In response to terrorism as one of the major challenges of our time, developments in anti-terrorism law have led to laws that infringe on democratic rights. The author addresses two key questions in relation to such legislation, namely how the development of such laws is influenced by rights instruments, and whether such laws can be justified as a proportionate response to the terrorist threat. The examination focuses on the key rights of expression and association. It takes place within a comparative jurisprudence structure, considering the treatment of these rights in the UK, Canada, Australia and the USA. The assessment is undertaken in the context of the definition of terrorism and in particular reflects on the thought/act distinction, and whether the motive element of the definition leads to a normative response that is justified or is particularly severe to these democratic rights.

In response to terrorism as one of the major challenges of our time, developments in anti-terrorism law have led to laws that infringe on democratic rights. The author addresses two key questions in relation to such legislation, namely how the development of such laws is influenced by rights instruments, and whether such laws can be justified as a proportionate response to the terrorist threat. The examination focuses on the key rights of expression and association. It takes place within a comparative jurisprudence structure, considering the treatment of these rights in the UK, Canada, Australia and the USA. The assessment is undertaken in the context of the definition of terrorism and in particular reflects on the thought/act distinction, and whether the motive element of the definition leads to a normative response that is justified or is particularly severe to these democratic rights.

La presente investigación pretende estudiar la criminalización de dos grupos marginalizados en la sociedad chilena de hoy. El movimiento Mapuche y los anarquistas, ambos acusados pos actos terroristas bajo la Ley Antiterrorista, ley promulgada durante la dictadura militar en Chile. La acción social y protesta política de los movimientos populares, sociales y políticos ha resultado en una de las estrategias más efectivas que los pueblos pueden utilizar para luchar contra su pobreza y contra las injusticias en la sociedad. El objetivo de este trabajo es investigar por qué se criminaliza la lucha y la resistencia social que está contra el establecimiento del control estatal en Chile, hoy en tiempos de “democracia” y averiguar de dónde viene la emergencia de un enemigo interno contra el Estado y de ahí también ver las razones subyacentes de por qué se tilda a ese enemigo como una amenaza contra el Estado y la seguridad de la nación. Una de las preguntas de investigación es la siguiente, ¿Es posible decir que el Estado, a través de doctrinas como la Doctrina de Seguridad Nacional y la ley antiterrorista,  mantiene el control y la soberanía del Estado?Basando el estudio, principalmente desde distintos puntos de vista diferentes,  se encuentra que el motivo de esta criminalización es asegurar la mantención de una política económica neoliberal que tiene como objetivo el libre comercio y la privatización del sector público y de la tierra. La respuesta de los sectores sociales, víctimas directas de estos atropellos es la movilización social. La respuesta del sistema, la criminalización de estos. / This research aims to study the criminalization of two marginalized groups in the Chilean society of today. The Mapuche movement and the anarchists, both charged for terrorist acts under the anti-terrorism law, a law enacted during the military dictatorship in Chile.The social action and the political protest carried by popular, social and political movements has resulted in one of the most effective strategies that people can use to fight against their poverty and injustice in the society.The aim of this study is to investigate why this social struggle and resistance against the establishment of state control in Chile is criminalized now in times of "democracy". Further it also aims to find out the underlying reasons for the emergence of an internal enemy against the state and hence also see the underlying reasons for why this enemy is often labeled as a threat against the state and the Security of the Nation.One of the research questions is: Can we say that the state, through doctrines such as the Doctrine of National Security and the anti-terrorism law, maintains control and state sovereignty in Chile?Basing the study from different points of view it’s clear that the reason for this criminalization is to ensure the maintenance of a neoliberal economic policy which aims to strengthen free trade and privatization of the public sector and of the land. The response of the social sectors, who are direct victims of these abuses, is social mobilization. The systems response is the criminalization of these.