Displaying items by tag: quick trigger law

Protesters and relatives of police officers who were killed in the line of duty took part in a march called by their relatives amid an increase in violent crime, in front of the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago. Chile is one of Latin America’s safest countries, but its residents are becoming more worried after an upturn in violent crime and a spate of police killings. This month, the government passed a series of laws and allotted an additional $1.5bn to its police force. One of those laws, called the ‘quick trigger’ law, allows police to use force when they feel their lives are under threat. Many Chileans are still haunted by riot police actions during the 2019 protests, and human rights advocates say the new law could lead to impunity for police abuses.