La validez de las cláusulas de aceleración en los contratos por adhesión con consumidores

This article examines the validity of acceleration clauses in consumer adhesion contracts in Chile, under the substantive control provided by Article 16 (g) of the Consumer Protection Act. Based on a dogmatic and jurisprudential methodology, it analyzes the clause’s function in general contract law, the rules on maturity forfeiture in the Civil Code, the case law of the Chilean Supreme Court, the interpretative criteria of the European Court of Justice (CJEU) under Directive 93/13, and the Consumer’s National Service’s interpretative circular. The study argues that the legitimacy of these clauses requires the existence of a serious or objective threat to the creditor’s interest and cannot rest on minor defaults. Findings show that while Chilean jurisprudence traditionally upheld acceleration clauses even for minor breaches, recent Supreme Court rulings have adopted a stricter standard aligned with European experience. It concludes that the validity of such clauses must be assessed through proportionality and connectedness criteria, in coherence with objective good faith and with the normative framework of Article 1496 of the Civil Code.