Angela Vivanco Arrested by Carabineros: Facing Charges of Bribery and Money Laundering

Original article: Carabineros se llevó detenida y esposada a Ángela Vivanco: será formalizada por cohecho y lavado de activos

A video circulated on social media shows former Supreme Court Justice, Angela Vivanco, leaving her home in handcuffs and surrounded by a significant contingent of Carabineros’ OS7 unit.

In an unprecedented event in Chile’s judicial history, the OS7 unit of Carabineros detained and handcuffed former Supreme Court Justice Angela Vivanco Martínez on Sunday night. The operation took place at her residence in Las Condes, marking a pivotal moment in the corruption investigation known as the «Belarusian Doll bielorrusa» case.

The arrest followed an operation lasting approximately one hour, during which police officers entered and searched the home of the ousted judge. Present at the scene were also the regional prosecutor for Los Lagos, Marcos Muñoz, who informed Vivanco about the arrest warrant against her, alongside her attorney, Jorge Balladares.

Muñoz explained that the procedure was conducted smoothly and with Vivanco’s cooperation. «All legal formalities were observed, and her rights were read to her,» said the prosecutor.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the former justice was taken to police facilities and is set to be formally charged on Monday for bribery and money laundering.

Supreme Court Accepted Charges Against Vivanco

This police action is not an isolated incident. It occurred after the Supreme Court accepted charges against Vivanco on January 23, a necessary constitutional requirement for former members of the highest court to face criminal proceedings.

The Second Chamber of the highest court, comprising Justices Manuel Antonio Valderrama, Leopoldo Llanos, and María Cristina Gajardo, along with attorneys Juan Carlos Ferrada and Eduardo Gandulfo, issued a ruling (role 57.330-2025) that paved the way for formal charges. In its decision, the Court deemed that the legal requirements were met and that the evidence provided had the seriousness and credibility necessary to initiate a criminal process with all procedural guarantees for the participants.

Read the full ruling HERE

This ruling has formally enabled the Los Lagos Regional Prosecutor’s Office, which is in charge of the investigation, to request an arrest order and formalize the charges. The court emphasized the scope of its decision: «The pre-trial does not seek to determine facts or culpability but only to verify whether the evidence allows for criminal prosecution,» concluding that the charges presented had the necessary seriousness and plausibility.

The Four Chapters of the Accusation

The charges against Angela Vivanco are structured into four chapters. The Los Lagos Prosecutor’s investigation accuses her of alleged bribery in various degrees and money laundering. The case revolves around judicial decisions linked to cases in which the former justice participated while serving as a Supreme Court minister, specifically concerning matters related to the Chile-Belarusian consortium Belaz Movitec (CBM) and Codelco.

The core of the accusation states that Vivanco received a substantial bribe in dollars to favor CBM in the midst of litigation concerning a failed bidding process, thereby coercing the state copper company to pay over $17 billion pesos to the consortium.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in the alleged corruption scheme, lawyers Mario Vargas and Eduardo Lagos, representatives of CBM, would have made payments to the former minister through her partner, Gonzalo Migueles. All are currently under preventive custody in the Capitán Yáber annex, facing allegations of influence peddling, money laundering, bribery, and corruption.

The prosecution specifically accuses the former judge of failing to disqualify herself from participating in cases concerning CBM, despite her connections with the aforementioned lawyers, to expedite the processing of matters favoring the consortium, later laundering the funds obtained illegally.

The investigation has unveiled a mechanism to launder money and reintroduce it into the formal financial system, involving the suspended property registrars of Puente Alto and Chillán, Sergio Yáber and Yamil Najle, respectively, as well as money exchanger Harold Pizarro.

All these defendants have been formalized and currently face nighttime house arrest as a precautionary measure, benefiting from their cooperation with the investigation.

Formal Charges Against Angela Vivanco

With the arrest now complete, attention turns to the formalization hearing set for Monday. In this session, the Prosecutor’s Office will present the case to the judge and request any precautionary measures they deem necessary for Angela Vivanco. Meanwhile, the defense, led by Jorge Balladares, will have the opportunity to contest the charges.

Just days ago, Vivanco stated she was «awaiting formal charges and to assert my rights during that procedure (…) I have nothing to give up; if formalization is a procedure that needs a date, that’s what I’m waiting for».

«I am waiting for that date so I can appear in the procedure, and I also requested to testify,» she added.