The Government's Problem with Carabineros

El Líbero, January 5, 2023

The President and his ministers must, above all, protect the institutions, something they are not doing today.

The social contract that sustains the State and protects its democracy is at risk, and not precisely due to the security crisis that has Chileans living in fear. Today, the problem is political, and as long as that is not resolved, the social contract will continue to suffer.

The agreement proposed by Rousseau exists to regulate the lives of men living in society. It allows for the institutional development that will provide security, development, and well-being to citizens, and for this reason, it is of utmost importance.

One of those institutions is dedicated to public order, that preventive police force that protects us daily. The same force that lost the trust of many during the social upheaval and today appears with high approval ratings.

In that context, the formalization of General Director Ricardo Yáñez is the best example of the political problem behind the security crisis. The military police has been viewed with distrust by the ruling coalition, which in 2019 accused it of abuses and in 2022 sought to reform it. The above was not possible, partly due to citizen pressure, but their discomfort with the institution has not gone unnoticed. In April 2023, during the discussion of the Naín-Retamal Law, some sectors of the government did not approve the privileged self-defense and opposed that law, which should have been enacted following the homicide of three Carabineros and strong citizen pressure.

Today, the formalization of the police leader is another element that adds to the previous landscape. Just as Pontius Pilate washed his hands, Minister Vallejo states that she is “waiting for the resolutions that Justice deems appropriate” and that the government expects the hearing to “make a decision as a government.”

The government does not have to wait for the resolution of Justice. Carabineros is part of the Ministry of the Interior, which oversees public security under the guidance of the President, so sitting back and waiting is not an option. The President and his ministers must, above all, protect the institutions, something they are not doing today.

One cannot always be waiting for the resolutions of others to act. Now more than ever, Chile needs leaders who understand the value of the social contract, protect its institutions, and safeguard democracy, as this is how a State with the capacity to control the security crisis is consolidated.

Formalizing the General Director is to disregard the institution. Putting personal issues first and being swayed by political differences is nothing more than undermining the necessary institutions to address the main urgency of the citizens they claim to govern.  

Institutions are more than just people gathered together. Institutions, those abstract entities, allow for healthy coexistence and the necessary balance for growth and development. Without them, it is impossible to advance or enjoy our freedoms, and with leaders who hold them in low regard, development becomes an uphill battle.

Pilar Lizana
Researcher at AthenaLab

Source: El Líbero