Politics: Chile

Chile’s Senate approved new rules on the use of force by police and soldiers on Wednesday 7 October 2026, by 29 votes to 15 with one abstention. The bill, which sets when officers may use force and when they are protected from blame, now goes to the president to become law.

What We Know

The Senate approved the report of a joint committee of both chambers, which settled differences between the two houses over the bill. The vote on Wednesday was 29 in favour, 15 against and one abstention, according to Meganoticias and El Dínamo.

The Chamber of Deputies had approved the same report hours earlier, with 111 votes in favour, according to La Tercera. With the Senate vote, the bill leaves Congress and goes to the president to be promulgated, the formal step that makes it law.

The rules cover Carabineros (the uniformed national police), the Investigations Police (PDI) and the Armed Forces. The joint committee left out Gendarmería, the prison guards, according to the Senate.

The text sets graduated levels of force, from a visible deterrent presence and verbal persuasion through less-lethal tools and physical control to, in the last resort, lethal weapons. Opposition critics said it does not name proportionality as a principle, according to Radio UChile.

Carabineros officers on a street in central Santiago. File photo. Photo: Carlos Figueroa Rojas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When Lethal Force Is Allowed

Potentially lethal force is allowed only when earlier steps prove insufficient. The law lists the grounds, according to El Dínamo: fulfilling a duty, lawful self-defence, obeying a court order, detaining someone who resists, preventing an escape and protecting critical infrastructure.

The joint committee also approved the use of shotguns with riot-control ammunition, according to the Senate’s own news service. The aim is to prevent a serious and imminent danger to life or physical integrity, and the rule also covers infrastructure and military facilities.

Officers who follow the rules are covered by the criminal exemption for fulfilling a duty, which exists in the Penal Code, the Senate reports. Deputy Luis Pardo of the National Renewal party said officers who use force in line with their duty will be presumed innocent, according to Meganoticias.

Why It Matters to the Government

Pardo said the law gives security personnel legal certainty. Deputy Mauro González tied the vote to a separate bill, called Naín-Retamal 2.0, which would widen legitimate-defence protections for off-duty officers, according to Meganoticias.

The bill dates from 2023, before Kast took office, and now belongs to the government’s agenda against organised crime and terrorism, according to CIPER. This vote follows another security change we reported, when Kast doubled the police arrest window to 24 hours.

What the Opposition Says

The Socialist Party entered a constitutional reservation, a formal objection to parts of the text, and the Communist Party announced one as well, according to CIPER. La Tercera also reported the Socialist reservation.

Communist Senator Claudia Pascual said the final text prioritises discretion and immunity for the security forces, according to La Tercera. Opposition lawmakers criticised the bill for widening the cases in which lethal force is allowed, according to CIPER.

What Is Not Known

The date on which President José Antonio Kast will promulgate the law has not been announced. It is also unclear whether the constitutional reservations will lead to a formal challenge before the Constitutional Court.

The rules have no track record, and it is too early to say how courts will read them. The coverage we reviewed does not explain how police and soldiers will be trained on the new rules.

What It Means for Travelers and US Readers

For visitors, the law governs how police and soldiers respond to violence or disorder, not routine checks on tourists. Travellers should still follow local advice and the US State Department’s travel advisory for Chile.

Chile is the world’s largest copper producer, so a settled security framework is part of the investment picture. How the infrastructure clause is applied is the point to watch, and we also reported on US Ambassador Brandon Judd’s remarks on Chilean protesters and US travel.

More: Chile news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Chile’s Senate approve?

The Senate approved rules that set when Carabineros, the Investigations Police and the Armed Forces may use force. The vote on 7 October 2026 was 29 in favour, 15 against and one abstention.

When may officers use lethal force under the law?

Potentially lethal force is allowed only when earlier steps prove insufficient. The grounds include fulfilling a duty, lawful self-defence, a court order, stopping an escape and protecting critical infrastructure.

Who opposes the rules?

The Socialist Party entered a constitutional reservation, and the Communist Party announced one too. Opposition lawmakers say the text widens the cases in which lethal force is allowed.

When does the law take effect?

The bill has cleared Congress and awaits promulgation by the president. The date has not been announced.