El Ciudadano
Original article: “¿Cómo llegó a ser fiscal?”: Ola de críticas contra ministra Steinert por revés judicial al invocar Ley de Seguridad del Estado contra estudiantes
“The Ministry of Public Security Lacks Standing to File a Case under the State Security Law”: The Valdivia Court’s Ruling Sparks Criticism Against Minister Steinert
The unanimous decision from the Valdivia Court of Appeals, which deemed the Ministry of Public Security’s expansion of the legal case against students inadmissible, has reignited a fierce political and legal debate on social media.
It is important to note that María Trinidad Steinert Herrera, Chile’s Minister of Public Security, is a lawyer and former regional prosecutor of Tarapacá.
One of the most shared comments came from lawyer Mauricio Daza, who stated on social media: “At this point, one wonders not only how Steinert became Minister of Security but also how she ever became a regional prosecutor of the Public Ministry.”
Other comments mirrored this critical tone on social media. The account “Vagabundo ilustrado” published: “The question now is not how she became a minister, but rather how she became a Prosecutor…”
Meanwhile, many users echoed that the court’s ruling was a “harsh setback” for the Ministry of Security, especially after various media outlets headlined the court’s decision to dismiss the expansion of the legal action related to the incident that occurred on April 8 at the Isla Teja campus of the Universidad Austral.
In its ruling, the First Chamber of the Valdivia Court of Appeals—consisting of judges Juan Ignacio Correa Rosado, María Soledad Piñeiro Fuenzalida, and Soledad Orellana Pino—accepted the appeal submitted by the Public Defense Office. The court concluded that the Ministry of Public Security “lacks standing” to file a case under the State Security Law, indicating this authority was expressly retained by the Ministry of the Interior following the establishment of the new ministry.
Furthermore, the ruling stated that allowing actions from agencies without explicit powers could undermine the principle of equality in judicial processes. Ultimately, the court ruled to declare the expansion of the case, filed on April 22, 2026, before the Valdivia Guarantee Court as inadmissible. This judicial decision not only represented a political blow to the Executive but also sparked an intense public debate regarding the legal competencies of the new Ministry of Security and the accountability of its top officials, who, despite a background in prosecution, seem to lack knowledge of the country’s laws.
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