In a statement before prosecutors Juan Castro Bekios and Cristián Aguilar last Friday, April 19, deputy Catalina Pérez (whose militancy in the Democratic Revolution, DR, is suspended), accompanied by her lawyer Gonzalo Medina, addressed her role in the so-called Covenants Case, specifically on the side of the Democracia Viva foundation, where his ex-partner, Daniel Andrade – formalized for tax fraud – was the legal representative.
The parliamentarian assured that Andrade – expelled from the DR – did not inform her of his involvement in the questioned agreements that affect the Government of President Gabriel Boric. In his words, he always assured him that “everything was in order,” omitting crucial details.
“Before October (2022), Daniel mentioned to me that he had a meeting to work with Serviu or Minvu in Antofagasta. (…) It didn’t seem strange to me, since Democracia Viva had meetings with public or private institutions (…) I didn’t know anything else, Daniel didn’t tell me that he had been favored with these agreements,” stated the representative of the Antofagasta Region, according to the statement recorded by Third.
Deputy Pérez reiterated that it was her former chief of staff, Romina Neumann, who first alerted about possible irregularities in January 2023, indicating changes in the foundation’s work with the then Minister of Housing, Carlos Contreras, who was also her former chief of staff. and who is currently in preventive detention as a result of the case. Pérez admitted that she was unaware that Andrade still led Democracia Viva, believing that she had retired when she took a position in Defense in October 2022.
“I thought that Daniel had retired from Living Democracy when he joined Defense (in October 2022), that’s when I found out that he was still executive director,” the deputy told the Prosecutor’s Office.
Catalina Pérez’s testimony also pointed to tensions between Neumann and Andrade due to these concerns, as well as her subsequent disengagement from the appointment of Contreras as seremi, attributing the decision to the RD board and the current chief of advisors to President Gabriel Boric, Miguel Crispi, who at that time was part of the Subdere.
Faced with the letter from the Association of Civil Service Officials of Antofagasta that accused compromising situations between Democracia Viva and Contreras, Pérez claimed to have informed the RD board and former undersecretary Tatiana Rojas. The latter assured him that, according to her investigations, “everything was in order.” Pérez also requested a meeting with the leadership of his party and the call of all those involved.
Deputy Pérez’s statement highlights what she has mentioned on previous occasions, her lack of knowledge of the irregularities being investigated in Living Democracy agreements with public funds.
It is worth mentioning that, after 75 days behind bars, and after two failed attempts by the defense to mitigate the precautionary measures of the former Minvu seremi and the leader of the Democracia Viva foundation, the preventive detention of Daniel Andrade and Carlos Contreras was revoked. accused of fraud against the treasury in the Covenants Case. Subsequently, Contreras returned to prison accused of being the author of four crimes of tax fraud within the framework of the agreement with the TomArte foundation.
Just last March, President Boric once again addressed the thorny issue of the Covenants Case, expressing his deep concern about it. “It has been a disappointment for many people and it is unacceptable that it happened,” said the President. During an interview granted to The country, the President highlighted that his Government’s reaction to the case has marked a break with the political practices of the past. “We have made it clear that no one who has committed illegal acts is protected by the Government. I, personally, have absolute peace of mind that I have not encouraged or protected people who are involved,” he assured.
