The North Central Prosecutor’s Office consider requesting Third Guarantee Court of Santiago to advance the date of the hearing to formalize charges against the mayor of Recoleta, Daniel Jadueafter his attempted trip to Venezuela.
The instance, initially scheduled for next May 29is part of the case against the communal chief, one of the important figures of the Communist Party (PC), due to suspicions about alleged crimes of bribery, unfair administration, tax fraud, concealment of assets and fraudfor its management by the Popular Pharmacies.
Jadue was scheduled to take a flight to Caracas at 00:30 this Thursdayto participate in the «Meeting towards the World Social Alternative Agenda» together with various intellectuals, organizations and related forces from different Latin American countries.
However, his intentions to travel were frustrated when the Investigative Police (PDI) prevented him from boarding the plane to his destination in Santiago International Airport.
«Today they prevented me from traveling outside of Chile for three days. I do not have any precautionary measures. The Prosecutor threatens to arrest me. This is an attack on democracy and an authoritarian and unconstitutional measure»accused on social network X, warning that he would exercise the necessary legal actions «to stop these arbitrariness.»
Today they prevented me from traveling outside Chile for three days. I don’t have any precautionary measures. Prosecutor threatens to arrest me. This is an attack on democracy and an authoritarian and unconstitutional measure. I will exercise all legal actions to stop these arbitrariness!
— Daniel Jadue (@danieljadue) April 18, 2024
Later, in a statement from the Municipality of Recoleta, Jadue assured that the prosecutor Giovanna Herrerawhich will formalize it, spoke to his attorney to allegedly threaten a verbal arrest warrant if he boarded the plane.
«It was a very strange situation, because I arrived at the airport, I passed all the controls, they stamped my passport and after the entire process was carried out without problems, a PDI police officer approached me and told me that there were situations to resolve before my journey. There I found out that the Prosecutor’s Office did not want me to travel, which seems very serious to me, since we are facing an unparalleled persecution.»he stated.
📄Statement: Given the impediment to travel today, April 18, to Caracas, Venezuela, to be part of the «Meeting towards the World Social Alternative Agenda», Mayor Daniel Jadue establishes the following👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/iDP2lLuIFu
— Municipality of Recoleta (@Muni_Recoleta) April 18, 2024
After what happened, Jadue’s defense announced that he requested a warranty precautionary hearingwhich was set for this Friday at 1:00 p.m. in the Third Guarantee Court of Santiago.
Through a public statement, the PC assured that Jadue was a victim of «a discriminatory act and a flagrant violation of rights», and reiterated his support, underlining «the presumption of innocence of the mayor, who has actively collaborated in the ongoing process, even voluntarily opening his bank accounts.»
📢 PC Declaration of Chile regarding violation of constitutional guarantees by Mayor Daniel Jadue. pic.twitter.com/cakzvPkqFo
— Communist Party of Chile (@PCdeChile) April 19, 2024
The head of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the National Prosecutor’s Office, Eugenio Camposdefended that «our duties and obligations are clearly established in the legislation, within which, among others, are precisely that the success of the development of the diligence is fulfilledas well as those people, whether public employees or individuals, can appear in a timely manner in court.»
Regarding the animosity that Jadue accuses of suffering against him, Campos stressed that «in these more than 20 years that we have been with the Public Ministry, regarding these arrests, which are very respectful, by the way, we are absolutely calm.»