By Daniela Carrasco
The public security problem in Chile peaked since, in only three weeks, the country saw three carabineros killed in the line of duty due to violence associated with drug trafficking and crime.
As a result, Congress suspended the legislative agenda to discuss different initiatives in this matter, highlighting the approval of the Naín-Retamal law, which fractured the government internally since some voices of the ruling party opposed its approval while others promoted it.
In short, President Boric’s government is in check and has begun to crumble.
Unfortunately, during the last weeks, three martyrs were added to the institution of Carabineros de Chile, adding up to 1,233 cases to date.
First Corporal Alex Salazar died last March 14 after being run over by a delinquent in the context of an inspection of a botillería.
On the night of March 26, Sergeant Rita Olivares was shot in the head by a criminal after a robbery procedure and died immediately.
On April 6, Lance Corporal Daniel Palma was also cowardly killed by a gunshot to his face following a police operation.
Due to these unfortunate events, in addition to the fact that the different polls already revealed that public safety had become the main urgency of Chileans, the Congress was devoted in the last week of March and the first week of April to legislate on this matter.
As a result, Congress approved Law No. 21,560, also known as the Naín-Retamal Law, enacted last Thursday and published in the Official Gazette on Monday, April 10.
It pays homage to the surname of two carabineros – Eugenio Naín and Carlos Retamal – who also died due to ambushes by terrorists and criminals.
Lance Corporal Naín died due to a bullet wound in the context of the “Mapuche conflict” on October 30, 2020, while Staff Sergeant Retamal died due to an attack he received with an iron after inspecting clandestine races on October 11, 2022.
This law increases the penalties for those who attack police officers, given the case of Carabineros, when defending their lives and integrity, especially since October 18, in the context of the conflict in the southern macro-zone of La Araucanía, they were prosecuted and even convicted.
Therefore, this law reinforces and protects Carabineros, Investigative Police, Gendarmerie, and the maritime and civil aeronautical police.
Consequently, this legal instrument seeks to increase the legal sanctions against those who attack the police with stiffer penalties.
Likewise, the benefits to prisoners for these reasons are restricted.
It also establishes the presumption of legitimate defense of uniformed officers in safeguarding public order and security, either because their lives are threatened or because they are repelling aggressions that may be suffered by a third party using any method of defense.
On the other hand, Carabineros will be trained and provided with adequate armaments and equipment for their work and the protection of the integrity of their members.
Another series of initiatives were also approved, strengthening the powers of the Gendarmerie, creating the crime of extortion, modifying arms control, and increasing the penalty in kidnapping cases.
Even though Chileans have demanded measures of this caliber – the case of the demolition of “narco-houses” in the commune of La Florida by Mayor Rodolfo Carter is well known in Chile, receiving wide citizen support according to the last Cadem polls – this agenda deeply fractured the government and its two souls:
- Apruebo Dignidad (composed of the Frente Amplio and the Communist Party).
- Socialismo Democrático (composed of the Socialist, Por la Democracia, Radical, and Liberal parties).
The first faction installed the discourse of “re-founding” the Carabineros, treated the members of this institution contemptuously as “pacos” in official media, called for civil disobedience for the revolts of 2019, praised the “police-killing dog”, and upon reaching the Executive announced the pardon of those charged with serious crimes on October 18.
The second faction began to distance itself from the former by being more open to dialogue with the rest of the political spectrum and willing to discuss different matters, such as the serious public security situation.
Figures of Apruebo Dignidad presented numerous indications to modify or reject the Naín-Retamal law.
Even the Communist Party threatened to appeal to the Constitutional Court in case of its approval.
However, the same night on which this law was approved, the murder of Corporal Palma occurred, so the following day, they desisted from doing so because public opinion was against it and because, probably, making such a plea would affect them electorally in the elections for constitutional councilors in May.
The following day, a massive march in favor of the Carabineros occurred in downtown Santiago.
It reached the front of the presidential palace of La Moneda to demand greater security.
But, similarly, the fracture continues in the government since both Apruebo Dignidad and Socialismo Democrático have publicly reproached each other for their differences in security matters, revealing extreme tension within the ruling party.
For example, Gastón Saavedra, senator of the Socialist Party, stated that Apruebo Dignidad has not “shown sufficient loyalty or understanding of the political-historical moment the country is going through”.
On the other hand, the Frente Amplio has asked the Minister of the Interior, Carolina Tohá (who called the Naín-Retamal law “trigger-happy” as did the government spokeswoman, Camila Vallejo) that the Executive should impose its security agenda and not the opposition.
However, the government authority gave an interview to the media La Tercera in which he stated that there is “distrust and trauma” in Apruebo Dignidad in supporting the Carabineros, which reveals the inconsistencies of the governing coalition.
The internal situation within the government coalition has put La Moneda’s narrative in check.
The approval of the Naím-Retamal law can be read as a third blow that President Boric’s government has suffered after the rejection of the proposed Constitution (last September) and the rejection of the idea of legislating the tax reform (March 8).
Undoubtedly, the approved laws point to a correct path.
Still, they are not enough since, on the one hand, the “narco-culture” has become popular and rooted, deeply affecting the social fabric, especially among children and adolescents.
On the other hand, although the government was forced to understand that security is a real demand and therefore they announced the “street without violence plan” – as a way of having their security agenda – they have already shown their biases by not including any commune of La Araucanía that has suffered from the Mapuche conflict.
In sum, the discussion on security has settled in Chile and will continue to be present in public opinion.
But this problem is deeper and more complex, so genuine cooperation and political will must exist.
However, from the Octubrista soul of the government (Apruebo Dignidad), there has not been a genuine willingness to solve crimes, drug trafficking, and violence, which is revealed by the pardons and by hindering the legislative discussion with attempts to boycott, by talking of the “trigger-happy” law, and by the exclusion of the Executive security agenda of the areas of the country that have suffered severe violence.
Undoubtedly, public security has been a stone in the shoe of Boric’s government.
With information from LGI