Chile proposes National Register of Vandalism and Incivilities

The government of Chile, led by President José Antonio Kast, has introduced a bill to the Chamber of Deputies that would create a National Register of Vandalism and Incivilities. The registry, to be managed by the Registro Civil, would be public and electronic, recording individuals convicted of any of 33 listed behaviours and applying up to 17 possible sanctions. Among the penalties are the loss of free higher‑education tuition, state subsidies and the Guaranteed Universal Pension. Kast framed the measure as a response to “the deterioration of coexistence,” saying, “Anyone who burns a bus or destroys public property does not deserve free education.”

Critics argue the draft targets poor communities, turning everyday activities such as street food vending, public alcohol consumption, unpaid transit fares or graffiti into punishable “incivilities.” They warn the register could widen social exclusion by linking minor infractions to the withdrawal of essential benefits, echoing broader trends of punitive policy that disproportionately affect vulnerable groups.