Chile

Located on the Pacific coast of South America, the Republic of Chile is bordered by Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. It is a presidential republic.

Recent censuses have not captured religious demographic data. However, according to a study conducted by Ipsos in 2023, 76% of the Chilean population believe in the existence of a higher power, with 52% of the population believing in a God as described in holy scriptures. Approximately 9% of the population report not believing in a God or higher power at all. The remaining proportion of the population either were unsure or preferred not to answer the question. Data suggests that young people are more likely to respond that they are non-religious.¹

According to the same study, 59% of the population were Christian, while 4% ascribed to other religious denominations. While precise estimates vary, Roman Catholicism is universally reported as the dominant denomination among the Christian population, followed by Evangelical and Protestant groups.²

An estimated 9% of the population are indigenous. According to statistics provided to the US Department of State, approximately 38% of the indigenous population identifies as evangelical Protestant, 30% as Catholic, 26% as non-religious, and 6% as other. Members of the indigenous community reportedly often incorporate traditional indigenous faith practices into their worship.³

Constitution and government

Article 19(6) of the Constitution⁴ grants freedom of belief and practice that are not opposed to “morality, good customs or the public order”.

According to Article 2 of Law No. 19638,

“No person may be discriminated against on the basis of their religious beliefs, nor may these beliefs be invoked as a reason to suppress, restrict or affect the equality enshrined in the Constitution and the law.”⁵

Article 6 of the same law further outlines the right to freedom of religion or belief, conferring this right to all who freely profess a religious belief or none.

The law prohibits discrimination based on religion, provides civil remedies to victims of discrimination based on their religion or belief, and increases criminal penalties for acts of discriminatory violence.

Religious privileges

Religious organizations may register with the State, for which they may receive tax benefits. Secular organizations do not appear to be included within the definition of religious organization or entity as articulated in Law No. 19638. For the purposes of the law, religious entities and institutions are defined as those made up of natural persons of a particular faith (Article 4). The law expressly clarifies that it uses the term “religious entity” to expressly refer to churches, denominations and religious institutions of any religion (Article 5).⁶

Upon registration, registered religious organizations are considered religious non-profit organizations. By registering, organizations are given the right to charitable foundations and schools, among other affiliates, that retain the tax benefits of the parent religious organization.⁷

The National Office of Religious Affairs (Oficina Nacional de Asuntos Religiosos – ONAR) is charged with facilitating communication between faith communities and the government and ensuring the protection of the rights of members of minority religious groups. It does not appear to include specifically non-religious groups among its members.⁸

Failed constitutional reform

Following widespread protests in 2019⁹, political parties agreed to establish a convention to rewrite the constitution to address citizens’ concerns. In September 2022, 62% of voters elected to reject the proposed draft. A second draft proposed to advance the protection of environmental and some other rights, but also included a broad right to conscientious objection that could be abused to deny access to certain human rights. This draft was rejected by 55% of voters in December that year. As a result, President Gabriel Boric said that his government would not attempt to develop another draft and that the government must work within the existing Constitutional framework.¹⁰

Education and children’s rights

Article 19(11) of the Constitution enshrines the right to open, organize and maintain educational institutions provided that they meet the standards of morality, good custom, public order and national security. Officially recognized centers of education may not propagate party political viewpoints.

Article 3(f) of Law No. 1 of 2005 establishes that,

“The Chilean education system is constructed on the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as the international treaties ratified by Chile that are in force, and in particular, the right to education and freedom of teaching. It is inspired, furthermore, by the following principles:

(f) Diversity […] In educational establishments that are the property of or administered by the State, secular – that is respectful of all religious expression – and civic education of students will be promoted in order to foster their participation in society.”¹¹

Under Decree 924, all schools are required to offer religious education according to the religious beliefs of the student for two hours per week. The system requires the notification of the school in writing at the time of matriculation of the student whether or not the student will attend religious education classes and, if so, which denomination.¹² As a result, in practice, the majority of schools offer religious education of a Catholic or Evangelical persuasion. However, the Ministry of Education has approved curricula of 17 religious groups in total.¹³ The notion of personal, secular worldviews is not openly treated within the education system.

Comprehensive Sex Education

Under Law 20.418,¹⁴ schools are required to teach sex education to children from the age of 14. However, reports indicate that schools teach the subject from a purely biological perspective without covering topics such as consent, relationships, self-care, gender-based violence and gender identities.¹⁵

In April 2023, the Chamber of Deputies – the lower house of Chile’s bicameral Congress – approved Resolution 643, which calls on the Executive to create and implement a national policy on comprehensive sex education (Política Nacional de Educación Sexo Afectiva Integral) that would be delivered at an appropriate level from pre-school level.¹⁶ In 2021, a draft law to implement Comprehensive Sex Education was proposed for a second time. According to reports, it is in the early stages of review before being considered by both chambers of parliament.¹⁷

In 2023, the Partido Republicano proposed a bill that would reinforce the parent’s right to educate their children in relation to sexual matters. The bill proposes to limit the teaching of such themes to students above the age of 14.¹⁸

Family, community and society

According to a study conducted by Ipsos in 2023, 70% of respondents indicated that they felt comfortable around people with different religious beliefs to themselves, lower than the average result for all countries surveyed. Just over half of the respondents (52%) indicated that religious practices play an important role in the moral life of the country’s citizens. The study showed that 38% of respondents agreed that people with religious faith make better citizens, higher than the average result for all 26 countries surveyed. However, only 13% indicated that they have less respect for those without religious beliefs.¹⁹

Clashes with indigenous groups

The indigenous Mapuche, some of whom still practice indigenous religions, have had their tribal lands and way of life encroached by the government. Some factions of the Mapuche reportedly continued to use violence, including attacks on churches and private residences, to demand the return of land.²⁰

Abortion

Under Article 19, the Constitution ensures the right to life of even those yet to be born.

A 2017 ruling by the Constitutional Court upheld a law decriminalizing abortion under three circumstances: risk to the life of the pregnant woman; non-viability of the fetus; the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.²¹

The permissive environment for conscientious objection undermines the implementation of the law. The law includes broad exceptions for healthcare providers be they individuals, companies or even entire institutions to refuse to offer abortion care based on conscientious objection.²² The breadth of the exception precludes many pregnant people who would qualify for an abortion within the scope of the law from accessing healthcare services. According to Human Rights Watch,

“More than 40 percent of public health obstetricians were registered as conscientious objectors in 2022 and refused to perform abortions in cases of rape. Registered as conscientious objectors, six entire private hospitals and clinics refuse to perform any abortions, and a seventh health facility only performs them in cases of rape.”²³

The law also bans sharing information or advertising information relating to abortion services.

Although the law provides for the possibility of sanctions against those who abuse the right to conscientious objection, the Centre for Reproductive Rights, Corporación Miles and Corporación Humanas report that, in practice, the provisions are not sufficiently enforced.²⁴

There are major challenges to reform in the face of social conservatism, including several proposal amendments to the abortion law.²⁵ One such proposal, submitted by the far-right Partido Republicano,²⁶seeks to remove one of the three circumstances in which abortion is permissible: risk to the life of the woman.²⁷ Another proposal seeks to introduce legal requirements for the pregnant person to review obstetric scans of the fetus prior to the performance of the abortion in the hope that the pregnant person will change their mind.²⁸

The law as it is currently phrased does not provide for the possibility of a pregnant person who does not identify as a woman from accessing abortion care. However, a proposal to amend the law is currently undergoing its second reading in parliament.²⁹

LGBTI+ rights

Members of the LGBTI+ community reportedly face societal bias. Reports indicate that failure to fully implement the law recognizing same-sex couple’s rights leads to ongoing challenges for same-sex couples. Passed in March 2022, Law no. 21400, recognizes same-sex couples’ rights to civil marriage, joint adoption, and assisted reproductive technology.³⁰

Current legislation indirectly bans a mental illness diagnosis solely on the basis of sexual orientation.³¹ This is seen as an indirect ban on conversion therapy in a therapeutic setting by ILGA World – the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, a worldwide federation of organizations campaigning for LGBTI+ rights. However, Bill 12.660-18 (2019),³² locally known as “Nada Que Corregir” (“Nothing To Fix”) is currently in the early stages of consideration by parliament having been approved by the Commission on Human Rights in August 2023.³³

According to ILGA World’s research, Article 373 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes “acts against decency and good mores”, has been used as a tool to criminalize LGBTI+ people.³⁴ Further, Movimiento de Integración y Liberación Homosexual (Movilh) reports that authorities failed to address the rise in hate speech arising from the politicization of LGBTI+ rights in the context of constitutional reform. Over the course of 2023, the group documented 1,597 cases of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, representing an increase of more than 50% on previous years.³⁵

Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values

While the Constitution upholds the right to express opinions or share information without prior censorship, a range of articles in the Penal Code contain over-broad or vaguely-worded provisions that unduly limit freedom of expression. For example, Article 374 establishes prison terms for anyone who shares songs or writings “contrary to good practices;” article 416 punishes any statement “that causes another individual to be dishonored, discredited, or viewed with contempt;” and article 412 imposes criminal penalties for “falsely accusing someone of a crime that could be investigated by authorities.”³⁶ Such provisions have been used to intimidate and prosecute those – particularly journalists – who peacefully exercise their right to freedom of expression.³⁷

Reporters Without Borders suggests that attacks against the media, particularly in the form of prosecution, are on the rise.³⁸

Freedoms of Assembly & Association

The rights to form nongovernmental organizations and to assemble peacefully are largely respected. However, to date, the State has reportedly failed to address the impunity surrounding its excessive use of force to quell mass public demonstrations in 2019.³⁹

Fears that the State may not address these challenges have been compounded by the passage of Bill 15805-07 on its first reading in the lower house of Chilean Congress on 3 May 2024. The Bill would remove the principle of proportionality with regard to the level of response by law enforcement agencies and the armed forces. The removal of the proportionality principle contravenes international human rights standards to which the State is party. In addition, the Bill contains an article that would exempt law enforcement officers from criminal liability.⁴⁰

Following a visit of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in March 2024, the Special Rapporteur noted reports by some civil society organizations that promote the rights of historically discriminated groups that they face legal proceedings which they consider to be aimed at censoring their activities.⁴¹

Testimonies

“…To declare as a non-believer or atheist causes surprise and mistrust. It is perceived almost as trheateneing as that status was never considered as a valid option in training and education. The option of being atheist or agnostic is not included as an option to choose…

The recent governments have been pressured to adhere more faithfully to the secular nature of the Constitution, but instead what they have done is to recognize the existence of other religions. This has resulted in the evangelical churches, Jewish, orthodoxreligiosn and other minority faiths (but not atheism) [being included] in national events…”

— Anonymous

1. Nicolas Boyon, Global Religion 2023: Religious Beliefs Across the World, Ipsos, May 2023, p14, https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2023-05/Ipsos%20Global%20Advisor%20-%20Religion%202023%20Report%20-%2026%20countries.pdf [accessed 23/9/24][↩]
2. “Chile” chapter in The World Factbook 2024, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2024, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/chile/#people-and-society (last updated 29 August 2024) [accessed 23 September 2024] [↩]
3. “Chile” chapter in 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, Office of International Religious Freedom, US Department of State, https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/chile/ [↩]
4. Constitución Política De La República, https://www.camara.cl/camara/doc/leyes_normas/constitucion.pdf (Spanish); “Chile 1980 (rev. 2021)”, Constitute Project, https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Chile_2021 (English) (accessed 27 September 2024)[↩]
5. “Ninguna persona podrá ser discriminada en virtud de sus creencias religiosas, ni tampoco podrán éstas invocarse como motivo para suprimir, restringir o afectar la igualdad consagrada en la Constitución y la ley.” Ley 19638 Establece Normas Sobre La Constitución Jurídica De Las Iglesias Y Organizaciones Religiosas, Ministerio Del Interior; Subsecretaria Del Interior, 14 October 1999, https://bcn.cl/2a0jf [accessed 27 September 2024][↩]
6. Ley 19638 Establece Normas Sobre La Constitución Jurídica De Las Iglesias Y Organizaciones Religiosas, Ministerio Del Interior; Subsecretaria Del Interior, 14 October 1999, https://bcn.cl/2a0jf (accessed 27 September 2024)[↩]
7. Ley 19638 Establece Normas Sobre La Constitución Jurídica De Las Iglesias Y Organizaciones Religiosas, Ministerio Del Interior; Subsecretaria Del Interior, 14 October 1999, https://bcn.cl/2a0jf (accessed 27 September 2024)[↩]
8. “Inicio”, Oficina Nacional de Asuntos Religiosos, https://www.onar.gob.cl/ (accessed 27 September 24)[↩]
9. Starting with student-led peaceful protests against fare increases to public transportation, the demonstrations transformed into both large-scale peaceful protests and smaller, violent riots protesting against broader issues of social and economic inequality and justice.[↩]
10. “Chile” chapter in World Report 2024, Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/chile [accessed 27 September 2024][↩]
11. “El sistema educativo chileno se construye sobre la base de los derechos garantizados en la Constitución, así como en los tratados internacionales ratificados por Chile y que se encuentren vigentes y, en especial, del derecho a la educación y la libertad de enseñanza. Se inspira, además, en los siguientes principios: (f) Diversidad […] En los establecimientos educacionales de propiedad o administración del Estado se promoverá la formación laica, esto es, respetuosa de toda expresión religiosa, y la formación ciudadana de los estudiantes, a fin de fomentar su participación en la sociedad. DFL 2, Fija Texto Refundido, Coordinado Y Sistematizado De La Ley Nº20.370 Con Las Normas No Derogadas Del Decreto Con Fuerza De Ley Nº 1, De 2005, Ministerio De Educación, https://bcn.cl/2f6yy (accessed 27 September 2024)[↩]
12. Decreto 924 Reglamenta Clases De Religión En Establecimientos Educacionales
    Ministerio De Educación Pública, 12 September 1983, https://bcn.cl/2j8xz;“Religion”, Curriculum Nacional, https://www.curriculumnacional.cl/portal/Educacion-General/Religion/ (accessed 27 September 2024)[↩]
13. Universidad de O’Higgins, “Replantear la clase de religión: un enfoque inclusivo y no confesional en la educación chilena,” Universidad de O’Higgins, 29 September 2023, https://www.uoh.cl/replantear-la-clase-de-religion-un-enfoque-inclusivo-y-no-confesional-en-la-educacion-chilena/ (accessed 27 September 2024)[↩]
14. República de Chile Ministerio de Salud, “Ley 20.418 que fija normas sobre información, orientación y prestaciones en materia de regulación de la fertilidad” (2010), http://bcn.cl/2fbmh[↩]
15. Amaranta, “Situación de los Derechos de las Mujeres y Derechos Sexuales y
    Reproductivos en Chile, con énfasis en el Biobío, durante el tercer ciclo del
    EPU (2019-2023)”, Submitted to the 46th Session of the UN Universal Periodic Review, 6 October 2023, p.3, https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/cl-stakeholders-info-s46[↩]
16. “Resolución N° 643 Solicita a S. E. el Presidente de la República el envío de un proyecto de ley para una política nacional de Educación Sexoafectiva Integral”, Cámara de diputados, 18 April 2023, https://www.camara.cl/legislacion/resoluciones/resolucion_documentos.aspx?prmId=7687[↩]
17. Cámara de Diputados y Diputadas, “Proyecto de Ley No. 369: Dicta normas en materia de educación en afectividad, sexualidad y género”, Boletín N°14637-04, https://www.camara.cl/legislacion/ProyectosDeLey/tramitacion.aspx?prmID=15117&prmBOLETIN=14637-04[↩]
18. Cámara de Diputados y Diputadas, “Proyecto de ley No. 371: Refuerza el derecho preferente de los padres a educar a sus hijos en materia sexual”, Boletín No 15979-04, https://www.camara.cl/legislacion/ProyectosDeLey/tramitacion.aspx?prmID=16518&prmBOLETIN=15979-04[↩]
19. Nicolas Boyon, Global Religion 2023: Religious Beliefs Across the World, Ipsos, May 2023, pp. 31-37, https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2023-05/Ipsos%20Global%20Advisor%20-%20Religion%202023%20Report%20-%2026%20countries.pdf [accessed 23/9/24][↩]
20. “Chile” chapter in 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, Office of International Religious Freedom, US Department of State, https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/chile/ [accessed 27 September 2024][↩]
21. Ley 21030 Regula La Despenalización De La Interrupción Voluntaria Del Embarazo En Tres Causales, Ministerio De Salud, https://bcn.cl/2645z [accessed 27 September 2024][↩]
22. “Chile” chapter in World Report 2024, Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/chile [accessed 27 September 2024]; Amnesty International, “Submission to the 46th Session of the UN Universal Periodic Review, October 2023, p.2, https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/cl-stakeholders-info-s46; Akahata – equipo de trabajo en sexualidades y géneros (Argentina); Fundación Meridiana (Chile); Iniciativa por los Derechos Sexuales (Switzerland), “Joint Submission 16”, p.4, https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/cl-stakeholders-info-s46[↩]
23. “Chile” chapter in World Report 2024, Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/chile [accessed 27 September 2024][↩]
24. Centre for Reproductive Rights, Corporación Miles and Corporación Humanas, “Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos en Chile: Acceso en la forma, obstáculos en la práctica”, Submission to the 26th Session of the UN Universal Periodic Review, October 2023, https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/cl-stakeholders-info-s46[↩]
25. Akahata – equipo de trabajo en sexualidades y géneros (Argentina); Fundación Meridiana (Chile); Iniciativa por los Derechos Sexuales (Switzerland), “Joint Submission 16”, PP.1-2 https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/cl-stakeholders-info-s46[↩]
26. The Partido Republicano (Republican party) is a right-wing populist and conservative political party founded in 2019. According to newspaper, El País, the majority of its 20,000 members are men, aged between 45 and 54 and identify as religious, whether they be Catholics, Evangelicals or Protestants. Antonieta de la Fuente, “Explaining the rise of the far-right Republican Party in Chile,” El País, 9 May 2023, https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-05-09/explaining-the-rise-of-the-far-right-republican-party-in-chile.html[↩]
27. “Proyecto de ley: Modifica el artículo 119 del Código Sanitario para eliminar la primera causal de interrupción voluntaria del embarazo”, Camara de diputados, accessed 10 October 2024, https://www.camara.cl/legislacion/ProyectosDeLey/tramitacion.aspx?prmID=15367[↩]
28. “Proyecto de ley: Modifica el Código Sanitario para exigir exámenes de ecotomografía obstétrica como requisito previo a la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo”, Camara de diputados, 10 October 2024, https://www.camara.cl/legislacion/ProyectosDeLey/tramitacion.aspx?prmID=15738&prmBOLETIN=15227-11[↩]
29. Akahata – equipo de trabajo en sexualidades y géneros (Argentina); Fundación Meridiana (Chile); Iniciativa por los Derechos Sexuales (Switzerland), “Joint Submission 16”, PP.1-2 https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/cl-stakeholders-info-s46[↩]
30. “Chile” chapter in Freedom in the World 2024, (Freedom House, 2024), https://freedomhouse.org/country/chile/freedom-world/2024; “Chile” chapter in World Report 2024, Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/chile [accessed 27 September 2024]; Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos, “Ley 21400”, https://database.ilga.org/api/downloader/download/1/CL%20-%20LEG%20-%20Law%2021400%20marriage%20equality%20(2021)%20-%20OR-OFF(es).pdf (accessed 11 October 2024)[↩]
31. Article 7 of the Law on the recognition and protection of the rights of people in mental health care (Law 21.331) (2021) prohibits mental health professionals from diagnosing patients based on their sexual identity or orientation.[↩]
32. Camara de diputados, “Modifica la ley N° 20.066, que Establece ley de violencia intrafamiliar, y la ley N° 20.609, que Establece medidas contra la discriminación, para sancionar los actos ejecutados en el ámbito familiar o educacional destinados a modificar la orientación sexual y la identidad o expresión de género de los niños, niñas y adolescentes”, Boletín No: 12660-18, https://www.camara.cl/legislacion/ProyectosDeLey/tramitacion.aspx?prmID=13191&prmBoletin=12660-18[↩]
33. “Chile”, ILGA Database, https://database.ilga.org/chile-lgbti (accessed 11 October 2024)[↩]
34. “Chile”, ILGA Database, https://database.ilga.org/chile-lgbti (accessed 11 October 2024)[↩]
35. Movilh, Hechos 2023: XXII. Informe Anual de Derechos Humanos. Diversidad sexual y de género en Chile (Movilh, March 2024), https://www.movilh.cl/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/XXII.-Informe-Anual-de-DDHH-Diversidad-Sexual-y-de-Genero-2023-Movilh.pdf[↩]
36. Ministry of Justice, Penal Code, 12 November 1874, as updated 4 September 2024, https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1984[↩]
37. César Muñoz and Tamara Taraciuk Broner, “Chile needs more free speech, not less”, Human Rights Watch, 4 March 2022, https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/03/04/chile-needs-more-free-speech-not-less[↩]
38. “Chile”, Reporters Without Borders, https://rsf.org/en/country/chile (accessed 11 October 2024)[↩]
39. Amnesty International, “Submission to the 46th Session of the UN Universal Periodic Review, October 2023, p.2, https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/cl-stakeholders-info-s46; “Chile” chapter in The State of the World’s Human Rights (Amnesty International, 2024), https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/americas/south-america/chile/report-chile/[↩]
40. IACHR Press Office, “IACHR and OHCHR Ask Chilean Legislators to Respect Human Rights Standards Concerning Security”, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, 3 June 2024, https://www.oas.org/en/IACHR/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2024/124.asp&utm_content=country-chl&utm_term=class-mon[↩]
41. Special Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression, “The SRFOE presents considerations after visit to Chile and invites society to provide additional information”, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, 20 May 2024, https://www.oas.org/en/IACHR/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/expression/media_center/preleases/2024/108.asp&utm_content=country-chl&utm_term=class-mon[↩]