Chilean court acquits officer who blinded protester, raising human rights concerns

SANTIAGO, Chile — A court in Santiago has unanimously acquitted a police lieutenant colonel of charges that he shot and blinded a student during the country’s 2019 mass protests.

Judges cleared Lt. Col. Claudio Crespo in the shooting of Gustavo Gatica, ruling that the officer acted in legitimate self-defense.

The incident occurred on the evening of Nov. 8, 2019, when Gatica, then 21, was struck in the face by two rubber-coated bullets. Doctors were unable to restore his vision despite multiple surgeries.

Gatica announced he would appeal the verdict, stating he is prepared to take the case to international courts if necessary.

While Crespo expressed satisfaction with the ruling, human rights organizations including Amnesty International voiced grave concerns. The group warned the acquittal sets a dangerous precedent for the use of excessive police force and may lead to further human rights violations in the future.

The verdict comes as Chile prepares for a potential far-right presidency under José Antonio Kast, who has maintained a hardline stance against the 2019 demonstrations.

The acquittal of Lieutenant Claudio Crespo is not merely a localized judicial outcome; it serves as a stark barometer of Chile’s profound political and legal pivot toward a more securitized state. This development reflects three systemic shifts currently reshaping the nation’s democratic landscape.

First, the ruling represents the culmination of a systemic erosion of human rights accountability. Of the more than 11,500 complaints filed regarding security force conduct during the 2019 social unrest, a mere 219 have resulted in prosecutions. The exoneration of Crespo—despite the high-profile nature of the evidence involved—signals a return to a culture of impunity for security services. This environment has been codified by 2023 legislation, applied retroactively in this instance, which establishes a legal framework favoring officers in cases involving the use of force.

Second, the proceedings highlight the deep politicization of the judiciary amid Chile’s rightward lurch. President-elect José Antonio Kast has successfully reframed the 2019 "social explosion" as an era of unmitigated criminal violence, largely ignoring the underlying grievances regarding inequality that 72% of Chileans still consider unresolved. In this ideological vacuum, Crespo has been elevated to a symbol of public order—a "martyr" for the far-right—turning the court’s verdict into a significant political trophy for the incoming administration.

Finally, there is a palpable shift in the public mood. While the 2020 consensus largely viewed the social uprising as a positive catalyst for reform, public opinion has since inverted. This exhaustion with social unrest, combined with a legal apparatus that is increasingly deferential to the security forces, creates a precarious environment for civil liberties. As the state strengthens its protective shield for police action, the fundamental right to protest faces its most significant threat since the transition to democracy.