Chile Rules Out Compensation for 22 Ocular Trauma Victims

Chile's State Defense Council (CDE) rejected a lawsuit filed by a group of victims who suffered ocular trauma caused by the Military Police (the "Carabineros") during the October 2019 social outburst. 

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The lawsuit was filed by 22 people aged between 18 and 34 years old. They hold that the Carabineros conducted an "abusive and negligent" use of force, which violated human rights norms.

The plaintiffs requested a US$529,041 compensation for those people who lost their entire eyeball and a US$473,353 reparation for those who lost most of their vision. 

Besides the lawsuit, the victims demanded a national-broadcasted public apology from the Police. This petition was also ruled out. 

CDE's decision is another blow to the calls by human rights organizations for justice and reparation. The Ocular Trauma Victims Coordinator recently denounced the negligence, mistreatment, and lack of personnel they face in the medical services under the Comprehensive Eye Repair Program (PIRO).

The National Institute of Human Rights (INDH) reported 4,075 human rights violations and 2,825 victims during protests from Oct. 2019 to March 2020.

Furthermore, the INDH recorded 2,349 complaints, 33.84 percent of which belong to repression cases committed in the Metropolitan region.