On december 12, Deputies passed a motion to reject the accusations leveled  against President Sebastián Piñera regarding his presumed responsibility for the situations described as human rights violations against the population since October 18. The motion was passed by 79 in favor and 73 against, ratifying that the accusation did not meet the constitutional requirements.

The accusation included two chapters. In the first, the president was accused of “openly violating the Constitution and the laws by allowing the Armed Forces and the Forces of Law and Order to commit human rights violations in a systematic and generalized manner.” The second stated that Piñera “seriously compromised the honor of the Nation, since human rights violations have caused international concern, positioning Chile as a country where people are violently punished for exercising their right to protest.”

The session began with the presentation of Piñera’s defense which was followed by the presentations given by the five members responsible for analyzing the admissibility of the constitutional accusation: Gastón Saavedra (PS-opposition), Gastón Von Mühlenbrock (UDI-ruling party), Boris Barrera (PC-opposition), Sofía Cid (RN-ruling party) and Daniel Verdessi (DC-opposition).

On December 11, Deputies also rejected the idea of creating a committee to investigate the transfer of money from the president’s family to offshore tax havens.

However, the Senate upheld the constitutional accusation against the former interior minister, Andres Chadwick with 23 votes in favor and 18 against, which effectively as disqualifies him from holding public office for five years.