«False Declaration» and Apartment in Papudo: Gabriel Silber Reveals Pressures and Favors Involving Vivanco, Lagos, and Vargas

Original article: “Declaración falsa” y depto en Papudo: Gabriel Silber revela ante Fiscalía presiones y favores en el círculo de Vivanco, Lagos y Vargas

In a judicial statement lasting over six hours, former congressman Gabriel Silber Romo (DC) severed ties with his former partners at the law firm, Mario Vargas and Eduardo Lagos—who are currently in preventive detention due to the bribery case involving former Supreme Court Minister, Ángela Vivanco. Additionally, Silber unveiled a series of previously unknown details that expose a web of coordination, pressure, and favors within the investigated circle.

Before the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of Los Lagos, Silber—who is accused but not formally charged in the «bielorrus plot» investigating bribery in exchange for favorable court rulings—explained that following the formalization of his colleagues, they sent him a message from jail requesting that he visit to prepare a false declaration that would disguise the payment of a bribe to Vivanco.

Silber also confirmed that the former Supreme Minister coordinated with the lawyers to face the investigation and that it was common for Mario Vargas to lend his apartment in Papudo while the litigation between Codelco and the Chilean-Belarusian consortium Belaz Movitec (CBM) was ongoing.

It is worth noting that in the «bielorrus plot» case, the Public Ministry alleges that Vivanco would have received at least $57 million from CBM through her partner, Gonzalo Migueles, as well as through lawyers Eduardo Lagos and Mario Vargas.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, these illicit payments coincided with favorable judicial resolutions for the consortium in its litigation against Codelco, resulting in the state-owned mining company disbursing nearly $20 million due to these rulings.

Discussion in Lagos’ Office

A report by Reportea.cl revealed that Silber’s testimony began at noon on Wednesday, November 19. His first action was to submit his cellphone for forensic examination along with the passwords to his email account to the prosecutors.

«I feel destroyed about everything that has happened, as this has tarnished my name and severely affects my reputation and my profession as a lawyer. It was when I could glimpse the magnitude of this situation that I decided to cooperate,» he stated, as evidenced by the nine pages of the transcript of his declaration.

The former parliamentarian recounted the moment when he realized the extent of the scandal during a discussion in the office following a report from La Bot that detailed suspicious bank transfers.

«Following that report, a discussion erupted in Lagos’ office. Vargas, Lagos, and I were present, and I recall Mario Vargas expressing his surprise to Lagos regarding the checks, currency payments, and transfers related to the Itaú bank account of the firm. Vargas stated he would not take responsibility for those transfers, operations, or currency purchases. It was at that moment I became aware of where I was working and with whom, and that I had to leave that office,» he recounted.

However, he did not leave immediately and testified to the prosecutors: «I froze and was scared that I would be held responsible for these acts if I left abruptly. I waited for the situation to explode, and it did.»

Call from Jail to Coordinate False Declaration

In his testimony, Silber referenced an attempted coordination by his former partners, already in preventive detention at the Captain Yaber Prison, to create a false declaration that would disguise the $45 million payment made to Gonzalo Migueles, which the Prosecutor’s Office alleged was one of the bribes given to Vivanco in exchange for her favorable rulings for CBM in the case against Codelco.

«I received information via telephone from a third person (whose identity was not revealed), passing along a message for me to visit the Captain Yaber Prison to see Mr. Lagos, Vargas, and Migueles, in order to coordinate the contents of the declaration, in which this business attempt would be presented as a front to justify the $45 million paid to Mr. Migueles,» he asserted.

The «business attempt» involved a supposed idea for «recovering insured vehicles» in which Gonzalo Migueles, Vivanco’s partner, would allegedly participate.

Silber claimed, however, that the venture «did not prosper; it was no more than a bad idea, there were no services performed, no fund movements, no advances, no payments whatsoever.» The goal, according to his statement, was to use this facade to disguise the $45 million payment to Migueles, which the Prosecutor’s Office considers a bribe intended for Vivanco.

The former parliamentarian asserted that he did not comply with the call and had no further contact with them since their detention.

In his testimony, Silber indicated that the connection between Migueles and Vargas and Lagos was deeper and went beyond the failed business.

«I only knew Mr. Migueles as a regular visitor of Mario Vargas in a social context within the office […] based on my analysis, there was a friendly bond between them, judging by their greetings, not in a protocol or professional attorney-client manner; there was a certain familiarity in their conversations, their bond was such that it led me to believe they had a social connection extending beyond the office. I would estimate I saw him about once a week or every ten days,» he noted.

«Until now, no one in the case had declared the existence of a friendship between Vargas and Migueles. Furthermore, when Angela Vivanco testified before the Ethics Commission of the Supreme Court over a year ago (she was initially questioned about the actions of her partner during the last National Prosecutor election), she said she hardly knew Vargas and had only interacted with him because he was a friend of Antonio Ulloa, the dismissed minister of the Santiago Court. The facts revealed afterward demonstrated that version to be false,» highlighted journalist Nicolás Sepúlveda in his report for Reportea.cl.

Apartment in Papudo for Vivanco and Favors to Simpertigue

Gabriel Silber also provided two key details regarding alleged favors to members of the Judicial Branch.

First, he mentioned an apartment in Papudo that Vargas allegedly lent to Vivanco while the case against Codelco was ongoing.

«[…] I began gathering information in the office with other workers, discussing that it was common for Mario Vargas to lend his apartment in Papudo to Mrs. Vivanco during the processing of the CBM/Codelco case,» he stated.

He also indicated that Lagos facilitated an apartment for the personal use of Diego Simpertigue’s stepson, the Supreme Court minister who favored CBM with his vote on two occasions.

«I am aware, having heard it from the secretary, Ms. María Pía, that during the year 2023 approximately, Eduardo Lagos, who owns an apartment in El Golf, lent it for more than a year and a half to the stepson of Minister Simpertigue for his personal use, understanding there was no exchange for this,» he noted.

He added that the secretary went to receive the apartment on Lagos’ behalf and that this fact coincided with the final period of the CBM/Codelco case, in which Minister Simpertigue intervened in several resolutions.

Concerning Simpertigue, Silber also confirmed foreign trips with his former partners, stating: «I heard that both had traveled with Simpertigue on another trip in 2022, to Italy,» and when asked how he knew this, he answered: «Because I heard Mario and Eduardo talking about it.»

Attempt to Script Statements and Negotiations with Codelco

Silber’s statement detailed two other episodes of coordination in maneuvers and operations.

The former parliamentarian recounted a lunch at the restaurant Due Torri, which he attended with Vargas, Lagos, and Harold Pizarro—owner of a money exchange—after Pizarro’s phone was seized. According to Silber, «Lagos was telling Harold what he had to say, which was that those operations he made were with him and that he delivered the money to him and not to mention others; I remember it was repeated and emphatic on this last point.»

He also referred to coordination with Angela Vivanco in the CBM case against Codelco.

«I learned through the office procurators, who commented on a WhatsApp audio sent by Mrs. Vivanco to Mario Vargas, regarding a correction of a document to be presented to the Los Lagos Prosecutor’s Office about the leak of the file,» he stated in his declaration to the prosecutors.

Silber also mentioned messages that former congressman Aldo Cornejo sent to Máximo Pacheco, president of Codelco, informing him of the adverse ruling and offering a «friendly» solution.

«I called Aldo to request details about this information, who confirmed it and told me that the call was made at Eduardo Lagos’ request,» he asserted.

With his declaration, Gabriel Silber has brought forth new and serious elements in the so-called “bielorrus plot,” revealing pressures, attempts to coordinate defenses with false narratives, and a network of favors that, according to the evidence, extended to the offices of the Supreme Court.