President Gabriel Boric announced on Thursday that he had decided to cancel his visit to France for the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in order to stay in Chile and oversee the implementation of new measures to combat the recent rise in crime in the country.

Speaking from the presidential palace of La Moneda, the leader said, "I have decided to suspend my participation in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games in order to supervise these efforts (against organised crime) and the presentation of legislative projects and to review their results."

Chile will be represented at the ceremony by Sports Minister Jaime Pizarro and Undersecretary Antonia Illanes, as well as Olympic athletes. "I have no doubt they will represent us well and I know that they are the pride of our nation," Boric added.

The left-wing president announced a toughening of his anti-crime policy after a series of murders rocked Santiago between last Friday and Tuesday.

In a single shooting, four men and a woman were killed and six people, all reportedly foreigners, were wounded at a party on the outskirts of Santiago, the Chilean capital.

In recent years, Chile has seen a rise in violent crime linked to gangs such as the Tren de Aragua, which originated in Venezuela and whose activities, mainly murders and extortion, have spread to several countries in the region.

Despite the cancellation of his visit to France for the opening of the 33rd modern Olympic Games, Boric is still going ahead with his planned trip to the United Arab Emirates on 29 and 30 July. 

"For the moment, this trip remains on the agenda because of its strategic economic objectives. I will be travelling with various ministers to continue promoting investment in our country," he said.