The Talca Parole Commission, in the Maule Region, unanimously approved parole for former police captain Patricio Maturana. He is serving a sentence of 12 years and 183 days for blinding Senator Fabiola Campillai during the social unrest.
According to BioBioChile, Maturana will be able to leave Molina prison starting on December 2. That is when he will have served the minimum time required to qualify for parole.
The commission decided to require him to serve half his sentence rather than two-thirds, as Campillai had requested. It also considered a Prison Service report that rated the former officer's risk of reoffending as very low. According to Emol, the report also highlighted his good behavior in prison.
The case is one of the most emblematic of 2019. On November 26 of that year, Campillai was on her way to work when Maturana fired a tear gas canister at her face. She lost her sight and sense of smell and suffered other physical injuries.
Campillai described the ruling as an act of impunity. She said Maturana had never apologized to her or acknowledged the harm he caused. She announced that she would pursue every available legal avenue, including international ones, to overturn the parole decision.
Several governing coalition lawmakers welcomed the decision and renewed calls for pardons. Deputy Paulina Muñoz, deputy leader of the National Libertarian Party's congressional caucus, questioned Campillai's fears for her safety and called on President José Antonio Kast to send a signal on pardons for convicted uniformed personnel.
Republican Party Deputy Enrique Bassaletti spoke of a very spurious trial. Deputy Javiera Rodríguez said she felt happy but challenged to keep working for pardons. Chiara Barchiessi maintained that Maturana is innocent and called for the full release of the convicted police officers.
Other sectors of the coalition adopted an institutional tone. Ximena Ossandón, of National Renewal (RN), said that if parole had been granted, it was because Maturana met the requirements. The leader of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) caucus, Flor Weisse, called for the court's decision to be respected without political pressure.
The opposition, meanwhile, rallied behind the senator. According to Emol, its lawmakers spoke of impunity and proposed legal measures to overturn the ruling.
The government distanced itself. Claudio Alvarado, Minister of the Interior and Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency, noted that pardons are an exclusive presidential power and that the president must assess the case details before deciding.
The ruling became public just hours before the anniversary of October 18. From December 2, Maturana will be free unless the legal challenges announced by Campillai succeed.
