Chilean justice rejects the request to strip President Gabriel Boric of his immunity
The Court of Appeals of Copiapó, in Chile, has made an important decision regarding the legal situation of President Gabriel Boric. The court rejected a request to remove his immunity, a process legally known as "desafuero." This petition was filed by a former government official who felt affected by public statements made by the president.
The conflict began when President Boric made a comment about education management in the Atacama region. During an official activity, the president stated: "It's a good thing we fired the director of the SLEP," referring to Daslav Mihovilovic Pérez. The former director of the Local Public Education Service (SLEP) considered that these words represented a "serious insult" and decided to take the case to court.
However, the judges of the Court of Appeals did not agree with the plaintiff's accusation. According to the court's ruling, the president's words do not constitute a crime of insult. The justice system determined that Boric's comment was a political assessment of the administration of a public service and not a direct personal attack intended to damage the former director's reputation.
The rejection of this request means that President Boric will maintain his legal protection and will not have to face a trial for this reason. In Chile, "desafuero" is a mandatory procedure for a high-ranking state official to be prosecuted by ordinary justice. In this case, the court considered that there were no sufficient grounds to remove this special protection from the president.
This case highlights the complex situation facing the education sector in the Atacama region, where the public education system has faced various criticisms and administrative problems. Although this specific legal dispute has ended in favor of the president, the challenges in managing local schools remain a very important topic of debate for the government and Chilean society.