Kayser Factory Fire: Victims’ Attorney Denounces Disinformation and Refutes Case Closure Claims

Original article: Incendio en fábrica Kayser: abogada de las víctimas denuncia “desinformación” y desmiente cierre del caso

Six years after the tragedy that shocked the nation, the case of the Kayser factory fire returns to the public debate following leaked reports suggesting a potential closure of the investigation. However, the victims’ attorney, Alejandra Arriaza, countered these claims, alleging a campaign of «disinformation» and affirming that the investigative process remains active.

In an interview with the program La Mañanera hosted by El Ciudadano Director Javier Pineda Olcay, Arriaza detailed inconsistencies in the investigation, criticized the actions of state institutions, and stressed that the families of the five deceased—Julián Pérez, Andrés Ponce, Manuel Muga, Luis Salas, and Yoshua Osorio—are still waiting for justice.

The attorney contextualized the severity of the tragedy, which occurred in October 2019 in the Renca commune during the social outbreak, labeling it a turning point in the violation of human rights during that period.

«The Kayser case is a terrible event we mourn and condemn, which happened on a day like today, October 20, 2019, at the Kayser warehouses, where there was looting followed by a fire resulting in the death of five individuals inside. It is an emblematic case that marks us because it signals the beginning of a series of human rights violations that occurred during the social outbreak,» she stated.

Arriaza added that this case shares a pattern with other similar incidents, where, in her view, the truth has not been clarified, nor has justice been served.

Biased Leak and Disinformation Surrounding the Kayser Factory Fire

After media outlets reported that a PDI report within the investigation case file would disprove the accounts of two key «witnesses,» the attorney questioned the timing and manner of this information’s release, alleging deceptive intent.

«It’s curious that this report comes to light just days before the six-year anniversary of these deaths and other cases, particularly since this report was part of the investigative file delivered in February of this year, which we accessed in May. We are the plaintiffs, and thus have access to everything that enters the investigative file. However, only a partial part of it was made public, and we obviously reject the way this has been communicated to the public, as it rather misinforms than informs and leads to conclusions that are inaccurate,» she noted.

Furthermore, the attorney refuted claims that the Prosecutor’s Office is poised to conclude the investigation. According to an article published by La Segunda, prosecutor José Morales of the Centro Norte Prosecutor’s Office received a report from the PDI exceeding 500 pages, which supports the case’s closure and states there was no involvement from public officials or external manipulation in the incident.

«It is reported that the prosecution is considering closing the case based on two testimonies. However, that is not the case. We are investigating the deaths of five individuals, the fire, and other crimes that are still active. Many procedures are underway because this case cannot be closed simply because one or two witnesses might have lied. This is a serious matter, but must be weighed in the context of a six-year investigation,» she argued.

Role of the Investigative Committee of the Chamber

In her conversation with La Mañanera, the victims’ attorney emphasized the distinction between the criminal investigation led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the work carried out by the Special Investigative Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, whose purpose was entirely different.

«The conclusion expressed in this report suggests that the investigation will be closed, but it also questions a special investigative committee, which makes no sense, since the committee did not investigate the deaths of these individuals, nor the fire, or the thefts. The committee investigated the lack of service, specifically how state institutions have failed to clarify a crime affecting five families in particular,» she explained.

State Failures: A Chain of Negligence

When questioned about the main failures of service identified by the parliamentary committee, the attorney outlined a series of negligence issues that reportedly began from the very outset, involving Carabineros de Chile, the Legal Medical Service (SML), and the prosecutor’s office itself.

«There are various ways in which the institutions, specifically Carabineros and the Legal Medical Service, as well as the Prosecutor’s Office, have failed to comply. For instance, from the beginning, the measures to secure the crime scene were lost, evidence that was present on-site on the day of the incident was not collected, and certain aspects were tampered with, fundamentally the way this process began, which criminalized the victims from the start,» she pointed out.

Arriaza criticized how the narrative portraying the victims as «looters» quickly gained traction in public opinion and even in police reports, which, in her view, skewed the investigation from the outset.

«There was no investigation into who they were and how they arrived there, yet it was claimed they were looters. It was communicated to the public and stated in police reports, leading to a lack of rigor in information from that point onward,» she recalled.

Concerning the SML, she revealed that there were such significant failures that they necessitated reopening the forensic investigation.

«It was essential to request extensions of the original autopsies; in fact, exhumation and new autopsies were required for two of the bodies because clearly there were aspects that were not handled properly from the beginning of the investigation,» the lawyer explained.

Who Are the Responsible Parties?: A Question Still Awaiting Answers

When asked if, as a plaintiff, she had any information regarding who might be responsible for the deaths of the five individuals in the Kayser warehouse fire, the legal representative was cautious, stating that her role is not to point fingers without evidence, but to ensure the investigation progresses to uncover the truth.

«We have never named direct suspects, as we do not have that information and hope that the efforts to clarify this matter are concluded swiftly and in a timely manner, because clearly the harm being inflicted on these families is enormous,» she said.

Attorney Alejandra Arriaza concluded her remarks on the show by calling for media responsibility and reaffirming her belief that justice must provide definitive answers to the families of the five victims.

«With the fragmented news being released, and reports that conclude situations which are not accurate, it only deepens the harm to these families. We believe the public has the right to know the complete truth, not in piecemeal fashion. Therefore, with respect to these families, we believe it is precisely the responsibility of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the courts to provide the answers to this question,» she stated.

Arriaza’s statements not only clarify the current status of the Kayser case but also expose the irregularities recorded in the initial handling of the investigation and the ongoing struggle of the families to attain the truth. Six years after the tragedy, the path to justice is shadowed by disinformation, rekindling the pain of those demanding to know what truly happened inside the Kayser factory on that fateful October 20, 2019.

In the Monday, October 20 broadcast of La Mañanera, our director interviewed Nicolás Romero, the director of Revista de Frente and a candidate for deputy for the Popular Ecologist Left Pact in District 11.