Libertarian Senator Files General Pardon Bill for Security Forces Convicted Over 2019 Uprising, Splitting Chile's Right

Libertarian Party (Partido Nacional Libertario) Senator Vanessa Kaiser formally filed a bill in the Senate granting a general pardon ('indulto general') to active and retired members of the Armed Forces, Carabineros, the Investigative Police (PDI), and Gendarmería, plus civilians, for actions taken 'in fulfillment of constitutional and legal duties' during and after the October 18, 2019 social uprising ('estallido social'). The bill covers final convictions, pending cases, and administrative sanctions, while explicitly preserving victims' civil compensation lawsuits against the state. It cites former President Sebastián Piñera's description of Chile facing 'a powerful, implacable enemy' during the unrest and invokes Sergio Micco's book characterizing the 2019 protests as an attempted 'non-traditional coup.' Republican Party Senator Arturo Squella backed the measure, and Chile Vamos-aligned Senator Manuel José Ossandón signed on despite his coalition's public caution about the proposal. President Kast's government, however, has declined to grant the bill legislative urgency, wary of reopening a divisive fight over 2019-era prosecutions barely four months into his term — exposing a widening split between the Republican/Libertarian bloc, which wants blanket amnesty for security forces, and the more moderate Chile Vamos coalition. Kaiser publicly pressed Kast over the inaction, saying that 'hasta el momento no ha hecho nada' ('so far he has done nothing').