Eficacia y Obstáculos en la Persecución del Delito de Trata de Personas en Chile

This article examines the criminal prosecution of human trafficking in Chile (Article 411 quáter of the Penal Code) from a practical perspective. Using a methodological design that integrates official statistics, analysis of judicial rulings, and in-depth interviews with professionals, the study identifies three critical barriers affecting prosecution effectiveness in human trafficking cases: (i) the late detection of the offense, which typically enters the criminal justice system as a byproduct of investigations into other crimes; (ii) the interinstitutional coordination challenges that effective investigation demands; and (iii) the fragility of human trafficking victims’ participation in criminal proceedings. The article argues that these obstacles stem from a combination of evidentiary and organizational factors operating from the earliest stages of investigation and concludes by identifying priority areas that state agencies could address to strengthen the prosecution of this offense in Chile.