Chile's Congress approved on Tuesday a 30-day extension of the constitutional state of exception for the La Araucanía region and the provinces of Arauco and Biobío.
The Chamber of Deputies backed the measure with 118 votes in favor, 17 against and 11 abstentions. The Senate later ratified it by 39 votes in favor and 2 against.
Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado defended the extension before lawmakers and noted that rural violence incidents have fallen 79% since 2021. “This marks the difference that is generated when a territory is captured by violence versus a territory that step by step returns to being under the control of the State,” he explained.
Several senators from different parties expressed support for the extension, although some called for progress on complementary measures such as victim reparations and the Buen Vivir plan. The votes against came from Frente Amplio lawmakers.
