David Cid Aedo Sues El Mercurio: Claiming Editorial Practices Ruin Lives to Protect the Elite

Original article: Demanda a El Mercurio: Su línea editorial destruye vidas para proteger a la élite

After a thirteen-year legal battle, David Cid Aedo speaks out against the media fabrications linking him to serious crimes and the extended justice system delays.

David Cid Aedo, a sociologist and victim of Operation Huracán, has endured the stigma of headlines branding him as a terrorist and criminal for the last two decades. In an exclusive interview with El Ciudadano, he recounts that the persecution did not solely come from intelligence agencies, but primarily from the prominent newspaper El Mercurio SAP.

Currently, Cid is pursuing a civil lawsuit for more than 100 million pesos against the country’s most recognized media outlet, a trial prolonged for over thirteen years due to what he describes as delaying tactics by lawyers who are «experts in press freedom» seeking to avoid setting a historic judicial precedent.

History of Stigmas and False Headlines

David Cid asserts that his persecution was marked by the murder of Argentine sergeant José Aigo, which occurred on March 7, 2012, in Neuquén. During a vehicle inspection in Pilo Lil, the officer was shot dead, and while the actual perpetrators were identified, the Chilean press directed its accusations toward Cid Aedo.

“This event occurred in Argentina, yet El Mercurio and La Tercera implicated me, claiming I was involved in the confrontation,” he explains. While headlines labeled him as a suspect linked to the escape of the attackers into Chile, the sociologist was engaged in his regular work in the Biobío region, entirely unaware of the crime.

The initial identification of Cid in this case was based on alleged raids and intelligence leaks portraying him as part of the logistics for the MIR. However, the affected party emphasizes that this information was false and was used to recycle his image as a «dangerous ex-MIR member,» leading to his immediate dismissal from a corporation in Los Ángeles.

The victim points out that security agencies should have known he was not in the mountains that day. According to the accuser, this practice demonstrates a lack of ethical journalism that prioritizes sensational headlines over the truth of the news.

The Legal “Pack” and Justice That Doesn’t Arrive

In light of the serious allegations from the Aigo case, Cid Aedo filed a civil lawsuit in 2012 against El Mercurio, seeking compensation exceeding 100 million pesos for the moral and professional damage caused.

“This pack of lawyers, as I refer to them, has unnecessarily delayed this case,” the sociologist claims regarding the legal teams from both consortiums. Cid discovered experts in press freedom with PhDs abroad, exclusively dedicated to hindering the progress of the lawsuit through delaying motions and technicalities that have postponed the ruling for nearly 13 years.

The process has faced unusual obstacles, such as the alleged loss of investigative files and difficulties in notifying the companies’ representatives. Cid mentions that these practices aim to induce fatigue: “A civil trial lasts between 5 and 7 years, but this case has dragged on due to the actions of these lawyers who are familiar with every nuance of the system,” he asserts.

Currently, the lawsuit remains stalled, prompting Cid Aedo to demand that the judiciary act swiftly to prevent the economic power of El Mercurio from becoming a shield of impunity against the defamation of a citizen.

From Operation Huracán to Editorial Lawfare

In September 2017, David Cid’s name re-emerged in national headlines during the “Operation Huracán”. In this police operation, he was accused of “terrorist association” alongside Mapuche leaders. The mainstream media immediately validated messages from WhatsApp and Telegram that later revealed to be fabricated.

“El Mercurio implicated me again in that issue; it was no longer crime, now it was terrorism,” he explains. The newspaper acted as an echo chamber for police intelligence hypotheses, assigning headlines without any substantiation. According to the sociologist, the outlet set the tone for the criminalization of the social movement and justified the intervention of special units.

David Cid recounts that despite all the accused in the Huracán case being acquitted after spending two years in prison without evidence, his name continued to surface in November 2022 with new leaks that positioned him as a “person of interest” judicially. In this context, he is linked to the planning of arson attacks by the CAM in 2021, based on the assumption that he had facilitated his vehicle for logistical purposes.

For Cid, these situations are a clear representation of “Lawfare,” where journalism is used to politically neutralize adversaries. He states that media outlets utilize unverified data “magnifying and socializing false information,” concerning the role of the Edwards newspaper in the persecution of leaders.

After the collapse of the Huracán setup and the conviction of the responsible police officers, Cid reflects on media complicity: “El Mercurio was the first to break the news when the setup began to unravel to try to control the narrative,” he asserts, denouncing that the newspaper has historically sided with authoritarian sectors to protect class privileges.

The Cost is Unemployment and Isolation

The repercussions of being systematically linked to crimes such as that of Sergeant Moyano or Sergeant Aigo have been devastating. As a “Googleable” figure associated with political violence, employment opportunities have closed, affecting his professional and family stability.

He confesses that he struggles to find work because all these cases arise online, leading to nearly five years without stable employment. Despite being an experienced professional with teaching credentials in institutes and universities, the media stigma acts like a perpetual sentence, preventing him from pursuing his vocation as a sociologist.

Isolation extends beyond the workplace, as the damage has also permeated his personal relationships. Cid recounts experiencing rejection from acquaintances and family who fall victim to the mass media’s advertising machine. He adds, “They have harmed my life, and my family is also affected by what appears in the news,” he laments.

For the sociologist, living under this shadow means he cannot lead a normal life despite being free; his name remains anchored to the media dossier: “Even though there’s no evidence against me, the media always link me to these issues,” he concludes.

Prisoners of “Military Justice”

In his denunciation, Cid Aedo does not forget those who continue to suffer the consequences of judicial processes marred by exceptional logic. He makes a special call for Marcela Villarroel, who remains “imprisoned by military justice laws that should have been revoked, unjust laws that should no longer be applied,” he emphasizes.

The sociologist highlights the contradiction that while others involved in high-profile cases are free, Villarroel continues to be incarcerated in Rancagua under outdated regulations. For Cid, this is part of the same system that employs law and communication to differentially punish certain social groups that the elite considers enemies.

Finally, David Cid asserts that his fight against El Mercurio is a means of halting the abuse of media power. “I have nothing left to lose; I have no job or anyone to answer to, which is why I dare to denounce these large companies and their editorial line,” he states firmly.

The resolution of his civil lawsuit for over 100 million pesos has become a symbol of resistance. Cid hopes that his case will prompt mainstream media to realize they cannot destroy a citizen’s image with false information and that justice must prevail for all equally.