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Original article: La jugada de Desbordes le rebotó: Hassler anuncia querella por denuncia calumniosa en caso Sierra Bella

Santiago Mayor Mario Desbordes (ex RN) faced a significant setback as Irací Hassler (PC), the former mayor and current deputy of the district, announced her intention to file a defamation lawsuit against him. She accuses Desbordes of attempting to reopen both judicially and publicly the case Sierra Bella, despite it being completely resolved by the courts.

This action follows Desbordes initiating a new judicial offensive related to the failed purchase of a property on Sierra Bella Street, which was meant to house a community clinic. However, after more than two years of investigation, the case was closed due to the absence of any criminal activity.

“It is unfortunate that the mayor seeks to resurrect a discussion that has already been resolved by the Chilean courts,” Hassler stated in a message shared on her X account.

“The Sierra Bella case was investigated for over two years and concluded with a dismissal,” she emphasized.

It is worth noting that Hassler was previously accused of fraud and embezzlement of public funds, but in June 2025, the regional prosecutor of Coquimbo, Patricio Cooper, announced that he would not pursue the investigation, stating that “there has not been enough evidence to continue with criminal prosecution.

The former mayor, who was implicated in investigations initiated by members of the Republican Party, previously claimed that the legal action was a setup, using “the judiciary to make false claims and keep this issue in the public eye for over two years.”

In her statement, Hassler firmly described Desbordes’ move as an attempt to manipulate the judiciary for political purposes.

“The mayor is trying to manipulate justice to score political points on issues that have already been investigated and for which there is a firm resolution,” she asserted, while suggesting that behind this judicial action lies a campaign of discredit and “a systematic political persecution from the mayor.” She reiterated that the resolutions of the judiciary must be respected and not used as a communicational weapon.

“The truth of the facts and firm judicial resolutions must be respected, not used to make political and communicational points. I hope the mayor moves past these discrediting campaigns and focuses his efforts on the governance that Santiago requires,» she noted.

Hassler’s attorney, Miguel Schürmann, criticized Desbordes for insisting on accusations already dismissed by the courts and for which no new facts have emerged.

“It is shameful that Mayor Desbordes attempts to bring back a discussion that has already been resolved by the judiciary,” the lawyer declared in remarks covered by Radio AD.N.

Schürmann added that the new municipal lawsuit violates fundamental principles such as double jeopardy and res judicata, legal doctrines that prevent an individual from being tried twice for the same actions.

The attorney also dismissed claims that a recent report from the Contraloría General de la República forced the municipality to pursue criminal action. “The Contraloría was aware that these facts had already been criminally investigated,” he concluded.

La entrada Hassler Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Desbordes Over Sierra Bella Claims se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.