Police in Santiago: What’s the Stance?

The police don’t have the best reputation in Chile, especially because before the pandemic, we went through a couple of years of major political unrest—what was known as the Estallido Social (social uprising). There was a wave of protests all over Chile—against basically all institutions, all at once—for over a year, very intense and ongoing. And the police, Carabineros de Chile were disgraceful at the time. The institution was associated with numerous human rights violations—kidnappings, torture, rape, abuse, violence. They killed protesters, they shot out people’s eyes during demonstrations.

So the relationship with the police is politically and symbolically very tense.

However, in some parts of the city center, police presence is common—you’ll see a lot of officers around, and they’re always willing to help if, say, you need directions. They’re known for being friendly—I know that sounds ridiculous after everything I just told you—but in terms of everyday civic duties, they’ll help you find a street or the nearest whatever. So in that sense, if I were a tourist, it’s fine to approach a police officer to ask for directions—they’ll respond kindly.

Read more in the Santiago guidebook.