Just one day after its validity ended, the Chamber of Deputies approved the second extension to the State of Constitutional Exception that has been maintained in three regions of the northern part of the country since February of this year. This, as a result of the boom in irregular migration at the borders and that has caused the increase in the presence of police officers in the sector.
The measure contemplates the provinces of Arica and Parinacota, in the region of Arica and Parinacota, excluding the urban radius of the city of Arica; the province of Tamarugal in the Tarapacá region and the province of El Loa, in the Antofagasta region, excluding the urban area of Calama. The State of Exception expired tomorrow, so President Gabriel Boric entered a letter requesting its extension for 15 more days.
From 10:00 a.m., the Lower House reviewed this request, which was attended by the Minister of the Interior, Izkia Siches, the Undersecretary of the same portfolio, Manuel Monsalve, the Minister of the Segpres, Giorgio Jackson and the spokeswoman of Government, Camila Vallejo.
After two hours of intense debate and interventions by parliamentarians, the extension was approved by 142 votes in favor, three against and one abstention, so it will continue its process in the Senate. The communist deputies, María Candelaria Acevedo and Lorena Pizarro together with Pamela Jiles (PH), were the ones who rejected the request. Meanwhile, the independent deputy, Carlos Bianchi, was the only one who abstained in the vote.
In the event that the Senate approves the new extension, the State of Emergency in the northern zone will be in force until April 1 and will become the first extension approved by Congress, since for the first extension it did not require the participation of parliamentarians .
