Anti-Barricade Law Explained

The Anti-Barricade Law (Spanish; Castilian: Ley Antibarricadas) is a Chilean law created in the context of the 2019–20 Chilean protests which increases the punishments for setting up barricades, carrying out plunder or throwing objects at people or vehicles.^[1] It modifies four articles of the Penal Code of Chile:^[2]

• 449 and 450: Penalties for various theft crimes have now no amelioration for first-time offenders. Custodial sentences for crimes committed during a calamity or a state of alteration of public order are increased by one degree.^[3]
• 268: Successfully blocking free passage by intimidation, threat of violence or with objects is now punished with no less than imprisonment at its least degree.^[3]
• 269: Disturbance of public tranquility motivated by aims judged reprehensible leads now to ordinary imprisonment in its least degree.^[3]

On March 3, 2020, a group of Primera Línea was rounded up and detained by Carabineros enforcing the newly drafted law. Subsequently, only one of the 44 detained was kept in preventive prison; the remaining were set free but required to report and sign-in twice a month.^[4] During the truck driver's strike of August 2020 in which a series of major roads and highways in Chile were blocked the Anti-Barricade Law was not applied.^[5] The President of the Federation of Chilean Industry (SOFOFA) Bernardo Larraín Matte criticized the government for this.^[5]

Notes and References

1. News: Chile – Congreso despacha ley antibarricada y antibloqueo. Maritano. Ana Paula. January 17, 2020. March 7, 2020. Diario Jurídico. es.
2. Web site: Ley 21208. 2021-07-06. BCN. live. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185341/https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/consulta/vinculaciones/modificacion?idNorma=1141780&fechaVigencia=2020-01-30&npagina=1&itemsporpagina=10&sentidoVinculacion=refundida_por&clase_vinculacion=texto_refundido&totalitems=0 . 2021-07-09 .
3. Book: Código Penal. 2021-07-06. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional. 1874.
4. News: 13 de los 44 detenidos de la "primera línea" tienen antecedentes que incluyen homicidio, robos y desórdenes en la vía pública. March 7, 2020. March 8, 2020. El Líbero. es.
5. News: La crítica mirada de la Sofofa por el paro camionero: "Se atrasó más de la cuenta el acuerdo". July 7, 2021. Radio Universo. Spanish.