President José Antonio Kast announced a package of measures during Carabineros' 99th anniversary to address the annual loss of nearly 1,000 officers since 2019. The institution faces 12,222 vacancies, mostly in operational roles. Subsecretary Andrés Jouannet stressed the need to reverse the training school deficit.
President José Antonio Kast presided over Carabineros' 99th anniversary ceremony at the Escuela de Oficiales in Providencia, receiving honors from hundreds of officers. General director Marcelo Araya leads the institution ahead of its centennial.
Since 2019, Carabineros has lost over 3,400 personnel, dropping from 59,894 to a projected 56,509 this year. Operational staff in order and security roles fell from 43,941 in 2020 to an estimated 38,135 for 2026, averaging 1,000 losses per year. Sources project only 34,000 suboficiales by 2030 if the trend continues.
Kast outlined three measures: support for families of fallen or injured officers, including educational financing, psychosocial aid, and job insertion; improved stipends and facilities for trainees, plus curriculum review; and an extraordinary quarterly remuneration contribution, implemented responsibly. "We need more carabineros. We have to care for and respect them," the president stated.
Subsecretary Jouannet added: "In the training schools we have a real Carabineros deficit; we are losing about 1,000 carabineros annually." Previous administrations, like Gabriel Boric's, added 800 training spots, reinstated 1,100 retirees, and hired 442 civilians, but the impact was limited. Currently, there are 2,532 students against a 3,255 capacity.
