Chile’s Military Police To Be Dissolved: Top Commission States

On Saturday, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of the Constitutional Convention approved to dissolve Chile's Military Police (Carabineros) for its continuous human rights violations and the slow pace of the prosecution against some of their members.

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“The Military Polce shall be replaced by a police institution run by civilians who respect the rights of our people,” lawmaker Giovanna Roa stated after de HRC plenary meeting, which lasted until 04:00.

During the October 2019 uprising against President Sebastian Piñera, at least 31 Chileans were killed during clashes with security forces, and 464 protesters suffered eye damages due to projectile impact and tear gas canisters. Police officers also raped 292 woman citizens and performed over 1,200 illegal detentions.

Despite this, the Piñera administration strongly criticized the HRC proposal. "A refoundation wipes away the history of the Military Police, which is so rich and important," Interior Ministry Rodrigo Delgado claimed, arguing that its forces defend citizen security. 

The facts, however, show otherwise. On October 5, Military Police Undersecretary Javiera Blanco will appear before the North Central Prosecutor’s Office of Santiago de Chile City in a judicial process related to the embezzlement of US$61,000.

HCR also proposed that the Constituent Convention oblige authorities to disclose the names of the torturers and murderers identified by the Valech Report, which analyzed the human rights violations committed during the Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship (1973-1990).

Both proposals must be ratified by the Regulation Commission, which will then send them to the plenary of the Constitutional Convention for its final vote.