In a north Chilean city, a brutal incident tied to long-standing tensions around migration, xenophobia, and the rise of far-right rhetoric. A man named Milton Dominguez, originally from Cali, Colombia, died after a violent assault in Iquique, days after a Navy Victory Day parade. Four sailors, not in uniform, attacked him so violently that even one crutch he used for support became a weapon. The military leadership moved to expel those involved. The Iquique Court of Guarantee ordered preventive detention, with the four suspects kept in custody for 120 days as investigations proceed.
The four assailants said they had been robbed by strangers before the naval celebrations and believed the homeless man knew what was happening. Dominguez had simply asked for money in front of the main church. Yet the body he left behind bore the weight of suspicion and mistreatment.
Iquique is a major city in the Tarapacá region, about 1,759 kilometers north of Santiago. Its urban zones near the Bolivian border have become a transit corridor for migrants and a hotspot for violence. Official data show that a notable share of homicides involve people not born in Chile. This shift has intensified anti-foreigner sentiment, fueling hostile language that would have been unthinkable years ago. The first demonstrations against immigration in Iquique occurred at the end of 2021, and a march that year ended with the destruction of shelters used by Venezuelans, reinforcing a climate of hostility. Dominguez, at 61, often lived in a foster home. Lorena Zambrano of the Immigrant Open Council described him as someone with a good heart.
Dominguez arrived in Chile in 2021 via Bolivia after leaving his home country. He had hoped to work as a technician in solar panel maintenance and installation. A medical issue in a refugee camp led to the amputation of one foot. Even with such a disability, he found himself on the same street where violence struck. The National Disability Service (Senadis) condemned the attack and urged swift justice. Authorities stressed that a timely and severe punishment for those responsible was essential to protect vulnerable residents and uphold human rights.
Security footage exists, yet Judge Verónica Opazo declined to claim that the quartet planned the murder, arguing the act grew from an impulse. It was described as a grave mistake likely to be regretted for life.
contradictory situation
The crime occurred during a period of social strain in northern Chile. Hundreds of Venezuelans, Haitians, and Colombians remain stranded near the Chilean border with Peru, attempting to return home as immigration policies tighten under the government of left-leaning President Gabriel Boric. Migrants, including families, endure nights in tents and harsh daytime conditions as officials respond with mixed effectiveness.
At the start of 2022, Chile counted about 1.5 million immigrants, with roughly 45 percent from Venezuela, followed by Haitians, Colombians, Peruvians, and Bolivians. A large portion of these newcomers possess higher education. Official surveys suggest that stability and growth are among the central concerns for migrants choosing Chile as a destination, while the economy faces unemployment pressures and persistent poverty rates.
On social media, voices from the ground framed the border crisis within the broader political debate. A post from a Chilean public figure highlighted disagreement with immigration policy while calling for orderly conditions at the border.
The far-right takes advantage of the disturbance
p>The urban reality in Santiago and other cities reflects a shift toward visible hardship: people begging on busy streets, encampments in parks, and increasing rhetoric from political figures associated with the far right. Jose Antonio Kast has been an outspoken critic of immigration, urging stricter controls and the creation of temporary holding spaces for migrants before any potential repatriation. The recent electoral cycle saw far-right messaging intensify in the north, coinciding with the violence against Dominguez. The incident has been cited as a poignant example of the dangers of stoking fear and blaming foreigners for social problems. The debate continues over how to balance humanitarian considerations with security and national policy.