The Senate rejected for the third time a measure allowing the Financial Analysis Unit to access bank information without prior judicial authorization. The vote tied 24 to 24 and the bill now moves to a mixed commission.
The measure was part of the bill creating an Economic Intelligence Subsystem. It sought to empower the UAF to request data from banks in cases of suspicious operations without needing a judge. The vote took place on Tuesday after two previous ties the week before. The government confirmed it will present amendments in the mixed commission to speed up judicial response times. Minister José García Ruminot stated that court authorization will remain as a safeguard for privacy, but efforts will focus on reducing the time banks take to deliver information. Opposition senators criticized the decision. Daniel Núñez said the State needs faster tools against organized crime. Fabiola Campillai accused the right of defending criminals with their vote. Senator Fidel Espinoza said Chile has lost once again today. Finance Minister Jorge Quiroz announced that practices from other countries are being evaluated to improve information sharing between the UAF and financial entities.
