Chilean Chamber Debates Constitutional Bill to Ban Pardons for Human Rights Convicts — Rejected in Committee

The Chamber of Deputies took up a constitutional reform bill (introduced by Frente Amplio deputies) that would prohibit the President of Chile from issuing pardons to individuals convicted of human rights violations under the Pinochet dictatorship. The bill was defeated 5–4 in the Constitutional Affairs Committee, with right-wing coalition deputies (including UDI's Constanza Hube) arguing it was 'ideologically driven' and that all prisoners deserve equal treatment under the law. The debate came amid growing concern that President Kast — who took office March 11 and has expressed sympathy for aging Pinochet-era convicts — may use executive pardon power to free human rights violators from Punta Peuco prison. The failure in committee mirrored the broader political dynamic in the Chamber, where Kast's right-wing coalition holds a working majority. Human rights organizations and victims' families warned that without constitutional protections, the path is open for politically motivated pardons of convicted torturers and murderers.