WhatsApp Chats Expose Judicial Network of José Ramón Correa: Influential Ties, Appointments, and Actions for Dorothy Pérez

Original article: Chats de Hermosilla destapan red judicial de José Ramón Correa: ministros, nombramientos y gestiones por Dorothy Pérez

The WhatsApp messages exchanged between criminal lawyer Luis Hermosilla and attorney José Ramón Correa from 2018 to 2023 have unveiled a network of influence operating within the upper echelons of the Chilean judicial power, encompassing direct interactions with Supreme Court ministers, interventions in strategic appointments, and efforts to benefit current Comptroller Dorothy Pérez.

While Hermosilla’s ability to navigate power circles may not come as a surprise given the revelations surrounding the Audio Case, where he has been accused of tax crimes, bribery, and money laundering, this correspondence illustrates for the first time the extensive network of contacts managed by Correa, a 49-year-old attorney trained at the University of Los Andes, former chief of staff at the Comptroller’s office, and current shareholder of Azul Azul, whose relationships span the entire political spectrum.

As reported by Reportea, in a conversation from August 2018, Hermosilla asked Correa to leverage his friendship with Supreme Court Minister Manuel Valderrama to prevent a retrial in the case of the murder of the Luchsinger Mackay couple, a case of high political sensitivity linked to the peace process in La Araucanía.

«We need to reject the nullity of the Luchsinger case,» wrote Hermosilla, to which Correa responded without hesitation: «I’ll see you tomorrow for sure.» Two months later, on October 10, 2018, the criminal chamber of the Supreme Court unanimously ruled to avoid a fourth trial, a result celebrated by Hermosilla’s circle as a victory. Valderrama, when consulted by the investigative media, claimed to not recall this engagement and asserted that his relationship with Correa is limited to discussions about the University of Chile football club.

Actions on Behalf of Dorothy Pérez

However, the revelations do not stop there. The chats also reveal Correa’s efforts on behalf of Dorothy Pérez, the current Comptroller General of the Republic, when she was discharged from the agency in 2018 by her predecessor Jorge Bermúdez. Pérez filed a protective action that reached the Supreme Court, and thus, the machinery of influence came into play.

The ruling that ordered her reinstatement was decided by a narrow margin, with one crucial vote from then-minister Ángela Vivanco, who is currently in preventive detention facing charges of bribery and money laundering, and had been heavily promoted by Hermosilla and Correa to ascend to the highest court.

The Comptroller herself stated in writing to Reportea that she does not know Luis Hermosilla and that José Ramón Correa was merely a «former colleague.»