The Empresa Portuaria Chacabuco (Emporcha) hosted the Summit of the Asociación de Puertos Australes, an event that brought together representatives from Puerto Montt, Magallanes, and Aysén. Over two days, the presidents, directors, and managers of the three public companies shared a packed work program that combined presentations and technical visits.
The president of Emporcha, Enrique Runin, highlighted that “we worked two quite intense days, with presentations and workshops on operations, digital transformation, and compliance, analyzing progress and scheduling actions for the second half of the year,” he stated.
Furthermore, proposals from external agents were presented, such as the mesoregional program of the Ruta de los Parques by Corfo and the transport subsidy plan promoted by the Seremi de Transportes.
Another relevant point was the articulation of a common strategy for the promotion of tourist cruises in the southern austral zone. The idea, according to Runin, is for the three companies, Emporcha, Empormontt, and EPAustral, to work under the same line: “We are not going to have each company doing its own thing; instead, the idea is to generate a common development strategy.” The proposal seeks to boost local destinations and generate a positive impact on the communities near the ports.
The focus of the summit was marked by coordination in security. The president of Emporcha reported that an unprecedented meeting was held with the Seremis de Seguridad Pública of the three regions that make up the association, with the goal of preventing the arrival of organized crime.
“There are already some symptoms arriving in the area. The idea is for this type of crime and criminal organization not to become established in our austral zone, so we will make our resources available to the authorities,” he emphasized.
The president of the Empresa Portuaria Austral, Gabriel Aldoney Vargas, highlighted the work plan on security matters and stated that an agreement was reached to “agree on criteria and improve security within the port facilities, particularly in cargo control. The work involves sharing information, records, and surveillance systems with PDI, Carabineros, Aduanas, and the Autoridad Marítima.”
For his part, the president of the Empresa Portuaria de Puerto Montt, Julián Goñi, underlined the work opportunities and strategies that arise due to the connectivity network that can be generated among the companies of the Association. “With a firm connection between regions and a digital transformation, we can take on significant challenges in security matters. In this case, associated with the control of drugs, organized crime, narcotics, and illicit trade that passes through our regions.”
The session concluded with a board meeting where guidelines were defined for the end of the year and the planning for 2025. “Many things are being done for the benefit of the three regions, and we must continue to deepen this collaboration,” concluded Enrique Runin.
