 576 tons of ethyl acetate stood out, a highly flammable liquid that requires extreme safety measures, along with other batches of calcium chloride, sodium hydroxide, and sodium metabisulfite.
The accumulation of these chemicals at the Port of Arica generated concerns in the sector, to such an extent that the leadership of the Confederation of Port Workers of Chile (Cotraporchi) addressed the then-president Gabriel Boric to intercede in the removal of the cargo, estimating that it involved more than 500 tons of products considered dangerous.
