The Role of the Armed Forces

La Tercera, October 21, 2019

Dear Director:

In the current circumstances facing the country, it is important to remember the purpose of the armed forces, whose main function is the defense of the territory, the waters of Chile, and the protection of national interests wherever they may be located. Achieving this allows us to be sovereign, politically independent, enjoy democracy, and move towards an inclusive sustainable development that includes all Chileans.

The Constitution, in its Article 101, states that the armed forces exist for the defense of the homeland and are essential for national security. Recent events indicate that national security can be at risk not only due to potential aggression from other countries but also from internal and external factors, or worse, the combination of both.

The armed forces are required when exceptional circumstances, ranging from war to natural disasters, demand their services, whether to defend against external aggression, restore order when disorder exceeds the capabilities of law enforcement and security forces, or to assist Chileans affected by the harshness of nature.

The armed forces report to the executive branch, which is a civil and political power. They act under the instructions of the President of the Republic and do not operate independently. When they intervene in exceptional circumstances, it is because they are ordered to do so, and therefore, we should allow the defense chiefs to perform their duties, which in this instance is to restore order and public security, but we should not expect them to behave as politicians or hold them accountable for political decisions they did not make.

When the armed forces intervene, it is because clearly the other political solutions have proven ineffective.

Richard Kouyoumdjian Inglis
Vice President, AthenaLab