Revealing Chats Implicate Chadwick in Influencing Investigations Amid Legal Controversy

Original article: La “acción directa” que la Fiscalía decía no tener para formalizar a Chadwick: chats muestran al exministro dando instrucciones a Hermosilla

A recent leak of over 12,000 pages of chats showing coordination between former Minister of the Interior Andrés Chadwick and lawyer Luis Hermosilla aims to sway judicial investigations threatening Sebastián Piñera’s government, undermining the justification the Prosecutor’s Office has maintained for not formalizing charges against the ex-minister.

The chats, sourced from Hermosilla’s phone, unveil a direct connection to former prosecutor Manuel Guerra, who reportedly leaked confidential information while seeking employment in exchange for ensuring favorable outcomes for members of Piñera’s administration.

As revealed by a report from Reportea, the most sensitive communications took place via Telegram—an app known for its enhanced privacy—yet the «most compromising» messages remain unexamined.

In an interview with La Prueba de ADN, investigative editor Gabriela Pizarro suggested that the addition of these 12,000 pages of conversations to the case against Guerra, who is in preventive detention for aggravated bribery, misconduct, and revealing secrets, could lead to a dramatic shift.

«Chadwick Was in Charge»

In this investigation, both Hermosilla and Chadwick are implicated, and thus far, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has only proceeded to formalize charges against the lawyer, scheduled for October 26. The journalist asserts that these files clearly indicate the lawyer acted as an intermediary and executor of directives from his then-political superior.

«Chadwick was in charge,» she stated, emphasizing that the lawyer needed authorization or instructions before taking any action.

The declassified material places the events in 2018, during Sebastián Piñera’s first term, as his former electoral manager Santiago Valdés was under investigation for fraudulent invoices that allegedly funded the 2009-2010 presidential campaign illegally.

According to the chats, sensing an imminent threat, Hermosilla inquired of Chadwick whether he should intervene with the prosecutor.

«Should I do something regarding this news with Manuel Guerra?» His response was, «Well, how much?» The transaction was finalized in record time, with Hermosilla confirming just two minutes later that the prosecutor would provide a «number.»

On April 23, 2018, Hermosilla forwarded Chadwick messages from the prosecutor: «Lucho, when possible, let our friend know that the main concern now is our friend Santiago Valdes (…) This seems complicated.» There is no doubt about the identity of «our friend,» and the urgency to resolve Valdés’s judicial situation is evident. The following day, as the agreement faltered, Hermosilla insisted and was instructed that the full payment of the invoices would likely be the most logical solution, following the same scheme that had previously worked with Senator Iván Moreira.

On the same day Guerra opted not to appeal the Supreme Court’s dismissal of Valdés’s case, he messaged Hermosilla seeking employment. As the deadline for an appeal expired, he texted: «It’s good to start leaving the messes behind», which, according to the editor of Reportea, could indicate a potential crime of bribery or corruption.

To evade justice, the duo transferred their conversations to the Telegram app, a platform Hermosilla reserved for his most trusted contacts. These messages constitute a space that remains inaccessible to prosecutors. However, even as the lawyer repeatedly demanded that any mention of «Andrés» be deleted, he maintained records of their conversations on his own phone, allowing for a timeline reconstruction today.

Prosecutors are Working Blind

Journalist Gabriela Pizarro informed La Prueba de ADN that this substantial body of evidence undermines the justification the Prosecutor’s Office had used for months to avoid formalizing charges against Chadwick. The official response from the Public Prosecutor’s Office consistently claimed that there was no «direct action» from the ex-minister in the illegal activities, as his name appeared only tangentially or because Hermosilla had validated himself using his influence. The current messages represent the first material evidence of Chadwick giving explicit orders, eliminating any doubt about his active participation in the network.

Despite the historical impact of the findings, Pizarro warns that the judicial process is advancing with significant limitations. The various offices handling aspects of the case are working «blind», as the critical cell phone provided by the ex-minister is solely in the possession of the Metropolitan East Prosecutor’s Office, with no other teams having consolidated access to the device’s information.