Controversy in Chile after the decision of a tourist area to impose a “curfew” on minors

Children and adolescents may not be on the street without the company of an adult between 12:00 midnight and 5:00 in the morning.

The Municipal Council of the Chilean commune of Zapallar, in the province of Petorca, approved by majority a controversial ordinance that prohibits minors from going outside without the company of an adult between midnight and early morning.

With five votes in favor, one against and one abstention, the resolution that “seeks to regulate and protect the integrity of minors who pass through the commune at night in criminal situations or incivilities” was approved, the Municipal Council portal collects.

The time slot in which minors will not be able to stay outside their home, without a “responsible adult”, goes from 12:00 midnight to 5:00 in the morning.

The only exception will be granted to young people between the ages of 16 and 18, who must have the number of a contact who knows where they are and in what conditions.

What are the penalties?

Municipal staff will ensure that minors do not go out at night without company. If the ordinance is not complied with, the infraction will be sent to a family court and an economic fine will be imposed on the parents of between one and three Monthly Tax Units (UTM) or between three and five, in case of being a repeat offender.

In Chile, each UTM increases monthly according to the Consumer Price Index (IPC). In November, it corresponds to 60,863 pesos, approximately 64.7 dollars.

This sanction may be replaced by community work.

The controversy

This ordinance has not been entirely well received and has been pointed out as a “curfew” against minors. However, the mayor of Zapallar, Gustavo Alessandri, considers that it is a preventive action that prevents minors from being “easy prey for criminals“.

“Politicians always accuse us of being late, when the problems are already unleashed. Now that we want to prevent, there are voices that criticize and I invite them to be proactive and seek the safety of our young people,” the press release states. City Council.

In a interview At 24 Hours, Alessandri maintained that it is not a “curfew”, but a “touch of prevention and responsibility“. In addition, he stated that minors are used “in criminal acts” and that some consume alcohol and “stay [afuera] Until the wee hours of the morning”.

In a tweet posted last week, the local authority wrote that “we must act with determination and dare” at “a time when crime is rampant and citizens plead for peace.”

In Zapallar, where the arrival of tourists for the summer season in South America is expected, there are luxurious spas and accommodations.

Reactions in the networks

The issue has generated conflicting opinions on the networks, where some Internet users consider that supervising the hours in which minors are away from home is the responsibility of their parents and not of the authorities, while others think that it is a timely measure.

In a trill, someone wonders if this ordinance does not leave the upbringing of children and adolescents in the hands of the State.

In another interaction, a user questions the scope of the measure according to the social level to which the minors who commit the offense belong.

Another tweeter, humorously, shared a scene from the American series ‘The Simpsons’, where the character of the Police Chief announces a curfew for children.

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