Opposition party Renovación Nacional will back the constitutional accusation against Supreme Court minister Diego Simpertegui, joining UDI and officialist support. The review commission will assess the libel on Wednesday, with a Chamber of Deputies vote set for Thursday. These endorsements push the process well beyond the required majority.
The constitutional accusation against suspended Supreme Court judge Diego Simpertegui progresses in Chile's Congress, driven by officialists and now backed by opposition groups. Filed by Socialist deputies including Daniel Manouchehri, Daniel Melo, Arturo Barrios, Leonardo Soto, and Emilia Nuyado, alongside Communists Luis Cuello, Matías Ramírez, and Lorena Pizarro, it has support from Frente Amplio's Carolina Tello and Acción Humanista's Ana María Gazmuri.
The 52-page libel comprises three chapters: the first charges notable breaches of probity, abstention, and impartiality in the Codelco versus Belaz Movitec dispute; the second, for conflicts of interest in notarial appointments; and the third, for similar violations in the Fundamenta case.
On Tuesday, the review commission chaired by Maite Orsini heard the defense led by lawyer Felipe Lizama Allende but postponed the afternoon session. On Wednesday, from 10:30 to 12:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., they will examine submitted evidence before voting on the recommendation. Thursday's full Chamber session will decide if the libel advances to the Senate, needing a majority of those present.
Renovación Nacional, via bench chief Frank Sauerbaum, confirmed its support: “The decision won't be very different from previous accusations against judges.” This aligns with RN's prior backing of libels against Antonio Ulloa, Ángela Vivanco, and Sergio Muñoz. UDI, with 21 deputies, will also endorse, per president Guillermo Ramírez and lawmakers like Marco Antonio Sulantay and Henry Leal. Adding about 50 officialist votes to 41 from opposition yields 91 supports, exceeding the 77 needed out of 151 deputies.
This political encirclement heightens pressure on Simpertegui amid influence-peddling allegations.