Chile doubles police detention limits under new organized crime law

Chilean President José Antonio Kast has signed into law a measure that doubles the maximum time suspects can be held without a judicial warrant during flagrant delicto situations, where a crime is committed in the act or immediately thereafter. Under the new rules, the national police (Carabineros) and the Investigations Police (PDI) may detain individuals for 24 hours, up from the previous 12-hour limit. Maritime authorities have seen this period extended to 48 hours. The legislation also expands police procedural powers in the immediate aftermath of a crime. Officers are now authorized to request data from store and private surveillance cameras, witness accounts, and geolocation information to locate suspects or physical evidence without prior instruction from a prosecutor. The process for obtaining this data is structured around two specific scenarios: if information is provided voluntarily, police draft a formal act and provide a copy to the data owner; if access is refused, police must immediately notify the prosecutor to determine subsequent procedural steps. This law marks the first component adopted by Congress under the Agenda against Organized Crime and Terrorism (Agenda contra el Crimen Organizado y el Terrorismo). The bill underwent more than two years of parliamentary consideration before final approval and entry into force. Administratively, the change extends the window for holding suspects before their transfer to the judiciary. The presidential administration states that this extension is intended to ensure judges have a more complete set of evidence at the outset of the proceedings.