SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — President José Jerí of Peru said his government on Friday would declare a state of emergency along the country's southern border and deploy more armed forces to the area as a large number of Venezuelan migrants venture north from Chile, where anti-immigrant sentiment has surged during a fraught presidential campaign.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing crises in their home countries or seeking better opportunities abroad long have traversed the continent and the Peruvian border to build new lives in Chile, one of Latin America’s most stable and prosperous nations.
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Migrants wait to cross into Peru at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
A police officer directs traffic at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, as migrants wait to cross into Peru. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
Migrants wait to cross into Peru at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
Migrants wait to cross into Peru at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
Migrants wait to cross into Peru at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
But scores of people without legal status in Chile — mostly Venezuelans who abandoned their country's economic ruin and authoritarian rule in recent years — are now also headed in the other direction as Chile prepares to harden its stance against immigration.
The favorite to win Chile's presidential runoff on Dec. 14, ultraconservative lawyer José Antonio Kast, has built his campaign around popular fears over immigration from Venezuela and a rise in organized crime. He filmed a campaign video at Chile's porous desert border with Peru last week, warning immigrants without formal status to get out of the country while they still can.
“You have 111 days to leave Chile voluntarily,” Kast said in the ad, referring to the number of days until a new administration takes over from current left-wing President Gabriel Boric. “If not, we will stop you, we will detain you, we will expel you. You will leave with only the clothes on your back.”
Soon Peruvian media was awash with images of migrant families rushing north from Chile into Peru, their belongings stuffed in backpacks and garbage bags.
Within days, Jerí traveled to the same area to inspect border controls and sent armed forces to boost security operations.
Residents in Chile’s northern border towns reported growing chaos as crowds of people who left Chile but lacked permission to enter Peru were stranded in limbo. On Friday, Jerí convened his Cabinet to declare a state of emergency in the region.
There is no clear figure for how many people have decided to leave Chile against the backdrop of Kast’s threats of mass deportations and what immigration lawyers describe as increased xenophobia in the South American country, home to 18.5 million people.
On Friday, Kast released a new video repeating his warning to immigrants and urging Boric to intervene. Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela dismissed his comments, saying that a presidential candidate “cannot speak on behalf of the Chilean government.”
When asked how Kast's campaign impacted the outflow of migrants, Chilean Minister of Security Luis Cordero responded that “rhetoric sometimes has consequences.”
“People cannot be used as a means to create controversy for the elections,” he said. “Our main purpose is to prevent a humanitarian crisis.”
Pereda Zavaleta reported from Lima, Peru
Migrants wait to cross into Peru at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
A police officer directs traffic at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, as migrants wait to cross into Peru. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
Migrants wait to cross into Peru at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
Migrants wait to cross into Peru at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
Migrants wait to cross into Peru at the Chacalluta border crossing point in Arica, Chile, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ibar Silva)
MADRID (AP) — With three assists and a goal, Vinícius Júnior quieted the fans who had booed him again at the start of Real Madrid's 6-1 rout over Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Part of Santiago Bernabeu Stadium crowd jeered the Brazil forward nearly every time he touched the ball early on in the league-phase game in Madrid, but the boos dissipated as the match went on and were virtually gone by the time Vinícius scored his first Champions League goal of the season in the 63rd minute.
The early boos were not nearly as loud as they were Saturday in Madrid’s 2-0 win over Levante in the Spanish league. Both times fans jeered when Vinícius’ name was announced in the starting lineup, but this time the game ended with fans on Vinícius’ side as he was chosen the man of the match.
Vinícius has been having a lackluster season and some fans viewed him as one of the reasons why coach Xabi Alonso was replaced last week.
Vinícius had spats with Alonso, a former Madrid and Spain great as a player who was replaced as a coach following a tumultuous eight-month stint. Vinícius was reportedly the main player not backing Alonso in the locker room.
Vinícius scored his goal on Tuesday with a well-placed strike after getting past a couple of defenders and hitting the upper corner. He did not go toward the fans to celebrate, and instead hugged his teammates near midfield and then ran toward the sideline to salute and hug new Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa.
Vinícius has assists in goals by Kylian Mbappé in the 26th and Franco Mastantuono in the 51st. The Brazilian also assisted with a cross that led to an own-goal by Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer in the 55th.
“Vini, we are behind you,” read a banner held by a fan at the Bernabeu.
Mbappé scored in the fifth minute to put the hosts ahead. He hugged Vinícius after his second goal later in the first half — and again following the final whistle.
Mbappé and Arbeloa had come out defending Vinícius recently, with Mbappé saying the crowd shouldn't single out Vinícius as the one to blame for the team's struggles.
Many fans applauded a seventh-minute attempt by Vinícius, who just missed wide from inside the area. When he misplayed a ball in the 40th, some of the fans started to boo again but many more applauded in response.
There were no immediate jeers toward club president Florentino Pérez like it had happened against Levante.
Mbappé appeared to apologize to Monaco fans after scoring. He was a former Monaco player. Mbappé has 18 Champions League goals for Madrid, the most of any player in the first 20 appearances with the club, ahead of the 14 of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Jude Bellingham, who was also jeered by some fans on Saturday, scored Madrid's sixth goal in the 80th.
Vinícius came close to scoring again on a breakaway in second-half stoppage time.
Madrid had entered the match against Levante coming off a two-game losing streak that included a loss to Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia — which prompted Alonso's departure — and an embarrassing elimination against Albacete in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.
There was a moment of silence before the match in honor of the victims of the train crash that killed more than 40 people in southern Spain on Sunday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior scores his side's fifth goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Monaco in Madrid on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates his side's fifth goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Monaco in Madrid on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates with head coach Álvaro Arbeloa his side's fifth goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Monaco in Madrid on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates his side's fifth goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Monaco in Madrid on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior reacts during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Levante in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates with Vinicius Junior the opening goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Monaco in Madrid on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior reacts during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Levante in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
