Chile/Military
 Chile/Military  (Armed Forces)   | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1810 |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Budget | 5.58 billion |
| Staff | 80,000 |
| The military forces of Chile. | |
The Chilean Armed Forces is the unified military organization comprising the Chilean Army, Air Force, and Navy.
Covid
The military forces "had a key and outsized role in Chile's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of exception allowed the President to appoint 16 "Chiefs of National Defence" (Jefes de la Defensa Nacional), one in each region of the country. These Chiefs, who are high-ranking military officials, had extensive powers in their designated regions, including powers more appropriately held by public health experts in the context of public health emergency such as the one brought about by COVID-19.
Though the Chiefs followed guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and other health authorities, the power by which public health measures were implemented lied inappropriately with the Chiefs of National Defence, who enacted resolutions (resoluciones exentas) on COVID-19 affairs. These resolutions included severe restrictions on the right to freedom of movement, the use of public transport, the use of private vehicles, and mandated quarantines."[1]
