Martín de los Santos Seeks Punta Peuco Prison as His Defense Cites «Hostile Environment»

Original article: Martín de los Santos arrancó a Brasil y ahora pide Punta Peuco: “ambiente hostil”, dice su defensa

A complex chapter unfolds in the judicial saga of Martín de los Santos, the Chilean businessman detained in Brazil since mid-last year. The case, which shocked public opinion due to the brutal assault on custodian Guillermo Oyarzún, continues to spark controversy with the imminent deportation of the accused and his defense’s strategy concerning where he will face justice.

De los Santos fled Chile in July 2025, crossing into Brazil at a crucial legal juncture when no measures were preventing his exit from the country. However, this escape was cut short with his arrest in the Brazilian territory, and authorities are now working to expedite his return.

In this context, as the Metropolitan Eastern Prosecutor’s Office, led by Prosecutor Francisco Lanas, fine-tunes the transfer details in coordination with Interpol Chile, the businessman’s defense has presented its main demand: the prison facility where De los Santos should serve his preventive detention.

Punta Peuco or Casablanca

According to Meganoticias, Martín de los Santos’s defense, led by attorney Guillermo Giugliano, has filed formal petitions with the court to consider the possibility of his confinement in the Punta Peuco Penitentiary Center or, alternatively, in the Casablanca Preventive Detention Center.

The aim is for the courts to direct the Chilean prison service, Gendarmería de Chile, to prepare the necessary technical reports on the feasibility of the accused completing preventive imprisonment in these facilities, which offer different characteristics compared to the general prison population.

This request is not merely administrative; it encapsulates the core strategy of the defense: to prevent Martín de los Santos from being sent to a conventional prison where, they argue, his physical safety would be seriously compromised.

«Hostile Collective Environment»: Defense Arguments

To justify this request, attorney Guillermo Giugliano has highlighted the concept of a «hostile collective environment» surrounding his client. This environment, according to the lawyer, results directly from the extensive media exposure the case has received since its inception.

Specifically, he argued that there is a «hostile collective environment» around Martín de los Santos due to the media coverage of the case, suggesting he could be harmed by other inmates if placed in a standard penitentiary.

To strengthen its case, the defense noted a parallel investigation into an assault that the businessman claimed to have suffered upon leaving the Justice Center after a detention control hearing, which reportedly resulted in serious injuries, including rib fractures and damage to an arm. This incident, according to his legal representation, serves as compelling evidence of the vulnerability he faces.

In documents submitted to the court, the defense argued that Martín de los Santos «faces a real and immediate risk of physical harm or threats to his life» if a proper technical evaluation for his prison assignment is not conducted. They also underscored that it is the state’s duty to ensure the safety of all individuals deprived of liberty, as reported by the digital outlet La Hora.

A Public Image Built on Smoke

De los Santos boasted of being a certified financial therapist for high-net-worth clients. He offered spiritual retreats priced at $7,000, invited clients to “profit from a home with an ocean view,” and sold land in Pichilemu, which he even tried to offer as compensation to Guillermo Oyarzún’s family, who rejected the proposal.

In previous interviews, he also claimed to have been a member of the youth wing of the UDI, one of Chile’s far-right political parties, and asserted that on the night of the assault, he was unknowingly drugged or fell victim to a «chemical submission,» as his former lawyer suggested, in an attempt to absolve himself.

Brutal Assault with Irreversible Consequences

It is important to recall that the attack on the custodian occurred in a building in Vitacura, where security cameras recorded Martín de los Santos brutally assaulting Guillermo Oyarzún, who is 70 years old. The victim sustained a jaw fracture and loss of vision in one eye. The footage of the event caused social media outrage and public pressure on the judicial system.

Despite his history of violence, De los Santos had previously managed to avoid serious sanctions. According to information published by Radio Bío Bío, he has a record of assaults, threats, mistreatment of police officers, identity concealment, and a particularly violent incident in 2019 involving an assault on a lawyer who had been with his ex-partner. In all those cases, he emerged unscathed: dismissed charges, compensations, or conditional suspension of proceedings.