Institutional Resilience and Reform: A Comparative Analysis of Police reform processes after social upheavals in Colombia and Chile

• In Event: POLWG Panel 14. Police Culture: Police Officer identity, values and the impact of police reform

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the institutional strategies employed by Colombia’s National Police and Chile’s Carabineros to maintain their influence in reform processes, as well as the mechanisms that safeguard their institutional autonomy. Historically recognized for their professionalism, stability, and strong national and international reputations, both police forces faced significant challenges following the social unrest of 2019–2020 in Colombia and Chile. Allegations of excessive use of force and human rights violations heightened demands for reform, enabling left-wing political parties to secure presidential victories on platforms advocating for drastic police reforms. Drawing on the framework of gradual institutional change (Mahoney & Thelen, 2009), this study argues that institutional transformation results from the interplay between the political context, the characteristics of the institution undergoing change, and the role of change agents.

Authors

• lucia dammert, Universidad de Santiago de Chile

• Antonio Frey, Universidad Del Desarrollo, Facultad de Gobierno