Former Panguipulli Mayor Banned for 5 Years Remains Tourism Advisor in Los Lagos Municipality

Original article: Exalcalde de Panguipulli inhabilitado por 5 años sigue en la Municipalidad de Los Lagos como asesor de turismo

In a controversial decision drawing attention to the enforcement of integrity sanctions, the Los Lagos Municipality has confirmed that Pedro Burgos Vásquez, the former mayor of Panguipulli recently banned for five years from holding public office, will continue to serve as a tourism advisor for the town. This comes despite a ruling by the Regional Electoral Tribunal (TER) of Los Ríos issued at the end of November, which sanctioned him for «notable abandonment of duties» and «serious violation of administrative integrity.»

According to Diario Languino, the mayor of Los Lagos, Víctor Fritz (Ind-Chile Vamos), upheld the validity of the agreement binding Burgos to the municipality, arguing that the principle of presumption of innocence protects him while his appeal is processed by the Electoral Qualifying Tribunal (Tricel).

The municipal leader indicated that the former mayor will maintain his contract until December 31, and according to information obtained by the cited media outlet, he will continue in the role unless Tricel upholds the condemnation, at which point his employment with the municipality would be terminated.

Former Panguipulli Mayor Banned for Five Years

The TER ruling from Los Ríos, which led to the ban, accepted a complaint lodged by three councilors from Panguipulli, who raised concerns about several events that occurred during Burgos’s administration (2016-2021), based on reports from the Comptroller General’s Office.

The tribunal detailed numerous irregularities, including:

Conflict of interests in hiring: It was confirmed that Burgos committed an offense by failing to refrain from participating in the hiring of his romantic partner by the municipality. Concerns were also raised about the hiring of his daughter, although the ruling acknowledged that she had already been performing functions in the previous administration; however, Burgos did not disclose the situation, constituting a violation.

Irregular payments with municipal funds: The tribunal found that payments were made to a former councilor through checks drawn from the funds of the Panguipulli Municipal Sports Corporation, although the exact amount was not specified.

Negligence and abandonment of duties: The former mayor was found negligent in his surveillance and control duties in various cases, including failure to pay for municipal internet services, improperly attempting to purchase a site in the Chauquén area without following required protocols, and the existence of municipal programs lacking accountability.

After reviewing these circumstances, the Regional Electoral Tribunal of Los Ríos «barred Burgos from holding public office for 5 years, establishing that there are sufficient grounds to constitute notable abandonment of duties and serious violation of administrative integrity,»

When contacted by Radio Bio Bío regarding the ruling, Pedro Burgos confirmed he would review the tribunal’s decision with his lawyers to file an appeal in the coming days.