• Urgent Action

Urgent Action: CHILEAN PROSECUTOR MUST ACT AGAINST IMPUNITY (CHILE: 91.23)

October 24, 2023

Starting on October 18, 2019, the period of social unrest in Chile left hundreds of victims of police violence. Four years on, no police commanders have been held accountable for the widespread human rights violations committed by Carabineros, despite long-running criminal investigations into their role and alleged responsibility. Impunity cannot continue and justice cannot wait any longer. We call on the Prosecutor of the Centre-North Metropolitan Region to, should sufficient evidence exist, formally charge the commanders of Carabineros who could be responsible for these crimes and violations.

TAKE ACTION:

  • Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
  • Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 91.23. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Xavier Armendáriz

Prosecutor of the Centre-North Metropolitan Region

Av. Pedro Montt 1606

Santiago Centro, Chile

Tel: +56 600 333 0000

Twitter: @FRCentroNorte

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear Mr. Xavier Armendáriz,

I am writing to you due to the impunity that surrounds the widespread human rights violations committed during the period of social unrest, the ‘estallido social’, that began on October 18, 2019. It is deeply concerning that, four years on from these events, impunity remains the rule, especially with respect to the high command of Carabineros of Chile.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the Chilean Attorney General’s Office to clarify “the responsibility of operational and strategic commanders, who in their role as guarantors, tacitly ordered or permitted human rights violations to be committed repeatedly. It also [called] on the Judiciary Branch to initiate proceedings regarding all those who may bear responsibility and, where appropriate, to prosecute them to ensure access to justice for victims and their families”.

Four years on, impunity cannot be justified, and justice cannot be delayed. We call on you to formally present charges and start criminal proceedings against Carabineros’ commanders, if there is sufficient admissible evidence to do so, within the framework of a fair trial and all due process guarantees.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: