Full Breakdown
Chile Opens Criminal inquiry After U.S. Ambassador Links 2019 Unrest to Left-Wing Activists
By Drooid · · How we work
Ambassador’s Remarks Spark Criminal Inquiry
In late September, U.S. He framed the assessment as the product of American intelligence analysis. The statement prompted three opposition deputies—Luis Cuello, Juan Santana and Daniela Serrano—to file a formal complaint with Chile’s National Prosecutor, alleging that Chilean intelligence officials may have illegally transmitted classified material to the U.S. embassy. Acting National Prosecutor Carmen Gloria Wittwer signed a memo on September 22 forwarding the complaint to the Metropolitan Centro Norte office, opening a criminal review that could reach current members of Chile’s protected intelligence system.
Background to the 2019 Unrest and Prior U.S. Comments
The unrest began on September 3, when U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers addressed a Madrid Forum summit in Santiago and blamed left-wing radicals for the Metro station fires that marked the 2019 revolt. Judd’s later interview amplified Rogers’s claim, suggesting a U.S. intelligence conclusion about the domestic Chilean event.
Chilean Legal and Political Response
Chile’s Public Prosecutor’s Office must now determine whether the alleged transfer of intelligence constitutes a crime under Law 19.974, which protects the confidentiality of intelligence files. Prosecutor Francisco Jacir will assess the complaint, while National Prosecutor Ángel Valencia has said he has not seen the material Judd referenced and declined to comment on its veracity. Valencia noted that the consolidation of the remaining “18-O” cases under a single prosecutor is intended to eventually answer questions about the unrest, and that closed cases can be reopened if new evidence emerges.
Official Statements & Responses
Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna summoned Judd for clarification, after the Foreign Ministry learned of the claim. Judd later told reporters that the embassy holds no investigation or documents on the 2019 unrest and that his remarks were based on an informal reading of open-source material—police statements, congressional records and commentary from Chilean analysts—rather than classified intelligence.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I would not want to make a statement of that nature,” — Valencia — Valencia
