After six 15-day renewals, the measure could be extended for 60 days, although the President could interrupt it, or a parliamentary vote of four sevenths. As the idea is, it is not convincing, there are doubts about its scope, the role of the military forces and parliamentarians accuse that they were waiting for a second meeting with Minister Tohá to discuss the reform project.
With 96 and 34 votes, respectively, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate approved for the thirteenth time the extension of the State of Emergency Constitutional Exception in the so-called Southern Macrozone.
With this new support, the initiative, which was installed by President Gabriel Boric on May 17, will last until December, completing six and a half months of military presence in four provinces of Bío Bío and La Araucanía.
Despite the customary support from congressmen, concern was raised about the drop in arson attacks and that violent crimes have stagnated, fueling the impression among parliamentarians that the measure has been normalized and, therefore, lost effect.
The senator for La Araucanía José García Ruminot (RN) said that not everything is bad: he highlighted the increase in arrests and a more promising progress in the investigations that, in any case, the Public Ministry still needs to achieve effective sentences.
The alternative State of Exception for Congress to discuss
The conversation in the halls of Congress is about the scope of the confirmed entry of the new constitutional reform that establishes an alternative State of Emergency .
As detailed by the Segpres Minister Ana Lya Uriarte, after the sixth renewal of 15 days, an extension may be made for up to 60 days that has various interruption mechanisms.
The President of the Republic could interrupt it, but also a vote of four sevenths in the National Congress.
At this moment, the proposal raises more questions than certainties.
Firstly, because there are many who wonder if it will ultimately restrict or not fewer constitutional guarantees, what will happen to the powers of the military and if the logic of “protecting the safety of people”
The president of the Senate Constitution Commission, Matías Walker (IND), has already stated that the power to extend for 60 days should be brought forward to the third renewal and that it should have a retroactive effect: that is, consider the current 13 extensions.
“Surprise” in legislators from Macrozona Sur
Deputies grouped in the bench of the South Macrozone acknowledged surprise at the entry of the proposal by the Senate.
Along with that they recalled that the Minister of the Interior, Carolina Tohá (now vice president), had been promising weeks ago a second meeting to discuss the reform, which did not materialize.
Of course, yesterday Wednesday they spoke with the deputy minister, Manuel Monsalve, and raised the concern that this new formula does not weaken the actions of the military.
The deputy for Bío Bío Flor Weisse (UDI) is of the impression that we are facing a reform that only modifies deadlines and lacks clarity in its effects.
Sources consulted by Radio Bío Bío state that the project It must be modified as it is for greater clarity.
In any case, they hope that the Senate will end up supporting the proposal, despite the fact that there are still those who propose to continue exploring the critical infrastructure reform, which is still in that chamber.
The Chamber of Deputies is another story. Before the Government can reach the second procedure, it must appease the impression that the Executive is only avoiding having to go to Congress every 15 days.