CHILE'S SEN NARANJO CALLS FOR COMPLETE ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY

Socialist Party (PS) Sen Jaime Naranjo Ortiz called on the Chilean government to completely abolish the death penalty and encouraged other countries to ratify the UN resolution against it. Although Chile abolished the death penalty in civilian courts in 2001, military tribunals can still sentence criminals to death for serious crimes committed during times of war. Naranjo pushed for the complete abolition of the death penalty, which he called an inhumane and useless practice. "The death penalty is much more than a punishment. It’s an inhumane practice, and because of this, it should be abolished," Naranjo said. "Those who defend its use don’t want to recognise that its implementation isn’t effective. While it’s true that the death penalty eliminates the criminal, it doesn’t put an end to the economic, social, or political motives that generate the crimes. Lastly, and this is an important fact, the death penalty violates the right to life as stated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."