Assessment of the Armed Forces, Order, and Security

El Líbero, November 15, 2023

This is the country where the three branches of government have lower evaluations than the institutions responsible for executing the policies and orders that emanate from them.

On Sunday, November 12, 2023 Cadem published, among other things, in its weekly Plaza Pública survey No. 513, the evaluation of national institutions and the image of authorities, immediately highlighting the very positive results achieved by the institutions of the National Defense and the police, as well as the general officers in charge of them.

This is not something new and has been occurring for some time. Cadem provides this information with some frequency, allowing us to observe variations over time and cross-reference the results with complex periods in our recent history, such as during the pandemic when Carabineros bore the brunt of enforcing restrictions, or when former Army chiefs were accused of misusing reserved funds. However, despite everything, the aforementioned institutions have stood out significantly since 2017, being surpassed only by the Fire Department, an institution that shares some similarities with them.

This is the country where the three branches of government have lower evaluations than the institutions responsible for executing the policies and orders that emanate from them. The Fire Department is the top performer with 99%, followed by the PDI with 80%, which is remarkable for those of us who are older and can remember a police force that was not very prestigious, making this case worthy of study. Next is the Navy with 76%, Carabineros with 75%, the FACH with 70%, the Civil Registry with 69%, and the Army with 66%.

The lower end of the table this time belongs to the ANFP with a deserved 10%, but if we exclude this case, which is due to very specific circumstances, the last places belong to Congress, the Courts of Justice, the CUT, the Constitutional Court, the Catholic Church, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the Public Defense. The presidency of the Republic has its own section and it is well known that it is not in good health, currently holding a rating of 33% with a disapproval of 59%. This is a perfect example of a world turned upside down.

Unfortunately, the survey does not provide reasons for the evaluations it presents, but it clearly allows us to understand who is who in Chile and how they fit in. Additionally, this time, alongside the evaluations of institutions, it includes a measurement of the image of authorities, featuring the names of those leading the armed institutes. Excluding the cases of Mayne-Nicholls and Neven Ilic, who appear due to the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, guess what: the list is topped by the director general of the PDI, followed by the heads of the FACH, Army, and Navy, the president of the Central Bank, and the director general of Carabineros.

Some suggest that these results are related to the lack of security in the country and the desire for a safer environment, but if one looks at the time series in slide 28, this trend has been present since before the so-called “social outbreak.” Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they are dedicated to Chile, willing to give their lives for Chileans if necessary, and that they do not take advantage of their compatriots. That said, it would also be necessary to investigate the reasons for the poor evaluations of some institutions and their leaderships, as well as why those who do the work arerestricted in their operational and investment budgets, in an interesting case where the good are punished and the bad are rewarded.

Richard Kouyoumdjian
Vice President AthenaLab

Source: El Líbero