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Original article: Ni los chats con Hermosilla frenan a Kast: Zaliasnik seguirá como embajador en Israel pese a investigación penal

Despite the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of Valparaíso launching a criminal investigation against him, the administration of José Antonio Kast has unequivocally reaffirmed the appointment of Gabriel Zaliasnik as Chile’s ambassador in Israel. This decision, confirmed on Thursday by Foreign Affairs Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, came just one day after the Public Ministry accepted a complaint filed by Socialist lawmakers following the release of conversations involving Luis Hermosilla.

The leaked chats between Zaliasnik and the lawyer implicated in the so-called Audios case will not alter the government’s plans: “The investigation does not change our decisions,” stated the foreign minister.

The investigation originated from a complaint by Deputy Daniel Manouchehri (PS) and Senator Daniella Cicardini (PS), who requested an inquiry into possible crimes of misappropriation of public funds, tax fraud, incompatible negotiations, influence trafficking, and illegal wiretapping. According to details shared by the investigative outlet Reportea, Zaliasnik may have been part of the circle of lawyers coordinating sensitive issues with Hermosilla during Sebastián Piñera’s second term. Among the more serious allegations is a request for access to state secret expenditures to finance a private legal defense while the now-ambassador represented then-Health Minister Jaime Mañalich.

The complaint also mentions the management of payments for fees through the then-chair of the ENAP board, Loreto Silva; involvement in judicial appointments and requests for favorable resolutions; as well as demands for phone tapping and illegal surveillance against opposition leaders, without judicial authorization, during the social unrest.

Senator Cicardini emphasized that “the revelations from the Hermosilla case involving the new ambassador indicate very serious facts: potential misuse of reserved funds for legal defenses, pressure on the Judiciary, and political espionage,” while Deputy Manouchehri termed the situation “too serious to be reduced to mere communication.”

“The Government must explain why it appointed an ambassador connected to such grave allegations,” he said, warning that “this is not just a matter of poor judgment, it reflects a pattern” from the Kast administration.

Manouchehri posited that “any government with a minimum institutional standard would have understood that this is unsustainable – An ambassador should be someone the President fully trusts; why does Kast maintain Zaliasnik when he is under criminal investigation?”

Deputy Cuello: Allegations Against Zaliasnik Are Quite Serious

Criticism of the far-right leader’s decision grew from Communist Deputy Luis Cuello, who stated that “a government like Israel’s, which kills children and women daily and steals Palestinian lands, likely has little moral objection to receiving an ambassador under criminal investigation.”

“Keeping him on and providing this backing does not elevate Chile’s reputation abroad,” he questioned.

According to Cuello, the allegations surrounding Gabriel Zaliasnik are quite serious, prompting the Public Ministry to accept the complaint filed by Cicardini and Manouchehri and initiate an investigation.

“If we examine the conversations and messages that have come to light, they mention political espionage, interference in the Judiciary, and improper use of reserved funds. Therefore, these are severe issues, and it seems inappropriate to appoint and maintain an ambassador who is under investigation,” he claimed, as reported by Diario U. de Chile.

However, Foreign Minister Pérez Mackenna distanced himself from the controversy: “We are very respectful of the work of the Public Ministry and the courts. I have no further opinion to offer on the matter.”

With this stance, the Executive closes any possibility of replacing the diplomat, while the Prosecutor’s Office must now determine whether the chats are authentic and whether the alleged crimes warrant criminal liability.

La entrada Kast Government Stands Firm on Zaliasnik’s Ambassador Role Despite Criminal Investigation se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.