On Thursday, the Seventh Guarantee Court of Santiago declared a complaint admissible, filed by the Chilean Commission on Human Rights, the National Group of Tax Employees (ANEF), and the Democratic Federation of University Health Professionals R.M. (FEDEPRUS), against President Sebastián Piñera, the former Minister of Health, Jaime Mañalich and the Undersecretary of Assistance Networks, Arturo Zúñiga.
The complainants contend that these authorities committed “gross negligence, as a conscious and voluntary neglect of their duties to ensure the protection of the right to life and health of the inhabitants of the Nation, which is reflected in the measures taken by the President of the Republic and the former Minister of Health in the territory of Chile , which resulted in the death of 10,159 people due to or from the covid-19 contagion, according to the 31st Epidemiological Report of the Ministry of Health, on Suspicious and Confirmed cases, accumulated as of July 5, 2020”.
At this point, they refer that “from the Government’s calls to ‘New Normality’ policies, the contagion curve in our country became uncontrollable and the collapse of the welfare network was catastrophic.”
“In addition, events that constitute crimes of corruption in times of pandemic are reported and a record is given about the lack of transparency in the delivery of information on infected and deceased persons, as well as measures of a false quarantine that allows employers to have thousands of workers attending work or in the sale of non-essential products” Added.
In the complaint, presented by the lawyer Carlos Margotta, president of the Chilean Commission on Human Rights, José Peréz, president of the ANEF and Lina Córdova Mangili, president of FEDEPRUS R.M., conclude that “the Government, through the actions of the complainants, has not complied with the principles on transparency, and the right of access to public information that governs the general , and its actions, does not comply with the requirements of the American Convention on Human Rights, nor does it comply with the provisions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, concerning the State obligation to ensure the right of access to public information, in the context of the emergency generated by COVID-19”.
In the complaint, brought by the wrongdoing of homicide (Art.391 No.2), incompatible negotiations and trafficking in influence (Art. 240), disclosure of public secrets or delivery of papers (Art. 246), refusal of relief (Art. 253), refusal or delay in protection or services (Art.256), and denial of services (Art.257), statement is requested from among the first proceedings to the President of the Republic. Juan Miguel Sebastián Piñera Echenique, and former Health Minister Jaime Mañalich Muxi.
