Summary: State Party Chile ratified the convention on 16 December 2010. It hosted an international conference on the convention in Santiago in June 2010, and regional meetings on cluster munitions in 2009 and 2013. Chile has participated in all of the convention’s meetings and has served as the convention’s co-coordinator on victim assistance since September 2015. Chile was a lead sponsor on a UN resolution on the convention in December 2015. It has condemned new use of cluster munitions, including in South Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine.

Chile is a former producer and exporter of cluster munitions. In July 2013, Chile completed the destruction of a stockpile of 249 cluster munitions and 25,896 submunitions.

Policy

The Republic of Chile signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008, ratified on 16 December 2010, and the convention entered into force for the country on 1 June 2011.

Chile has reported existing legislation including its 2010 ratification law under national implementation measures for the convention. It is unclear if Chile considers these laws as sufficient to enforce implementation of the convention’s provisions or if it intends to undertake specific legislative measures. In 2012, Chile reported that the Ministry of National Defense was establishing a body “to centralize, coordinate and execute the operational and administrative tasks” required by the convention.[1]

Chile submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in September 2012 and provided an annual updated report in September 2013.[2] As of 10 July 2016, Chile had not provided any more of the annual updates due by 30 April.

Chile participated in the Oslo Process that produced the Convention on Cluster Munitions, advocating for the most comprehensive provisions possible.[3]

Chile has engaged actively in the work of the convention since 2008, hosting an international conference on the convention in Santiago in June 2010 and regional conferences in September 2009 and December 2013.

Chile participated in the First Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Dubrovnik, Croatia in September 2015. In an address to the high-level segment of the meeting, Chile found that “there are not military, political, and above all, ethical reasons for any actor to use cluster munitions under any circumstance.”[4]

Chile has participated in all of the convention’s Meetings of States Parties as well as intersessional meetings in Geneva in 2011–2015. It hosted a regional workshop on cluster munitions in Santiago in December 2013 that 24 Latin American and Caribbean states attended, including non-signatories Argentina, Cuba, Saint Lucia, and the United States (US).[5]

Chile served as the convention’s co-coordinator on cooperation and assistance in 2013–2015. At the First Review Conference, Chile was named the convention’s co-coordinator on victim assistance together with Australia.

Chile was a lead sponsor on and voted in favor of a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on the convention on 7 December 2015, which urges all states not party to the convention to join “as soon as possible.”[6] A total of 140 states voted in favor of the non-binding resolution, including many non-signatories.

Chile has condemned new use of cluster munitions on several occasions, including in Ukraine, South Sudan, and Syria. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Chile has expressed concern at the use of cluster munitions in Ukraine.[7] In June 2015, Chile voted in favor of a Security Council resolution expressing concern at evidence of cluster munition use by the government of Sudan and reiterating a call for an investigation.[8] Chile voted in favor of a May 2014 resolution, which expressed concern at the use of cluster munitions in South Sudan and called on “all parties to refrain from similar such use in the future.”[9] Chile has voted in favor of UNGA resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in December 2015.[10]

Interpretive issues

During the Oslo Process, Chile did not favor including language on “interoperability” (joint military operations with states not party that may use cluster munitions) in the convention.[11] In 2012, a Ministry of National Defense official informed the Monitor that the convention’s Article 21 language does not prevent Chile from conducting military training exercises with states not party, but emphasized that Chile would require that states participating in exercises not use cluster munitions in the exercises (and would communicate this requirement via a written order sent to officials involved).[12]

Chile has yet to elaborate its views on other important issues relating to the interpretation and implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, such as the prohibition on transit, the prohibition on foreign stockpiling of cluster munitions, and the prohibition on investment in production of cluster munitions.

Chile is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is also party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use

Chile is not known to have used cluster munitions in a conflict situation. In 2011, the Ministry of National Defense informed the Monitor that Chile stopped using cluster munitions in training exercises in 2008.[13]

Production and transfer

During the Oslo Process in September 2007, Chile stated that it no longer produced cluster munitions and did not intend to produce the weapon in the future.[14] In the past, Industrias Cardeon SA and Los Conquistadores 1700 were reported to have produced at least eight types of air-dropped cluster bombs: CB-130 bomb, CB-250K bomb, CB-500 bomb, CB-500K bomb, CB-500K2 bomb, CB-770 bomb, WB-250F bomb, and WB-500F bomb.[15]

In the initial Article 7 report provided in 2012, Chile indicated that it was in the process of verifying information on measures taken to dismantle its cluster munition production facilities and stated that it could not provide a complete accounting of the “models manufactured, their total amount or destination of transfer.”[16] The updated report submitted in September 2013 provided no additional information on past production or transfer of cluster munitions.

However, in 2012 Chile’s Ministry of National Defense provided the Monitor with a detailed accounting of Chile’s past transfers of cluster munitions. One document shown to the Monitor details Chilean exports of cluster munitions in the period from 1991 to 2001 to the following five countries:[17]

• Brazil in 1999 and 2001 (various types);
• Colombia in 1994 (55 250kg cluster bombs, four air-dropped 250kg cluster bombs, and one fin stabilizer for a CB-250kg cluster bomb) and in 1997 (132 250kg cluster bombs);
• Turkey in 1996 (four CB-250kg cluster bombs);
• United Arab Emirates in 1998 (four “empty” [“vacías”] CB-500kg cluster bombs and two CB-500kg cluster bombs filled with lead shot); and
• US in 1991 (one 250kg cluster bomb and one 500kg cluster bomb).

In a May 2012 document provided to the Monitor, the director-general of National Mobilization, Brigadier General Roberto Ziegele Kerber, stated that there were “no other applications or new exports authorizations for these devices” after the year 2001.[18] This data accounts for cluster munitions exported from Chile in the period after 1980, but it does not provide any information on exports in period from 1980–1991.[19]

Colombia reported the destruction of its stockpile of 41 Chilean CB-250K bombs in March 2009.[20]

PM-1 combined-effect submunitions delivered by bombs produced in Chile have been found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Sudan.[21] A number of CB-250 bombs were found in the arsenal of Iraq by UN weapons inspectors, who noted that Iraq had modified them to deliver chemical weapons in the submunitions.[22]

Stockpile destruction

In its initial Article 7 report provided in 2012, Chile declared a stockpile of 249 LARS-160 surface-launched rockets equipped with Mk-II cluster munition warheads containing 25,896 submunitions.[23]

Under Article 3 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Chile was required to declare and destroy all stockpiled cluster munitions under its jurisdiction and control no later than 1 June 2019.

Chile completed destruction of the stockpile in July 2013 and announced the completion two months later at the convention’s Fourth Meeting of States Parties. It offered to share its experience and provide technical assistance to countries requesting support for their stockpile destruction efforts in “the spirit of cooperation that guides the convention.”[24]

Chile has provided detailed information on the destruction of its stockpile that the Army’s Fabrica y Maestranza del Ejercito (FAMAE) carried out in Arica Parinacota in the north of the country between 17 June and 12 July 2013.[25] The stocks were destroyed by demilitarization, including dismantling various components and destroying the submunitions by controlled detonation. The Minister of Defense issued a decree certifying that the inventories of the Chilean Army no longer hold cluster munitions.[26]

Chile destroyed other stocks of cluster munitions in previous years. According to a Chilean Air Force document dated 23 June 2009, “the air force originally had 48 cluster munitions in stockpile in 2003 of which 42 cluster munitions were consumed for training purposes at sites in the north of Chile in 2007, two more cluster munitions were consumed in 2008, and the remaining four cluster munitions were consumed in 2009.”[27]

Retention

In 2012 and 2013, Chile declared the retention of 12 CBK-250 cluster munitions and 240 inert PM-1 submunitions for research and training purposes.[28] The Monitor does not regard this as the retention of live cluster munitions because the submunitions are inert and no longer functional.

Policy

The Republic of Chile signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified it on 10 September 2001, becoming a State Party on 1 March 2002. Chile has not adopted comprehensive national legislation, but it has stated on several occasions that legislation to implement the Mine Ban Treaty is being prepared. In May 2009, Chile stated that its existing laws sufficiently cover the various issues required for implementation, citing the Arms Control Act No. 17.798, which addresses all weapons and explosives, including landmines. Chile nonetheless reiterated its intent to adopt specific legislation for the Mine Ban Treaty. The draft legislation in preparation by various ministries would also serve to implement aspects of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) Amended Protocol II and Protocol V, as well as the conventions on the rights of persons with disabilities and on cluster munitions.[1]

Chile regularly attends meetings of the treaty, including the Third Review Conference in Maputo in June 2014, and more recently the Seventeenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in November 2018, where it provided statements on victim assistance, Article 5 mine clearance, and a general statement.[2]

Chile has served on the Committee on Cooperative Compliance (2015), the Committee on Article 5 Implementation (2017), and the Committee on Victim Assistance (2018), and served as President of the Fifteenth Meeting of States Parties in Santiago in November–December 2016.

Chile is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its Amended Protocol II on landmines and Protocol V on explosive remnants of war. Chile is also party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Production, transfer, stockpiling, and retention

Chile is a former producer, exporter, importer, and user of antipersonnel mines. Both the army’s Fabricaciones Militares (FAMAE) and a private company named Industrias Cardoen manufactured landmines.[3] Chile has reported producing at least six different types of antipersonnel mines: the MAPP 78-F2 and MAPT 78-F2 mines, both made by FAMAE in 1981; the MOD I (manufactured 1979), II (1980), IEC-11, and M-178 mines, all made by Cardoen. Chile also reported manufactured the M-19 antivehicle mine and the Claymore-type directional fragmentation mine, and Cardoen manufactured the U/I fragmentation mine, according to one source, but none are listed in the Article 7 reports.[4]

Chile has stated that production and export stopped in 1985.[5]

Chile finished destroying its stockpile of 300,039 antipersonnel mines in August 2003.[6] According to its most recent Article 7 report for calendar year 2018, Chile retains 1,192 mines for training its military in humanitarian disarmament.[7]

Use

Chile used mines in the 1970s and 1980s along its borders with Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru.

Country Summary

Landmines were laid in Chile in the 1970s, along its borders with Argentina in the south, and with Bolivia and Peru in the north. The mined areas, containing antivehicle and antipersonnel landmines, were difficult to access and mostly located in unpopulated regions.[1] In March 2020, Chile announced the completion of its clearance obligations under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, with the last mines removed on 27 February 2020.[2] 

In 2019, as a result of non-technical survey, Chile reported almost 65km2 of land contaminated by cluster munition remnants at three air force ranges and an army base, where public access is limited. In 2022, following technical survey, Chile was granted a third extension under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, to clear a total of 31km² over a three-year period.[3] Chile is responsible for survivors of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). To date, no cluster munition casualties have been reported by Chile. A law adopted in 2018 established a reparation system for mine/ERW victims, which had benefitted 158 people as of May 2023.[4]

Assessing the Impact

Contamination

   Extent of contamination[5]

Note: N/A=not applicable; CHA=confirmed hazardous area; SHA=suspected hazardous area. 

Landmine Contamination

In March 2020, Chile reported completion of landmine clearance and therefore fulfillment of its Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 obligations, with the last mines removed on 27 February 2020.[6] Mines were laid in Chile during the period of the Pinochet regime in the 1970s, on Chile’s borders with Argentina in the south, and with Bolivia and Peru in the north. The mined areas, which typically contained both antivehicle and antipersonnel mines, were difficult to access and mostly located in unpopulated regions. Most mines were laid in the north, with some minefields located as high as 5,000 meters above sea level.[7] According to some media and non-governmental organization (NGO) reports, remaining antivehicle mines in the north continue to pose a threat to migrants crossing the border from Peru and Bolivia.[8] In July 2023, an antivehicle mine incident caused six Chilean military casualties near the Peruvian border. Media reported that the military personnel were performing maintenance on the fences of a minefield when the incident occurred.[9]

Cluster munition remnants contamination

Cluster munitions were used by Chile only in military training activities, and not in the context of armed conflict or combat operations. The areas thought to be contaminated with cluster munition remnants are on training ranges belonging to the Chilean Armed Forces, where access for unauthorized persons is prohibited.[10] The contamination affects three ranges belonging to the Chilean Air Force, which are presumed contaminated with CB-250K cluster bombs; and on one army base, which is presumed contaminated by MKII and LAR 160 munitions.[11]

Chile’s original estimate of 97km2 of cluster munition remnants contamination was reduced to 64.61km² after non-technical survey conducted in 2019. During 2021, an additional 33.84km² was canceled following technical survey, leaving 30.77km² of confirmed hazardous area (CHA) planned for clearance.[12] Four CHAs are now planned for clearance from 2023–2026: “Pampa Chaca Este” (17.11km²) in Arica province; “Delta” (11.32km²) and “Barrancas” (0.91km²) in Iquique province; and “Punta Zenteno” (1.43km²) in Punta Arenas province.[13]

Casualties

In May 2023, Chile reported a total of 238 mine/ERW casualties recorded between 1959 and 2020, including 158 casualties benefiting of the Victim’s Law.

Of these 158 casualties, 34 were killed and 124 survived. Of the survivors, half were recorded as military personnel while 94% were men. Almost half of the casualties were due to landmines (27% due to antipersonnel mines) followed by ERW (32%) and unknown device types (21%).[14]

The Monitor recorded a total of 48 mine/ERW casualties (six killed and 42 injured) in Chile between 1999 and December 2022.[15]

5-year total: 2018–2022[16] 

Chile reported one casualty in 2018 and another in 2020. Both victims were military personnel, injured in incidents that occurred in mined camps in the Arica and Parinacota region.[17]

Although not reported by Chile, the Monitor recorded three other ERW casualties in Chile from 2018–2022. A civilian was injured in 2022 in the Arica region, while two military conscripts were injured in October 2019 after stepping on an explosive device during a military exercise in Puerto Aldea municipality, in the Coquimbo region.[18]

Casualties in 2022 

In 2022, a man was injured after tampering with an ERW found in a desert area in Caldera municipality, in the Arica region. The area was formerly a military training area.[19]

Cluster munition casualties

Chile reported that it had registered no cluster munition casualties. However, in May 2021, it was reported in local media that two military personnel were injured in an explosion caused by a cluster munition remnant in June 1995.[21]

Coordination

Summary table[22]

Note: Department for the Implementation of International Conventions on Explosive Remnants of War=Departamento de Implementación de Convenciones sobre Restos de Explosivos de Guerra, DICOR; N/A=not applicable; IMAS=International Mine Action Standards; DPO=disabled persons’ organization.

Addressing the Impact

Clearance

Highlights from 2022

In 2022, as part of its Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 deadline extension request, Chile included a detailed workplan for the clearance of cluster munition remnants, based on the findings of technical survey conducted in 2021. Following a preparatory phase throughout 2022 and the first half of 2023, clearance operations are planned to begin in the second half of 2023 and be completed during the first half of 2026.[23]

Management and coordination

Management and coordination overview 

The mine action program in Chile was managed by the Executive Secretariat of the National Demining Commission (Secretaría Ejecutiva Comisión Nacional de Desminado, SECNAD), chaired by the Minister of Defense, until Chile declared completion of its Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 clearance obligations in March 2020. 

On 3 February 2022, the Department for the Implementation of International Conventions on Explosive Remnants of War (Departamento de Implementación de Convenciones sobre Restos de Explosivos de Guerra, DICOR) was created under the Ministry of National Defense. DICOR has its own budget and is responsible for planning, coordination, and implementation to meet Chile’s obligations within the framework of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[24]

Legislation and standards 

In November 2022, Chile adopted a Ministerial Directive for the implementation of clearance activities planned under its Article 4 extension request, for the period 2023–2026.[25]

The International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) are applied in mine action operations in Chile.[26]

Strategies and policies 

In 2022, as part of its Article 4 deadline extension request, Chile included a detailed workplan for the clearance of cluster munition remnants. Following a preparatory phase during 2022 and the first half of 2023, clearance operations are planned to begin in the second half of 2023 and be completed in 2026.[27]

Information management  

Chile uses the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) and has adopted Mine Action Reporting System (MARS) software, provided by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). Since 2018, MARS has equipped Chile with geographic data to support non-technical survey, technical survey, and decision-making on clearance.[28]

Clearance operators

According to Chile’s workplan for 2023–2026, two teams of 30 explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialists from the Army Corps of Engineers Humanitarian Demining Unit are planned to be deployed in the “Pampa Chaca Este” and “Delta” CHAs. Additionally, a team of 15 EOD specialists from the Air Force EOD Unit, and another team from the Navy Demining Division, will clear the “Barrancas” and “Punta Zenteno” CHAs, respectively.[29]  

The Training Center for Demining and Destruction of Explosives (Centro de Entrenamiento en Desminado y Destruccion de Explosivos, CEDDEX) of the Military Engineers is responsible for planning, programming, and providing training for cluster munition remnants clearance. Its responsibilities are planned to be expanded to quality assurance and the certification of cleared areas during the 2023–2026 extension period.[30]

Land release: antipersonnel landmine

Five-year landmine clearance: 2018–2022[31]

Note: APM=antipersonnel mines; N/A=not applicable.

In January–February 2020, a total of 2.69km² of land was released (0.6km² cleared and 2.09km² reduced), seeing the destruction of 12,526 antipersonnel mines and 10,170 antivehicle mines. The majority of mines were cleared across three areas in the Arica and Parinacota region.[32]

In March 2020, Chile announced the completion of mine clearance, with the last mines removed on 27 February 2020.In total, Chile released 200 mined areas, including 89 in the Arica and Parinacota region, 67 in Antofagasta, 33 in Magallanes and Antártica, eight in Tarapacá, two in Valparaíso, and one in Metropolitana. A total of 179,828 landmines—including 120,917 antipersonnel mines—were destroyed during 18 years of clearance.[33]

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 clearance deadline

Summary of Article 5 clearance deadline extension request[34]

Land release: cluster munition remnant

Chile did not conduct any clearance of cluster munition remnants during 2022.[35] According to the workplan in its third Article 4 extension request, Chile proposed that clearance operations will take place from mid-2023 until June 2026, following a preparatory phase in 2022 and early 2023.[36]

Five-year cluster munition remnant clearance[37]

Note: CMR=cluster munition remnants.

Cluster munition remnants contamination in Chile is limited to land that was used for military training. Chile has stated that the military usually conducts clearance of submunitions and ERW after their use.[38] Chile has not carried out clearance in cluster munition contaminated areas, and until 2019 had not conducted survey in the four areas affected by cluster munition remnants.

In 2019, non-technical survey reduced Chile’s original estimate of 96.88km² of cluster munition contamination by 32.27km², leaving a remaining estimated contaminated area of 64.61km².[39]

In July 2020, Chile submitted a one-year interim request to extend its Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 deadline to conduct technical survey, and to submit a follow-up extension request with a clearance plan. In June 2021, Chile submitted a second one-year extension request, without survey having been undertaken, citing the reallocation of mine action resources to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on planned operations.[40]

In 2021, Chile conducted technical survey, leading to the reduction of contamination estimates and the identification of 30.77km² of CHA across four polygons: “Pampa Chaca Este” (17.11km²) in Arica province; “Delta” (11.32km²) and “Barrancas” (0.91km²) in Iquique province; and Punta Zenteno (1.43km²) in Punta Arenas province.[41] 

Chile reported that previous delays in clearance and successive extension requests submitted in 2020, 2021, and 2022 were due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the national budget and the availability of human resources in Chilean Armed Forces.[42]

Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 clearance deadline

  Summary of Article 4 clearance deadline extension requests[43]

Under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Chile was required to destroy all cluster munition remnants in areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 June 2021. However, Chile prioritized clearance of landmines and did not start to assess its cluster munition contamination until 2020. [44]

In January 2020, Chile submitted an initial Article 4 extension request for a period of five years, until 2026.[45] In July 2020, Chile submitted a revised request for a one-year interim extension until 1 June 2022, which was granted. Chile planned to conduct technical survey during 2021 and submit a follow-up extension request with a plan for clearance.[46]

In June 2021, Chile submitted a second one-year extension request, without survey having been undertaken, citing a lack of resources in addition to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The request was approved with the prerequisite that Chile provide a clear workplan to conduct technical survey during the extension period.[47]

In May 2022, Chile submitted a third Article 4 extension request, for a three-year period until 1 June 2026, to clear 30.77km² of CHA following technical survey conducted in 2021.[48]

Residual hazards 

In 2023, Chile reported that the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Chilean Navy—which both had former mine-contaminated areas under their jurisdiction—were responsible for conducting regular assessments and addressing potential hazard reports from the population.[49] However, in its declaration of completion under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Chile did not provide any details on its residual risk management procedures.[50] 

Risk education

Highlights from 2022

No risk education specific to cluster munition remnants was reported in Chile. According to its third Article 4 deadline extension request, Chile planned to start implementing risk education campaigns in 2023, for civilians living near to or visiting contaminated areas.[51]

Management and coordination

Management and coordination overview 

DICOR and CEDDEX are responsible for risk education activities, and coordinate with the Ministry of Education in the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Magallanes y Antártica Chilena, and Tarapacá.[52]

Legislation and standards 

Chile does not have specific risk education national mine action standards in place, but reported to follow IMAS 12.10 on Risk Education for the implementation of activities.[53]

Strategies and policies 

In its third Article 4 extension request, Chile planned to develop cluster munition remnants risk education campaigns targeting civilians in the first half of 2023.[54]

Risk education operators

The Army Corps of Engineers, the Chilean Navy, and the Chilean Air Force are responsible for providing risk education integrated with clearance activities. [55]

Beneficiary data 

In October 2019, risk education campaigns were conducted in Arica and Puerto Natales, though it was not reported whether these campaigns addressed the risk from cluster munition remnants contamination.[56] Chile has not reported any beneficiary data in its Article 7 reports for the Mine Ban Treaty or the Convention on Cluster Munitions. 

Target groups

Chile reported that cluster munition remnants did not pose a clear threat to the population, due to the contamination being located in isolated military areas with restricted access.[57] Following technical survey conducted in 2021, Chile identified target groups located close to two of the four contaminated areas: the population living in coastal settlements and in “Los Verdes,” near to the “Barrancas” CHA; and inhabitants of Huara village and the settlement of Zapiga, located several kilometers away from the “Delta” CHA.[58]

Delivery methods

No details were provided on the planned methods of risk education delivery for cluster munition remnants.[59] In May 2023, Chile reported to the Monitor that previous risk education campaigns tackling landmine contamination were tailored to the needs of each community. These included workshops on humanitarian demining, theatre performances for children, the distribution of risk education materials (including messaging on safe behaviors aimed at schoolchildren), and fairs and exhibitions.[60]

Victim assistance

Highlights from 2022  

In October 2022, the Armed Forces Undersecretariat established a new reimbursement process for survivors, covering transport, accommodation, and food costs. This benefited both military and civilian survivors. In June 2023, some survivors reported delays in obtaining these funds.[61]

Management and coordination

Management and coordination overview 

In 2021, the management and responsibility of the Victim Assistance Unit was transferred from SECNAD to the Armed Forces Undersecretariat.[62] This transition led to delays for survivors to access to healthcare services.[63] The Victim Assistance Unit does not have any representation at subnational level, which prevents many survivors living in remote areas from benefiting.[64]

The Victim Assistance Unit coordinates victim assistance services in collaboration with Chile’s public and military healthcare institutions, social security systems, and private health insurance companies. The Victim Assistance Unit also coordinates with survivor organizations, especially to address difficulties in accessing medical care and benefits.[65] 

During 2022, the Victim Assistance Unit was in the process of renewing its agreements with the National Defense Social Security Fund, the Army Health Division, and the National Health Fund. Through these agreements, 89% of Chile’s mine/ERW survivors receive services.[66]

A new agreement with the Army Health Division, signed in June 2022, stipulated that funding for medical benefits would be defined on a case-by-case basis based on the survivor’s medical needs for rehabilitation and healthcare. The other new agreements, with the National Defense Social Security Fund and the National Health Fund, both included the same revision but were still pending approval as of May 2023.[67]

Legislation and standards 

In July 2017, Chile enacted legislation providing reparations, rehabilitation services, and socio-economic inclusion to mine/ERW victims.[68] The Armed Forces Undersecretariat is responsible for registering victims and beneficiaries of the law.[69]

The law lists several exclusions depending on the circumstances in which the incident occurred. Its benefits are excluded if the victim intentionally manipulated the mine or ERW; intentionally entered the property where it was located, with prior knowledge about the possible existence of mines/ERW; or if the incident occurred during a crime or misdemeanor. These exclusions do not apply to several groups, including child victims and Chilean Armed Forces or other security personnel acting in compliance with their functions.[70]

In May 2023, Chile reported that it was evaluating the feasibility of the Victim Assistance Unit adopting IMAS 13.10 to govern its activities.[71]

Information management 

In May 2023, mine/ERW casualty data provided by Chile to the Monitor included 158 identified individuals, and included their age, gender and status, and information on the location, date and outcome of each incident.[72] Chile reported difficulties in obtaining detailed information on the circumstances of incidents affecting civilians compared to military personnel.

Victim assistance providers

There are multiple providers of victim assistance services in Chile. The Victim Assistance Unit coordinates with the public, military, and private health sectors. The National Disability Service (Servicio Nacional de Discapacidad, SENADIS) supports programs for persons with disabilities at the national and municipal levels. Only persons who own a disability certificate, and are part of the disability registry, can benefit from SENADIS-supported programs. There was no formal mechanism in place to ensure that SENADIS specifically assists mine/ERW survivors.[73]

The Chilean Association of Landmine and Munition Victims (Grupo de Víctimas de Minas y Municiones de Chile, GVMM) has worked in advocacy and peer-to-peer support, and reached survivors in order to explain their rights and the methods for accessing benefits under the 2017 victim assistance law.[74]

Needs assessment

In 2022, GVMMestimated that only 60% of potential beneficiaries had been contacted by the Victim Assistance Unit, while victims receiving support were only those who had submitted an online or physical application form. This indicated that mine/ERW survivors continued to face barriers to having their needs understood and accessing their rights.[75]

Medical care and rehabilitation

In 2022, Chile reported having provided 651 separate health services to mine/ERW survivors, an increase from 540 in 2021 and 517 in 2020.[76]

However, the level of government funding for medical benefits granted to survivors was reported to have decreased, primarily due to resources being under-utilized, which impacted budgeting.[77]

In 2022, mine/ERW survivors reported delays in the provision of healthcare services. This may be attributed to Chile having completed clearance of mined areas, and due to the responsibilities of SECNAD transferring to the Armed Forces Undersecretariat.[78] The National Health Fund reportedly lacked capacity, medicines, and prosthetics and orthotics in sufficient quality and quantity. Many survivors continued to be living in extremely difficult conditions.[79]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

In June 2022, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security reported that many companies complied with requirements under the labor inclusion law. Rural areas in northern Arica and Parinacota were reported to have lower employment rates for persons with disabilities than elsewhere in Chile.[80]

In 2022, access to education, public buildings, transportation, and employment for all persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors, remained a challenge.[81]

Legal frameworks or policies on disability inclusion

A law on Equal Opportunities and Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, passed in 2010, established standards on disability inclusion in Chile.[82]

The law on Labor Inclusion, passed in 2017, aims to promote the effective inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workforce, both in the public and private sectors. 

[1] Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2009), Form I. See, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Database.

[2] Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Declaration of Completion, 21 September 2020; Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) press release, “Chile ends mine clearance operations: The Americas a step closer to becoming a mine-free region,” 3 March 2020.

[3] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, pp. 3–5.

[4] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023; and “Government initiates reparation system for victims of antipersonnel mines,” Diario Uchile, 17 January 2019.

[5] Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Declaration of Completion, 21 September 2020; APMBC press release,  “Chile ends mine clearance operations: The Americas a step closer to becoming a mine-free region,” 3 March 2020; and Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, pp. 8 and 11–15.  

[6] APMBC press release, “Chile ends mine clearance operations: The Americas a step closer to becoming a mine-free region,” 3 March 2020.

[7] Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2009), Form I.

[8] “Video: New irregular migration routes: authorities predict an increase this summer,” Tele 13, 5 December 2022; “Antitank mine detonated by an excavator in the north border between Chile and Bolivia,” YouTube.com, 24 November 2022; “Antipersonnel mine destroys a car at the border between Peru and Chile,” La República, 19 June 2022; and Infomigra, “Exploratory report: migrants’ deaths on the Chilean border 1990–2022,” 27 November 2022, pp. 17–18. 

[9] Ignacio Hermosilla, “Six Army Officers injured after driving on an antivehicle mine on Peru’s border,” BiobioChile, 31 July 2023; and Sebastian Dote, “Six Chilean militaries injured after the explosion of an antivehicle mine on Peru’s border,” El Pais, 1 August 2023.

[10] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form F, p. 4. See, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Database.

[11] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2019), Form F, p. 4.

[12] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, pp. 8 and 11–15.  

[13] Ibid., p. 5.

[14] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[15] Monitor media monitoring from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[16] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[17] Ibid.

[18] “An accident registered during military exercise in Puerto Aldea,” 24 Horas, 15 October 2019; and “Caldera: a person was severely wounded after tampering with an ERW found in the desert,” Atacama Noticias, 3 August 2022.

[19] “Caldera: a person was severely wounded after tampering with an ERW found in the desert,” Atacama Noticias, 3 August 2022.

[20] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form G; and Chile Response to Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 Analysis Group, 13 May 2022, p. 2.

[21] “A bomb explodes: Former soldiers seek reparation from the Air Force,” YouTube.com, 6 May 2021.

[22]Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2021), Form J, p. 13; Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 22 June 2021, pp. 3 and 5; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[23] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 22 June 2021, pp. 3 and 5.

[24] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2021), Form J, p. 13.

[25] Ministerial Directive approved by Resolution 1517, adopted on 7 November 2022; response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023; and Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2021), Form A, p. 3.

[26] Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2019), Form F, p. 16; and Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 22 June 2021, p. 13.

[27] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 22 June 2021, pp. 3 and 5.

[28] Email from Col. Andres Caceres Cuadra, Executive Secretary, National Demining Commission, 12 July 2018; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[29] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, p. 5.

[30] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2021), Form F, pp. 7–8; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[31] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023; Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Declaration of Completion, 21 September 2020; Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2018), Form F, p. 6; Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2019), Form F, p. 6; and Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2020), Form F, p. 6.

[32] Ibid.

[33] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[34] Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2011.  

[35] Ibid.

[36] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 22 June 2021, pp. 3 and 5.

[37] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2018), Form F; Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2019), Form F; Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2020), Form F; Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2021), Form F; and Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form F.

[38] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2017), Form F.

[39] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2019), Form F, p. 6.

[40] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 22 June 2021.

[41] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, p. 5.

[42] Ibid., p. 4; and Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2021), Form J, p. 13.

[43] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions First Article 4 deadline Extension Request (revised), 24 June 2020, p. 6; Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 22 June 2021, p. 8; and  Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, p. 3.  

[44] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions First Article 4 deadline Extension Request, January 2020, p. 8.

[45] Ibid., p. 5.

[46] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions First Article 4 deadline Extension Request (revised), 24 June 2020, pp. 5 and 7.

[47] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 22 June 2021, pp. 3 and 5.

[48] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, pp. 3 and 5; and Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2021), Form J, p. 13.

[49] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[50] Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Declaration of Completion, 21 September 2020, p. 49.

[51] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, p. 20.

[52] Ibid., p. 12; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[53] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, p. 20, and response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[54] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, p. 20.

[55] Ibid., p. 23; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[56] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2019), Form I.

[57] Chile Response to Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 Analysis Group, 13 May 2022, p. 2. 

[58] Chile Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Article 4 deadline Extension Request, 9 May 2022, p. 12.

[59] Ibid., p. 20; and response to Monitor follow-up questions by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 16 June 2023.

[60] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[61] Email from Sergio Aranibar Araya, National Coordinator, Chilean Association of Landmine and Munition Victims (Grupo de Víctimas de Minas y Municiones de Chile, GVMM), 16 June 2023.

[62] Chile Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2021), Form F, p. 6.

[63] Email from Sergio Aranibar Araya, National Coordinator, GVMM, 19 May 2022.

[64] Ibid., 16 June 2023.

[65] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[66] Ibid.

[67] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023; and response to Monitor follow-up questions by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 16 June 2023.

[68] Statement of Chile, Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings, held virtually, 30 June–2 July 2020, Section A, p. 1.

[69] Ministry of National Defense, Armed Forces Undersecretariat, “Approval of Law No. 21.021 Regulations,” 21 November 2018.

[70] Library of the National Congress of Chile, “Law No. 21.01: Provides Repair and Rehabilitation Assistance to Victims of Exploding Mines or Other Abandoned or Unexploded Military Explosive Devices,” 25 July 2017.

[71] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[72] Ibid.

[73] Emails from Sergio Aranibar Araya, National Coordinator, GVMM, 19 May 2022 and 16 June 2023.

[74] Humanity & Inclusion (HI), “Good practices in victim assistance implemented by associations or survivors or mines/ERW and other people with disabilities in Latin America,” September 2019.

[75] Emails from Sergio Aranibar Araya, National Coordinator, GVMM, 19 May 2022 and 16 June 2023.

[76] Committee on Victim Assistance, “Preliminary Observations: Status of Implementation: Chile,” Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings, held virtually, 22–24 June 2021, p. 2; and response to Monitor follow-up questions by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 16 June 2023.

[77] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Karen Meier, Chief of International Relations Division, and by Valentin Segura, Chief of International Cooperation Department, Defense Undersecretariat, 8 May 2023.

[78] Emails from Sergio Aranibar Araya, National Coordinator, GVMM, 25 July 2020 and 19 May 2022.

[79] Emails from Sergio Aranibar Araya, National Coordinator, GVMM, 25 July 2020, 19 May 2022, and 16 June 2023.

[80] United States (US) Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, “2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Chile,” March 2022.

[81] US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, “2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Chile,” March 2023.

[82] Statement of Chile, Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings, held virtually, 30 June–2 July 2020, Section A, p. 1.

In 2016, the government of the Republic of Chile provided CLP4.1 billion (US$5.8 million) to the National Demining Commission (Comisión Nacional de Desminado, CNAD).[1]

Chile is one of the few states that completely fund their own mine action program. Chile has not received international support since 2007.

Since 2011, the government of Chile has provided more than $25 million toward its mine clearance operations. In its Article 5 deadline extension request submitted in 2011, Chile estimated it would provide approximately $60 million through 2020 in order to complete the clearance of all known mined areas.[2]

Summary of national contributions: 2012–2016[3]