SANTIAGO (Reuters) -Chilean President Gabriel Boric recalled his country's ambassador in Caracas for consultations, he said in a post on X on Thursday, citing remarks by Venezuela's foreign minister about criminal organization Tren de Aragua.
On Monday, Venezuela's top diplomat Yvan Gil described the notorious Venezuelan criminal gang, which Venezuela had previously accused of assassinations, drug trafficking and kidnapping, as a "fiction created by the international media," during an event alongside his Colombian counterpart.
"The irresponsible statements of Venezuela's foreign minister, ignoring the existence of the Tren de Aragua, are worrying and constitute a serious insult to those who have been victims of this organization," said Boric.
Venezuela's information ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Chile - one of Latin America's safest and most stable countries - has been experiencing a surge in violent crime, a top concern among voters and a thorn in the side for the Boric administration.
The Tren de Aragua has been a strong focus of critics due to its alleged involvement in human smuggling, kidnapping and drug trafficking in the country.
Venezuela in September 2023 claimed it had dismantled the Tren de Aragua after a government operation to regain control of its prison system.
Boric said he would seek information from Chilean Ambassador Jaime Gazmuri and "instruct him to take all necessary actions."
(Reporting by Natalia Ramos in Santiago; Additional reporting by Vivian Sequera in Caracas; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Gabriel Araujo, Matthew Lewis and Josie Kao)
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