The Supreme Court of Chile dismissed, this Thursday 10th, one of its magistrates, Angela Vivanco, involved in the biggest corruption scandal to affect the Chilean political, judicial and economic elite since the return of democracy in 1990.
“Ms. Ángela Vivanco Martínez did not behave well in the exercise of her duties, and, as a result, her position as minister of this Supreme Court of Justice is being removed,” said Ricardo Blanco, president of the high court, when communicating the unanimous decision of the plenary of judges.
In addition, Vivanco faces impeachment proceedings by Congress. If approved, she will be banned from holding public office for five years.
The 61-year-old judge found herself affected by a political and judicial scandal led by the influential lawyer Luis Hermosilla, a favorite of the Chilean elite, whose communications via telephone messages were revealed by the local press.
In these messages, the close relationship that Hermosilla maintained with Vivanco is evident. The judge approached him to ask for his support in being chosen as a member of the country’s highest court in exchange for confidential judicial information.
According to government spokeswoman Camila Vallejo, this is “the biggest corruption case in recent history” in Chile.
According to the Supreme Court’s decision, Vivanco “incurred in behavior that affects the principles of independence, impartiality, probity, integrity and transparency that govern members of the judiciary”.
Vivanco reached the Supreme Court in 2018, appointed by the government of former president Sebastián Piñera (2018-2022), who died this year in a helicopter accident, and ratified by the Senate.
Hermosilla, who advised the Piñera government, has been in prison since August 27, accused of bribery, influence peddling and money laundering.
The content of his conversations came to light after the leak of an audio in which he asked public officials to be bribed to favor one of his clients. Another dialogue revealed the handover of confidential information by the head of the civil police, Sergio Muñoz, who is under house arrest.
