Former deputy Joaquín Lavín León entered Anexo Capitán Yáber on Friday to serve preventive prison for treasury fraud and influence trafficking. Santiago's Seventh Guarantee Court decreed the measure after a four-day formalization hearing. His former advisor Arnaldo Domínguez was sent to another detention center.
Judge Daniel Urrutia ruled preventive prison on Friday, May 8, after establishing that Lavín León's freedom poses a danger to society. The Oriente Prosecutor's Office charged the former legislator with falsification of commercial instruments, treasury fraud and influence trafficking committed between 2015 and 2026. A 90-day period was set for the investigation.
The defense, led by lawyer Cristóbal Bonacic, announced it will appeal the decision and questioned that the ruling does not reflect what was discussed in the hearing. Bonacic maintained that a crime was fabricated based on partial information and that Lavín León remains calm.
Cathy Barriga, the former deputy's wife and former mayor of Maipú, asked the media for understanding. “These have been difficult years, unfairly behind us,” she declared in tears. Gendarmería confirmed that both complied with the entry protocol, which included health verification.
