The Senate Finance Committee was forced to suspend its April 15 session dedicated to advancing the Carabineros reform following the unexplained absence of Security Minister Trinidad Steinert and Undersecretary Andrés Jouannet. According to La Tercera, the session was canceled after lawmakers deemed it inappropriate to proceed without the officials responsible for the bill.
In their place, Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency José García attended the session, describing the incident as a "lack of coordination" and offering an apology to the committee. However, as noted by La Tercera, Steinert and Jouannet were simultaneously attending an official event at the PDI Central Criminalistics Laboratory alongside the President of the Republic.
Criticism from Government and Opposition Alike
The episode drew sharp backlash from both the opposition and the ruling coalition. Senator Javier Macaya (UDI), who chairs the committee, called the situation "regrettable" given the urgency of the project. Independent Senator Rodolfo Carter went further, stating, "This is an inexcusable mistake. Our entire narrative is falling apart. It wouldn't have taken much to handle this differently," as reported by La Tercera.
Socialist Senator Daniella Cicardini, speaking to BioBioChile, described the event as a "brutal lack of order regarding this government's priorities." Cicardini warned that the failure to hold the debate constitutes a "lack of respect for the Carabineros themselves," who are waiting for improvements to their working conditions, retention bonuses, and retirement measures included in the initiative.
The government-aligned lawmaker also decried a "legislative drought" concerning security, one of the current administration's core campaign promises. According to Cicardini, there is significant uncertainty regarding the funding for the modernization, as the Executive branch has yet to detail the resources committed to implementing these institutional improvements, BioBioChile reported.
Internal sources within the Ministry of the General Secretariat of the Presidency (Segpres), cited by La Tercera, admitted to frustration over the lack of coordination, noting that communication issues with the Ministry of Security have become a recurring problem. The legislative debate, currently stalled by a lack of budgetary information and the absence of the portfolio's leadership, is set to resume next week amid growing questions about the coherence of the government's agenda.
