Chile: Justice Minister and Cabinet Chief Gabriel Boric resigned after controversial 13 pardons

After the controversy over the granting of 13 pardons to the detainees in the 2019 protests in Chile -and the subsequent crossover of the Government with the Supreme Court of Justice for this decision- Minister of Justice and Gabriel Boric’s cabinet chief resigned from their posts.

The news was confirmed this Saturday by the president himself, who announced from the Palacio de Moneda that he had accepted the resignations of both officials.

It concerns Marcela Ríos and Matías Meza-Lopehandiawhose intention to leave their posts arose after the opposition questioned the measure taken against those convicted in protests of the social epidemic and a former guerrilla who fought against the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet .

“Because there was disorder in the execution of my decision to grant pardons and also considering the need to strengthen the political management of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, I have decided to accept the resignation of Marcela Ríos Tobar from said portfolio”, Boric declared in the first instance

And the Chilean president added: “When situations of these characteristics arise, we have to take responsibility”.

Finally, he thanked him for his “selfless work” at the helm of the portfolio and said that Luis Cordero will take his place “in the next few days”, since he is out of the country.

The resignation of Meza-Lopehandía, a low-profile official who had been his mentor when the current president was a law student, was later announced.

according to the newspaper Thirdthe resignation is also linked to pardons, as the chief of staff had played an active role in the case selection process.

A pardon for the prisoners of the uprising was one of Boric’s electoral promises during his presidential candidacy in 2021, in which he ensured that he would deliver this benefit to all those protesters who have been imprisoned for crimes not related to injury or assault on people .

In addition to pardoning those detained for the protests, Boric also pardoned Jorge Mateluna, a former member of the Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front armed organization, which fought against the Pinochet dictatorship.

Criticism of the opposition to Minister Ríos

The opposition had criticized the minister, above all for the pardon of Mateluna, and had announced the presentation, next Monday, of a constitutionality charge against him.

“It’s been eleven months of having to appoint a national prosecutor and, of course, eleven months of having to advise the president not to pardon people with criminal records, not to pardon people with previous pardons, not to pardon terrorists,” he said. Deputy Jorge Alessandri, of the conservative Independent Democratic Union (Udi).

Diego Schalper, general secretary of the centre-right National Renewal party, said no one would understand the opposition’s participation at a security negotiating table while Boric “gives” irregular pardons to criminals. Similarly, opposition group spokesmen revealed that a constitutional charge against Justice Minister Marcela Ríos is under consideration.

For its part, the Western Metropolitan Prosecutor’s Office, responsible for the Mateluna case, has issued a statement in which it states that the man is under investigation for robbery with intimidation, manslaughter against policemen on duty, carrying and possession of weapons of war and common fire weapons.

He added that Mateluna was arrested in flagrante delicto -committing the crime- and that the investigation “has demonstrated his participation as author in them”. The sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court.

With information from Telam

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