On Monday, the Chilean Chamber of Deputies approved the formation of a Special Investigative Commission (SIC) to probe the violence stemming from the 2019 period of social unrest. The initiative, led by the National Libertarian Party (PNL), passed with 65 votes in favor.
The commission will examine events occurring between October 18, 2019, and March 11, 2026. Lawmakers will have a 60-day window to submit their final report containing the findings of the investigation.
Representative Hans Marowski, Deputy Chief of the PNL Caucus, stated that the goal is “to investigate the events and the violence from October 18, 2019, onwards, to provide the public with transparency regarding the institutions, organizations, and political parties that may have been involved in the planning, financing, and street violence.”
Marowski also noted that the commission will look into the institutional response to these events. According to BioBioChile, the lawmaker criticized the Prosecutor's Office for its previous lack of action: “It is necessary to provide the public with transparency regarding something that the country's Prosecutor's Office should have investigated a long time ago.”
Seeking Funding and Accountability
Representative Pier Karlezi argued that “an impenetrable fog has formed over the true facts of the criminal unrest in Chile.” He noted that the investigation aims to uncover the institutional support provided by political sectors during that period.
Karlezi criticized the stance of various actors during the social crisis, alluding to support from “politicians of both the left and the so-called right of that era.” The lawmaker emphasized that the commission will seek to gather information regarding the operations and logistics of the riots.
“We want to know—and this is not an act of vengeance, but an act of justice—who funded and what means were used by these terrorist factions that plunged Chile into deep insurrection and a profound attack on all the democratic institutions of our country,” Karlezi declared.
To conduct the investigation, lawmakers plan to summon intelligence officials, police authorities, and political figures from that period. Karlezi urged those called to testify to cooperate with the commission to prevent a “shroud of doubt” from persisting.
