Prosecutors have scheduled the formalization of Alberto Larraín and María Constanza Gómez, executives of Fundación ProCultura, for six misappropriation offenses on May 25 in Antofagasta convenios with the regional government and housing ministry. Fiscal Cristián Aguilar filed the request on April 10, led by regional prosecutor Juan Castro Bekios. The probe examines irregularities involving over 500 million pesos in funds.
Antofagasta's Guarantee Court set the formalization hearing for May 25 at 8:30 a.m., following fiscal Cristián Aguilar's request. Larraín, ProCultura's executive director, and Gómez, its legal representative, face charges as authors of six consummated misappropriation offenses. The probe targets agreements with Antofagasta's Regional Government and local Housing Ministry, including the “Recuperación de Fachadas Zona de Conservación Histórica Antofagasta” deal worth $629,815,000, signed by Governor Ricardo Díaz, Gómez, and Pablo López.
Chile's Comptroller General identified irregularities such as direct fund allocations, deficient reporting, and record-keeping failures. Investigators are examining transfers exceeding $500 million pesos via at least four Housing Ministry convenios. This is the largest thread of the Convenios case, which began in Antofagasta with probes into Democracia Viva.
This marks the second formalization attempt against the accused, after a failed bid in the Metropolitan Regional Government thread, where preventive detention and Governor Claudio Orrego's immunity lift were denied. Larraín's lawyer, Cristián Arias, told La Tercera: “Prosecutors will again argue that incomplete convenio execution constitutes a crime. This thesis was already rejected in Santiago, with disastrous results for the prosecution.”
