El Ciudadano
Original article: Diputado Roberto Celedón por formalización del Caso Bruma: «Aquí a lo menos ha habido encubrimiento por parte de la empresa»
On Wednesday, March 18, the Prosecutor’s Office formally charged the crew of the Cobra vessel following the collision and subsequent sinking of the Bruma, an incident that tragically resulted in the deaths of seven fishermen.
According to national media reports, the prosecutor requested precautionary measures including nightly house arrest, national grounding, and biweekly check-ins for the three defendants, while the victims’ families demand preventive detention.
Following the hearing, Deputy Roberto Celedón (Ind.) expressed his agreement with the families, suggesting that there is also criminal liability on the part of the company involved.
«Based on the public information we have regarding the Bruma case, I fully support the family’s stance. There was homicide, not just negligence; it was outright homicide because it was known that a fishing vessel would be collided with, necessarily due to the volume of over 50 tons that the Cobra weighs. This is also reflected in the recent audios that have surfaced,» the deputy stated.
«Furthermore,» Celedón added, «there is criminal responsibility of legal entities, and at the very least, there has been a cover-up by the company.»
«Regarding the precautionary measures, I completely agree with the family (…) we must not forget that the Cobra turned and directed itself towards the Bruma vessel, having seen it in advance. Preventive detention is warranted,» he indicated.
Celedón also reminded that starting in 2022, «the law against incitement to suicide, known as the Antonia Law, has been established. We should all call for an investigation into the death of Mr. Juan Sanhueza, who committed suicide while being summoned by the PDI and had met with the company, which likely pressured him to deny everything; he, due to his training, ethics, and duty to tell the truth, may have fallen victim to suicide incitement.»
According to the information presented during the hearing by the regional prosecutor of Biobío, Marcela Cartagena, the evidence collected by the Public Prosecutor’s Office supports charges of negligence resulting in multiple homicides.
In this vein, Prosecutor Cartagena provided a narrative of the events: «On March 30, 2025, at approximately 03:08 hours, northeast of Santa María Island in the municipality of Coronel, the fishing vessel Cobra, an offshore fishing boat measuring 64.7 meters in length, 12 meters in width, with 3,600 HP and a gross tonnage of 1,315 tons and net tonnage of 458 tons, collided or struck the motorized boat Bruma, which measures 14.7 meters in length, 4.3 meters in width, has 320 HP and weighs 23.3 tons.»
Prosecutor Cartagena added, «The Cobra did this on its port side, delivering a high-energy impact that damaged and fragmented the structure of the boat, causing it to disassemble, leading to its sinking and the disappearance and death of the crew members on board: José Luis Medel Sepúlveda, Jonathan Daniel Torres Saldaña, José Luis Medel González, Juan Jorge Muñoz Valladares, José Fernando Carrasco González, Julio Eduardo Gallardo Díaz, and Carlos Hugo Escárate Ramírez.»
The investigation led by the Prosecutor’s Office established that at the time of the collision, the Cobra was under the command of its captain, Roberto Mansilla Gallardo (defendant), with Luis Macaya Andrade, Jaime Sandoval Lepe (both defendants), and Juan Sanhueza Enríquez, a deckhand who later committed suicide, also involved in the navigation activities.
For the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the tragedy resulted «from the negligent actions and violations of maritime regulations by the defendants Mancilla, Macaya, and Sandoval.»
Continue reading about this case:
El Ciudadano
La entrada Roberto Celedón Calls for Accountability in Bruma Case: «There Has Been At Least Cover-Up by the Company» se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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