The Government Spokesperson Minister, Camila Vallejo, sought to put a cold shoulder to a possible change of cabinet in the midst of pressure due to the effects of the Monsalve case and the political situation following the results of the elections for governors, regional councilors, mayors and councilors this Sunday.
“It is not my responsibility to determine, anticipate or rule out cabinet changes that are the power of the President of the Republic,” said the Secretary of State.
In any case, Vallejo recalled a deadline for the authorities who want to participate in the 2025 parliamentary elections to leave the Government: “It is an unobjectionable fact that in mid-November, if any government authority decides to participate in the parliamentary elections, they must resign, and that implies cabinet adjustments.”
Regarding the magnitude of the eventual ministerial adjustment, the minister stated that “That does not necessarily depend on a determination by the Executive, but rather on the parties themselves to submit candidacies from some Government authorities. “As there is a legal impediment, that would imply adjustments.”
Shielding Tohá
Regarding the political responsibilities that the opposition seeks to become effective with the resignation of the Minister of the Interior, Carolina Tohá, due to the Monsalve case, Vallejo said that “We have already made the decisions we had to make. What we now need is the collaboration of all political sectors to maintain firm institutions that have a major task in the country” such as combating crime.
He added that “there may be political opinions about the authorities’ performance or it could have been done better, but “We cannot – due to the task before us – pretend that by beheading an institution in charge of the country’s security we are going to improve the fight against organized crime.”
Regarding the statements of the lawyer María Elena Santibáñez, who represents the complainant of the former Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, and who indicated that her client was the victim of threats before denouncing, the spokesperson for La Moneda maintained that “every day we go knowing of more serious antecedents, but it is not our place to give an opinion on that. “The important thing is that justice advances with maximum speed and provides guarantees of protection to the victim who has reported.”
Vallejo avoided making further comments on how the Government has dealt with the case and the revelations made by the Prosecutor’s Office about Monsalve’s actions before leaving office, which included proceedings prior to the formal complaint of rape: “This is a criminal investigation based in justice, with a prosecutor in charge” and we must collaborate with the investigation, said the Secretary of State.
