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After three days of work, UNESCO in collaboration with the Ministry Secretariat General of Government of Chile (Segegob) and Carabineros completed on November 29 the pilot training aimed at their personnel on freedom of expression, access to information, and the safety of communication workers.

The training, which took place for the first time in Chile, was held at the School of Carabineros of Chile and was led by Ana Cristina Ruelas, representing UNESCO, a Mexican lawyer expert in freedom of expression and press, and right to information, and Ricard Latorre Luna, an expert corporal from Mossos d' Esquadra of Catalonia.

"Since 2013, 91�鶹������Ʒ���� trained more than 12,000 security force agents in over 150 countries. The main objective of these workshops is to provide concepts, definitions, and case studies so that agents and trainers can balance their duty to maintain security while ensuring the right to information," said Claudia Uribe, UNESCO's representative in Chile.

“This is a pilot, but we hope it serves as an experience for more institutions to train and modernize their knowledge and tools regarding the right to freedom of expression and information, its legal regulation, and the safety of journalists and the protection of their rights,” stated Camila Vallejo, Minister of the Secretariat General of Government of Chile.

On the last day, the session included the participation of workers from different media outlets to promote professional relationships with law enforcement officials.

Alongside dialogue instances, a simulation of demonstrations was carried out, directed by a public order unit of Carabineros. Through a "role-play," police officers and press workers exchanged duties to better understand the different perspectives.

All UNESCO training for police is based on the : freedom of expression, access to information, and safety of journalists.

María José Ruf Riquelme
Captain in the Carabineros 
Student Officer at the Academy of Police Sciences

"As a future commissar, this seminar has been fundamental in understanding how our work at Carabineros intersects with the fundamental right to freedom of expression and access to information. Learning to collaborate effectively with the media is essential, as it allows us to maintain transparent and direct communication with the citizens. The press plays a crucial role in this process, acting as a bridge between Carabineros and the public. Our commitment to safety and order must go hand in hand with respect for human rights and freedom of expression. This seminar has provided us with valuable tools to ensure that, in our role as Commissioners, we can strengthen trust and closeness with the community, using the work of the press as an open window to our actions and commitments. Transparency and empathy are key to building a solid and positive relationship with the citizens, thus ensuring the strengthening of our democracy and the right of the population to receive truthful and objective information."

Mauricio Serrano Olave. Lieutenant in the Carabineros. Institutional Instructor. Section Commander at the Non-Commissioned Officers School.

“Personally, grasping the complex work carried out by the media gives us the opportunity to grow, empathizing with the fact that it's not only us, the Carabineros, who are exposed to daily police contingencies.

These activities contribute to the professional development of the Carabineros. They are instances of modernization that our high command has arranged to meet the demands of the media and the community. It also provides opportunities for conveying the constant work carried out by all Carabineros in service of all people.”

Juan Manuel Barrera
Editor and Journalist at National Television of Chile (TVN)

“I found the initiative very valuable and necessary. The only way to achieve significant changes is through collaboration. If we all understand that the role of the press is fundamental to democracy, we must work together to identify and combat the growing threats against the practice of journalism. From different roles, it is possible to contribute so that the profession is carried out with dignity and respect for people, because ultimately behind each function there are human beings. I liked that there is a greater challenge, one that transcends the workshop. Hopefully, it will be possible to materialize some or all of the ideas that were proposed, so that it does not remain just an anecdote. It might be a protocol, a safety committee, a change in regulations, we don’t know. But I am convinced that this will be the beginning of something important.”

Josefa Barraza
Editor and Journalist at El Ciudadano

“The workshop was an enriching activity, as for the first time, the Carabineros de Chile met with journalists to understand the importance of our professional work, and how our workspaces can be respected. It was extremely powerful to share the violations that we, women journalists in Chile, have suffered, especially my personal experience. I believe it is an activity that should be repeated, and professionals from all over the country must participate, as we need to strive to promote press protection from within institutions. Moreover, I am left with the thought that working groups with the police and the government must be created to act together to prevent future risk situations.”