Infiltrated Police Officers, Closed Case, and Unanswered Questions: MP Pizarro Demands Clarity on USS Fire During Social Unrest

Original article: Dos carabineros infiltrados, una causa cerrada y preguntas sin responder: diputada Pizarro exige esclarecer incendio de la USS durante la revuelta popular

Deputy Lorena Pizarro has officially contacted the Public Ministry and the Ministry of Public Security following news that the criminal investigation into the fire at the Bellavista headquarters of San Sebastián University (USS), which occurred during the social upheaval, was closed. This decision came after two police officers were implicated in the incident. Through this action, the Communist parliamentarian demands answers to the yet unresolved questions to clarify a case that remained open for over three years without any accused.

The incident took place on December 27, 2019, and according to information from the media outlet Reportea, surveillance cameras recorded the involvement of David Gaete and Óscar Cifuentes, both officials from the Police Intelligence Division of Carabineros (Dipolcar). Given these details, the legislator demanded the Public Ministry clarify whether it will reopen the investigation, considering the seriousness of the facts uncovered.

Questions About Statement from Former Security Director of USS

Deputy Pizarro also questioned why the statement of Jorge Barraza, then director of security at the university, to the PDI is not included in the investigative file. This point is particularly relevant, as Barraza was the one who identified the two infiltrated police officers among the crowd at the time of the events.

Furthermore, the leader of the Association of Family Members of the Missing requested that the Ministry of Public Security inform whether it maintains its refusal to lift the secrecy regarding the details of Dipolcar related to the actions of the two carabineros linked to the fire.

She also called for clarification on the current status of both officials, including their rank, duties, unit of deployment, and assignments since December 2019.

Demand for Oversight Amid Impunity

For Deputy Pizarro, exercising this oversight is both essential and urgent, asserting that «we must not allow such a degree of impunity and concealment regarding serious facts that would reveal a conduct of Carabineros amid the social upheaval, which independent journalists have been investigating, totally contrary to what their function should be. If that is the case, it would be extremely serious and would require taking fundamental measures.»

Stalling the Investigation

Prosecutor José Morales sought to resolve in May 2021 what two police officers were doing in the midst of the fire at university facilities. Through an official document sent to Carabineros, he specifically asked about the two officials. Nearly one and a half years had passed since the incident and the investigation had not identified any responsible parties.

However, when the investigation into the participation of the two Carabineros, who were acting as infiltrated officers during the protests, began, an official letter from the Ministry of the Interior halted the inquiries.

Fire at the USS

The protests, which had started in October 2019, were still ongoing, with Plaza Italia being the epicenter of street actions every Friday. On December 27, the Bellavista headquarters of the USS, located just a few blocks from the square, was targeted.

According to Jorge Barraza, then national security director at San Sebastián University, around 5:30 PM, he noticed that «the gate was being cut and hooded individuals were attacking the university«.

«I estimate that there were about five hundred people throwing stones and a bunch of other things«, he emphasized.

During the chaos, several guards were injured and a fire devastated part of the installations on the -1 floor, prompting the university to file a complaint. For months, Barraza and his team undertook a thorough review of the surveillance camera footage to identify those who started the fire. During this process, «Barraza and another member of the security team identified two infiltrated carabineros,» reported Reportea.

Meeting with Chadwick

Barraza communicated his findings to the university’s leadership and reported that he was invited to a meeting with the highest authorities of the institution, which included Andrés Chadwick. However, it remains unclear what role the latter played, as by that time, the cousin of former president Sebastián Piñera was no longer serving as minister of the Interior and did not hold an administrative position at the university. When contacted by Reportea, he declined to comment on the matter.

Barraza also ensured that the information reached justice. In 2021, he testified before the PDI and recounted what he had discovered. Reportea confirmed with the PDI that his statement was taken, and that the police officials sent a report on the matter to the prosecution, but there is no trace of those documents in the case file.

Closing the Case Without Accusations

In a conversation with Reportea, prosecutor José Morales did not provide information on why the information was not included in the file. However, sources consulted by the media who were familiar with the investigation confirmed that two intelligence officers from Carabineros, David Gaete and Óscar Cifuentes, were identified inside the USS during the events.

The case file documented that although the prosecution had requested information about these carabineros from Dipolcar, that request was denied. An official letter issued by the Ministry of the Interior, just when Rodrigo Delgado served as head of the portfolio, stated that the Piñera government denied any information about the police officials, arguing that such details were protected by the law regulating the State Intelligence System. No other individuals involved could be identified, and in March 2023, the case was closed without any accusations.

Simultaneously, the two identified carabineros, Gaete and Cifuentes, were noted in other cases recorded during the social unrest of 2019, in which they allegedly acted as undercover police.

The University’s Version

The university responded in writing, claiming that Chadwick did not participate in any such meeting: «After the fire, the university authorities met with their Legal Department to review the details and determine the legal actions the institution should take. The university categorically states that Mr. Andrés Chadwick did not participate in any of those meetings. It should also be clarified that at that time, he had no connection with the university.»

According to the article from Reportea, the financial statements of the educational institution from 2021 indicate that the establishment collected an insurance payout of $1,258,337,000 following the fire. Barraza was terminated from USS on September 13, 2022 and currently provides services to companies and individuals through the firm «Barraza Investigations and Advice on Comprehensive Private Security».