Jaime Araya on Investigative Committee Regarding Trinidad Steinert: «Consulting an Ongoing Case Exceeds the Authority of the Minister of Security»

Original article: Diputado Araya por Comisión Investigadora sobre Steinert: «Haber consultado una causa que está en pleno desarrollo excede por lejos la facultad de la ministra de Seguridad»

Jaime Araya, the representative for the Antofagasta Region, emphasized that the allegations leading to the establishment of the Special Investigative Committee concerning former Minister of Security, Trinidad Steinert, are «very serious.» He expressed hope that the former secretary of state would attend the parliamentary session «and provide relevant information.»

«The incidents that triggered the creation of the Investigative Committee are quite grave; therefore, we expect that former Minister Steinert can appear and contribute to clarifying certain dates, dynamics that occurred, and the consequences of the actions that prompted this investigation,» stated the legislator.

Araya clarified that the Committee’s focus is not on her alleged poor performance as Minister of Security but is centered around the request for information she made to the PDI about a specific incident.

In this context, the deputy noted that a pivotal aspect needing clarification pertains to the potential consequences of that request and whether it influenced subsequent decisions, including those related to the dismissal of the former head of PDI Intelligence, Consuelo Peña.

«We are particularly interested in exploring the repercussions of this request and whether it had implications or influences on the removal of the former Intelligence Director, as well as the matters surrounding these events. Additionally, we have a long list of government officials we want to investigate regarding their roles, participation, and the decisions made following this situation,» Araya pointed out.

Finally, the Antofagasta legislator highlighted that the committee must reconstruct the sequence of events and ascertain the actions taken by various authorities and officials involved, «especially given that the request for information appeared to be linked to a case that was still actively developing.»

«This is a significant issue fundamentally related to having consulted about an ongoing case, which we believe far exceeds the authority of the Minister of Security,» Araya emphasized.

We will continue to provide updates.