Letelier\u2019s Connections with Hermosilla and Poblete<\/span><\/h3>\nThe investigation has focused on how Mar\u00eda Teresa Letelier, then minister of the San Miguel Court of Appeals, achieved her promotion to the Supreme Court in May 2021. Her name appears in text exchanges revealed by The Clinic between Luis Hermosilla and Supreme Court judge Mario Carroza, as well as in messaging with former judge Poblete.<\/p>\n
In her judicial statement, Letelier acknowledged having met with Hermosilla twice. The first and most critical meeting occurred on April 12, 2021, while she was already part of the shortlist for the position.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know attorney Hermosilla. My friends are not within the Judicial Branch\u2026 Mario Carroza told me one day that lawyer Luis Hermosilla wanted to speak with me because he could help me. I was already on the shortlist\u2026 Luis Hermosilla came to my house in mid-April 2021. He came alone. We had a half-hour meeting, and he didn\u2019t have a coffee. He said he was familiar with my judicial career and wanted to support me as he claimed to know many people. He didn\u2019t mention who he would talk to or how he would assist me,\u201d she stated in court.<\/p>\n
She claimed that after her appointment, she only saw him again at a social dinner in August of that same year, alongside Carroza, to \u201cthank him for his support.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regarding the specifics of his involvement, she stated: \u201cHe didn\u2019t provide details, and I didn\u2019t ask\u2026 I categorically state that Luis Hermosilla did not request any favor or support concerning any ongoing judicial process before the Court.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for former judge Poblete, whom she has described as a \u201clifelong friend,\u201d the magistrate denied receiving his help to be included in the shortlist but admitted to his efforts to secure the political support of then-Minister of Defense Mario Desbordes, the current mayor of Santiago, to whom she even called to thank him for his backing once she reached the highest tribunal.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I did not receive anything, as I did not ask him or anyone outside to assist me in the shortlist\u2026 He [Poblete] may have also called me before the shortlist to offer support from Mr. Mario Desbordes, but I told him I preferred to wait until the shortlist was formed\u2026 [Poblete] asked me if I called Mr. Desbordes to thank him. I didn\u2019t even have his phone number. Poblete gave it to me, and out of courtesy, I called and thanked him briefly. Frankly, I do not know in what his support consisted; if he spoke with someone in particular to favor my appointment, I do not know,\u201d she stated when questioned by the prosecutor, as reported by Bio B\u00edo Chile.<\/p>\n
Letelier Did Not Recuse Herself in Cases Related to Poblete<\/span><\/h3>\nOne of the more sensitive points of the investigation is why Minister Letelier, despite acknowledging the support facilitated by Poblete and maintaining a long friendship with him, did not recuse herself from hearing and voting on cases that directly benefited him.<\/p>\n
In statements to CIPER last year, the then-judge justified her actions, announcing that from that moment she would indeed recuse herself, attributing the decision to \u201cthe media uproar\u201d surrounding the issue.<\/p>\n
In an interview with The Clinic, she addressed the lobbying for her appointment, arguing: \u201cRecommending is neither a sin nor a crime. The crime occurs when you offer something in return.\u201d<\/p>\n
The seizure executed this Wednesday marks another milestone in an investigation that has been ongoing for months, which has already included testimonies from several former ministers, senators, and high-ranking officials from the Judiciary. Prosecutor Perivancich seeks to determine whether there was illicit coordination to influence key appointments in exchange for judicial favors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n