Overview

• Congresswoman Susel Paredes introduced Bill No. 12743/2025-CR to amend Law 26271 so police ride free only when on duty, in emergencies, or in official operations.
• The proposal would exclude off‑duty or personal travel from the exemption and explicitly applies to police whether in uniform or in civilian clothes.
• The bill orders the Interior Ministry, the ATU, and municipal authorities to review control and supervision rules within 60 days and to activate conflict‑response protocols.
• The move follows the Oct. 7 incident in which subofficer Cuba Lara called colleagues after being asked to pay a fare, leading to driver José Villafuerte’s detention for about 28 hours at the Montserrat station.
• Legal expert Ciro Cancho called the detention disproportionate, said refusal to grant free passage should prompt administrative measures, and warned the conduct could amount to abuse of authority or unlawful deprivation of liberty.