Anti-Barricade Law

The Anti-Barricade Law (Spanish: Ley Antibarricadas) is a Chilean law created in the context of the 2019–20 Chilean protests which increases the punishments for setting up barricades, carrying out plunder or throwing objects at people or vehicles.[1] It modifies four articles of the Penal Code of Chile:[2]

  • 449 and 450: Penalties for various theft crimes have now no amelioration for first-time offenders. Custodial sentences for crimes committed during a calamity or a state of alteration of public order are increased by one degree.[3]
  • 268: Successfully blocking free passage by intimidation, threat of violence or with objects is now punished with no less than imprisonment at its least degree.[3]
  • 269: Disturbance of public tranquility motivated by aims judged reprehensible leads now to ordinary imprisonment in its least degree.[3]

On March 3, 2020, a group of Primera Línea was rounded up and detained by Carabineros enforcing the newly drafted law.[4] Subsequently, only one of the 44 detained was kept in preventive prison; the remaining were set free but required to report and sign-in twice a month.[4] During the truck driver's strike of August 2020 in which a series of major roads and highways in Chile were blocked the Anti-Barricade Law was not applied.[5] The President of the Federation of Chilean Industry (SOFOFA) Bernardo Larraín Matte criticized the government for this.[5]

References

  1. ^ Maritano, Ana Paula (January 17, 2020). "Chile – Congreso despacha ley antibarricada y antibloqueo". Diario Jurídico (in Spanish). Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "Ley 21208". BCN. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  3. ^ a b c Código Penal. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional. 1874. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  4. ^ a b "13 de los 44 detenidos de la "primera línea" tienen antecedentes que incluyen homicidio, robos y desórdenes en la vía pública". El Líbero (in Spanish). March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "La crítica mirada de la Sofofa por el paro camionero: "Se atrasó más de la cuenta el acuerdo"". Radio Universo (in Spanish). Retrieved July 7, 2021.