The Senate Finance Committee was unable to proceed with discussions on the bill to modernize the Carabineros this Tuesday following the absence of key officials from the Ministry of Security, according to a report by La Tercera.
The absence of Security Minister Trinidad Steinert, along with Undersecretary Andrés Jouannet and Undersecretary Ana Victoria Quintana, prevented the session scheduled for 10:30 a.m. from taking place. The situation drew sharp criticism from lawmakers, including members of the government's own coalition.
Senator Javier Macaya (UDES), chair of the committee, described the situation as “lamentable.” Senator Rodolfo Carter also criticized the lack of commitment from the authorities, stating, “No one can be saved against their will. This is an unpardonable error. It undermines our entire narrative.”
Representing the government, the Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, José García (RN), offered apologies to the legislative body. García explained that Minister Steinert was attending an event with the Investigative Police (PDI) alongside President José Antonio Kast.
A lack of coordination within the Executive branch was confirmed by government sources, which noted that the Ministry of Security had even sent a prior official notice. The document, sent by Steinert's chief of staff, Francisco Chambi, under the subject line “excuse for participation,” informed the committee of their inability to attend.
The debate over pardons and justice
In a separate session, Justice Minister Fernando Rabat appeared before the Committee on Human Rights, Nationality, and Citizenship to outline the key pillars of his administration, as reported by La Tercera.
During the session, led by Senator Fabiola Campillai (Ind.), the discussion focused on the pardons announced by President Kast for uniformed officers convicted in connection with the 2019 social unrest. Regarding this, Rabat specified that there are currently approximately 28 pardon requests awaiting resolution.
The Secretary of State broke down the situation, detailing that 20 of these requests were submitted before the current president took office on March 11, 2026, while the remaining eight were submitted after that date. The minister clarified that not all requests are related to the events of the social unrest.
Senator Campillai questioned the Executive's evaluation criteria, emphasizing the need to avoid re-victimizing those who suffered physical harm or loss of life during the protests. The lawmaker called for a formal commitment to ensure that President Kast listens to both the convicted individuals and the victims and families of those affected.
Representatives from groups of families of victims from both the dictatorship and the social unrest also participated in the committee, requesting that the pardon evaluation process take into account the severity of the harm caused to the victims.
