SANTIAGO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th December, 2019) The Chilean government will seek to introduce laws tightening punishment for attacks on law enforcement officers, the country's president, Sebastian Pinera, told reporters on Monday, adding that the respective bill has been submitted to the parliament.
The decision was made amid the ongoing anti-government demonstrations in the country that turned into violent clashes with security officers.
"We will send [to the parliament] the bill that toughens responsibility for crimes against carabineros, police officers and gendarmes," the president said.
According to the president, those who hide their faces with scarves and hoods will receive more severe punishment, while courts' powers to establish any exemptions for convicted people will be limited.
On Saturday, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published a report on protests in Chile, saying that police and army committed multiple human rights violations. According to the report, about 350 people, including both protesters and police officers, were injured during the unrest due to the improper use of "less-lethal weapons" such as tear gas and anti-riot shotguns against peaceful demonstrators. As a result, the prominent rights group urged the Chilean government to take "measures to rectify police practices" and "to guarantee accountability for human rights violations, and duly recognize such violations."
In early October, large-scale demonstrations erupted in Chile after the authorities increased subway fares. What started as peaceful public demonstrations soon grew into violent rallies, and clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers. In November, the government and the opposition agreed to hold a referendum in April 2020 to possibly replace the current constitution, which is considered to be too rigid and light on social welfare programs.
