Mapuche Adolescents and the reforms to Law No. 18.314 on Terrorist Behavior

Abstract

The article analyzes one of the modifications to Law No. 18.314 on Terrorist Behavior in Chile that was presented as a result of the hunger strike carried out by Mapuche prisoners to pressure for a fair trial in their court cases. The modification excluded teenagers from the Antiterrorist Law, leaving them subject to the general criminal law applicable to them. The article covers the reasons behind the first reform to this Law as well as those that forced a second modification. Finally, the article contains a critical analysis of the role played by some judges and prosecutors in the application of this reform to Mapuche adolescents accused of terrorist crimes.