Chile’s government has frozen every request to shorten a prison sentence for good conduct, whatever the crime. It announced the suspension on Monday 9 November 2026, as it faces a political storm over cuts given to people convicted of sexually abusing children.
The freeze widens a pause the Justice Ministry ordered in October for cases involving sexual crimes against minors, after reports that Chile had cut the terms of 56 child sex offenders. It stays in place while Congress handles a bill, now backed by the government, to end the benefit.
Key Facts
•Who. Government spokesman Gonzalo Arenas announced it for President José Antonio Kast’s conservative government.
•What. All pending sentence-reduction decrees are on hold, for every type of crime.
•When. Announced Monday 9 November 2026, while a bill to end the benefit is in Congress.
•Why. Public anger over cuts for people convicted of sexual crimes against children.
•Not known. Whether a formal decree backs the freeze, and how many cases it covers.
•Power Index. Chile ranks 3rd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 62.9 points (November 2026 edition).
A scandal over child sex offenders has turned into a freeze on a benefit that applies to inmates across the country.
What the Government Announced
Government spokesman Gonzalo Arenas said on Monday that processing of sentence-reduction decrees stops for all crimes, while a bill to eliminate the benefit moves through Congress. Justice Minister Fernando Rabat decided to stop any decree in light of the new circumstances, and Arenas said the minister took that decision on Thursday 5 November.
The ministry had first paused only decrees for sexual crimes against minors. The new step extends the pause to every offence, after a decree cut the sentence of a man convicted of killing an elderly person.
Why the Benefit Is Under Fire
A sentence reduction lets the Justice Ministry shorten the prison term of inmates with good conduct, with input from Gendarmería, Chile’s prison service. The government spokesman says the law has worked for more than 20 years.
The row grew in October when it emerged that 56 decrees had cut sentences for people convicted of sexual abuse of minors. Rabat blames a legal gap, arguing that a 2022 reform excluding some such offenders cannot be applied to crimes committed before it took effect; we explained that argument in Why Chile Cut Child Sex Crime Sentences.
In plain English. A sentence reduction is a decree that takes time off a prison term for good conduct. Gendarmería is the state agency that runs Chile’s prisons.
The Political Pressure on Rabat
Opposition lawmakers have announced a constitutional accusation, a formal impeachment-style process, against Rabat, while President Kast has kept him in office. Jaime Gajardo, justice minister in the previous government, rejects the blame and says the minister decides each request.
The freeze stays in place until the bill’s fate is settled. Whether Congress will pass it, and how fast, has not been confirmed.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the dispute tests the security agenda of Kast, a conservative who campaigned on tougher law and order. A freeze on all reductions will keep some inmates in prison longer than they expected.
Travellers and expats are not affected directly, since the measure concerns inmates and their families. Daily coverage of the story continues on our Chile news page.
What Is Not Known
It is unclear whether the freeze rests on a formal decree or an internal order, and how many applications it covers. The bill’s text, stage and timetable in Congress have not been confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are sentence reductions in Chile?
They are decrees signed by the Justice Ministry that take time off a prison term for inmates with good conduct. The benefit has been in the law for more than 20 years.
Which crimes does the suspension cover?
All of them, according to reports of the announcement. The ministry had first paused only decrees for sexual crimes against minors.
Is the benefit being abolished?
A bill to eliminate it is moving in Congress, but it has not passed. Until it does, the benefit stays in the law and only its processing is frozen.
Sources: Chile’s Justice Ministry and the government spokesman’s statements, 22 October to 9 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error