Chilean President José Antonio Kast greets police officers after announcing a new security agenda and stricter immigration enforcement, at the Plaza de Armas in Santiago, Chile, August 6, 2026.
(Washington DC) – The Chilean Congress should reject a proposal to amend the Constitution introduced by President José Antonio Kast that would threaten a broad range of human rights, Human Rights Watch said today.
The Chilean government submitted a proposal for eight proposed constitutional amendments to the Senate on August 18, 2026, with the stated objective of enhancing the fight against organized crime. Among other things, the proposal would allow the president unfettered authority to declare states of emergency in response to anything deemed to be an imminent threat to “public security.” This would be in addition to the four types of states of emergency already provided for under the Chilean Constitution.
“The proposed constitutional amendments threaten the rights of Chileans and endanger their institutions,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “This is a dangerous power grab that puts the rights of all Chileans at risk.”
The new “public security” state of emergency could last up to 240 days without congressional approval and would grant the president the authority to “suspend or restrict personal freedom and mobility and the right to assembly” and “restrict the exercise of the right of association, [and to order the] interception, opening, or search [of] documents and all forms of communication, and order the seizure of property.” The proposal states that a general officer, from either the armed forces or the national police, appointed by the president will be in charge of the zone declared to be experiencing an emergency.
The bill would also grant the president new authority to declare groups to be terrorist or criminal organiza
