A group of Chilean deputies presented this Monday (23) a proposal for impeachment proceedings against three Supreme Court ministers, two of whom are involved in the so-called “Audios Case”, a corruption and influence peddling scandal that shook the country.
“Both have failed Chile, they have failed its citizens. There cannot be one justice system for the rich and another for the poor. Public faith in our institutions must be restored,” said the leader of the Socialist Party (PS) in the Chamber of Deputies, Daniel Melo, after the text was presented.
The targets of the possible impeachment proceedings are ministers Ángela Vivanco, Jean Pierre Matus and Sergio Muñoz.
Constitutional impeachment is a procedure provided for by law that gives deputies the power to initiate a political trial against an authority and can lead, in the event of conviction, to the removal of the person under investigation or to a ban from holding public office for five years.
The scandal, which has rocked Chile in recent weeks, erupted after the leak of a series of conversations between Vivanco and lawyer Luis Hermosilla, the protagonist of the so-called “Audios case” and in preventive detention since the end of August. The recordings revealed that she had asked the lawyer for help in being ratified as a Supreme Court justice.
The conversations also show that, as a minister, she tried to veto the appointment of judges and support the promotion of others, in addition to sharing information with Hermosilla about cases of interest.
Matus, in turn, is accused of lack of probity and loss of impartiality after lying about his connection with Hermosilla and denying having exchanged messages with the lawyer – he later backtracked.
“He lied to the country and failed in his duty of truthfulness to the Chilean people,” said the leader of the Christian Democratic Party bench, Eric Aedo, who also mentioned the minister’s “loss of impartiality” “as a result of the communications he had with Hermosilla himself.”
The Chile Vamos coalition has filed a third charge against Vivanco and another Supreme Court justice, Sergio Muñoz, considered one of the most influential in the court and who, although not involved in the Hermosilla case, is being investigated for having given his daughter privileged information for the purchase of apartments.
“We filed a joint lawsuit (involving Vivanco and Muñoz) for abandonment of office, although for different reasons,” Jorge Guzmán, head of the bench of the traditional right-wing party Evópoli, told reporters.
“Sign of unity” of the Legislature
The parliamentarians described the crisis in the Chilean justice system as “the biggest in the last 34 years” and stated that the Legislative Branch is showing “a great sign of unity to combat corruption” in the country and, specifically, in the Judiciary.
Since Chile’s return to democracy in 1990, the Chamber of Deputies has brought eight constitutional charges against Supreme Court justices, prompting 20 judges from the highest court to sit in the dock.
If the Chamber of Deputies approves the accusation, it will be up to the Senate to decide on the impeachment of the three ministers.
The “Audios” case also affected Chile’s political and business elite, especially the center-right, as Hermosilla was an advisor to Andrés Chadwick, cousin and former Interior Minister during Sebastián Piñera’s two presidential terms (2010-2014 and 2018-2022).
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