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Original article: El nuevo bochorno UDI: testigo declara ante Fiscalía que exdiputado Fuenzalida pedía “cuota” de sueldo y ordenó lanzar celulares al baño durante allanamiento

The ongoing scandal surrounding the UDI is escalating with alarming new revelations. On May 6, 2026, at the Fiscalia Oriente, Evelyn, who served as chief of staff to former lawmaker Juan Manuel Fuenzalida for seven years, provided testimony to prosecutor Constanza Encina. What began as a statement in the fraud case against Joaquín Lavín León has now led to the initiation of a new investigation, already named the “Fuenzalida Kickback Scheme” by the Public Ministry.

The testimony, which was accessed by Mega Investiga, outlines a cash payment mechanism similar to that involving RN senator Camila Flores and further describes alleged obstruction of the investigation that took place on the day of the Congressional raid.

The “Fuenzalida” Kickback Mechanism

Evelyn, who worked with Fuenzalida from 2019 until March 2026, recounted the scheme that the lawmaker purportedly set up to extract funds. According to her testimony, Fuenzalida instructed her to draft a contract annex to increase her salary, on the condition that she would return that amount in cash. “At one point, the lawmaker added an additional payment to my salary. It was an amount I had to funnel back to him,” she stated.

The former advisor explained that the Chamber of Deputies provided her with approximately 350,000 to 400,000 pesos in additional pay, which she was to withdraw in cash, delivering it personally during district weeks or depositing it at a Banco Santander branch in Fuenzalida’s name. “He never asked for a transfer; it was always cash,” she emphasized, detailing that this practice continued for about 6 to 7 months in 2024 and reportedly involved other team members.

Fear of retaliation was ever-present, as Fuenzalida frequently reminded them that he could terminate their positions for «loss of trust,» leaving them without job security.

Data Collection and Covert Campaign: The Role of Socialtazk and Arnaldo Domínguez

Evelyn’s testimony also discussed the use of the Socialtazk platform, which is under investigation in the Lavín case. She noted that Fuenzalida introduced the tool in 2022 as a means to digitize territorial work and manage requests, but over time it became a mere “empty shell” where “the links did not function, information was entered without real follow-up.”

Under constant pressure, the team collected personal data from citizens, including names, RUT numbers, addresses, and birthdates, which were then sent in Excel formats to Arnaldo Domínguez, Lavín’s advisor and the platform’s manager.

According to the witness, the real purpose of data collection became evident in 2024 with the dispatching of campaign text messages. A conversation disclosed in the prosecutor’s office shows Domínguez coordinating the delivery of a message signed by “Evelyn Matthei” to support UDI candidates in Vicuña, revealing that the entire data-gathering effort was aimed at electoral purposes and funded through operational expenses of the Chamber of Deputies.

Fuenzalida’s Order: Destroy Phones in the Toilet During the Raid

The most serious part of the testimony describes potential obstruction of the investigation. Evelyn recounted the exact moment when the prosecutor’s office raided the Congressional offices on October 29, 2024, in connection to the Lavín case. According to her statement, she received a phone call from the deputy’s secretary, Ivette, who was “almost in tears” and informed her that their adjacent office was being raided.

“She told me I had to urgently reset my phone (…) She said it was an order from the deputy,” Evelyn declared, asserting that although she refused to comply, the secretary followed through on the directive. “I know she took all devices from the office while they were searching Deputy Lavín’s office and, under Fuenzalida’s instruction, threw them in the toilet,” she stated, according to Meganoticias.

Fear of Retaliation

In her testimony, Evelyn clarified the atmosphere of intimidation prevalent in Fuenzalida’s office and noted that her decision to stop the money return scheme stemmed from feeling “compromised” because she understood it was wrong, which elicited a “bad reaction” from Fuenzalida. “I feel that he could blame me for these things, and he knows very well how to turn situations around, so I fear he will retaliate against me,” she confessed to the prosecutor. This fear, combined with constant pressure, led to a mass resignation of the team in mid-2024, leaving Evelyn as the last collaborator until the former lawmaker’s term ended. The prosecutor’s office will now need to verify the truth of these allegations, adding another chapter to the ongoing crisis facing the UDI.

La entrada UDI Scandal Deepens: Witness Alleges Ex-Lawmaker Fuenzalida Demanded Salary Kickbacks and Ordered Phones Destroyed During Raid se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.