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Chile

Monthly Event Reports

April 2023 | Congress approves law that establishes a special self-defence regime for police

Congress has approved the “Nain-Retamal” Act, a piece of legislation that introduces the concept of “privileged legitimate defence”. Such a concept entails a presumption that police or members of the armed forces have rightly used or discharged their service weapons when acting in self-defence or in defence of a third person. It also increases sanctions for the commission of crimes against security forces. The new law was introduced in the context of increasing violent crime in Chile, including homicide, as well as the homicide of members of security forces in the past months. Human rights organizations and activists have criticised the new provisions as contrary to standards of proportionality in the use of force.

September 2022 | Chileans reject new constitution

On 4 September a majority of Chileans rejected a new constitutional text that would have replaced the existing one that dates to the Pinochet dictatorship. With mandatory vote and 85.8 per cent participation, 61.9 per cent of voters rejected the new constitution, with just 38.1 per cent favouring its adoption. Electors were seemingly unconvinced by profound modifications that would have impacted indigenous rights, the environment, pensions and education, among other issues. While the result had been foreseeable, the margin of defeat was unexpected, and taken as a poll on the performance of President Boric’s administration - so much so, that a reshuffling of his cabinet has already taken place, six months into his presidency.  The new constitutional drafting process was triggered by social discontent and mass protests in 2019 against inequality associated with the legacy of the Pinochet regime and neoliberalism, thought to be enabled by the current constitution’s terms. After the referendum results, President Boric directed Congress to establish a new timetable for the drafting of a proposal that satisfies the majority of the population.

Explore past monthly event reports

GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
19 212 360
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
President Gabriel Boric (since 2022)
Head of government party
Social Convergence
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
35.5%
Women in upper chamber
24.0%
Last legislative election
2021
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
4.03
Head of state
President Gabriel Boric
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
22/01/2019
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
79.25%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
State Party
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
State Party
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
American Convention on Human Rights
State Party
Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Signatory
in
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Attributes Over Time

Representative government neutral Representation
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Representative government neutral Rights
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Representative government neutral Participation
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Representative government neutral Rule of law
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GSoD Indices

Factors of Democracy
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