The judge of the 7th Guarantee Court of Santiago, Daniel Urrutia, is in the eye of the hurricane for authorizing inmates of the Aragua Train to make video calls and receive conjugal visits from inside the Special High Security Penitentiary Facility (REPAS). Urrutia said he has received more than seven death threats since his authorization became controversial.
From the Government of President Gabriel Boric, although they condemned the threats received by Judge Urrutia, they affirmed that in any case his decision does not contribute anything to their strategy against crime.
“The special effort of our government is focused on having a national policy against organized crime,” declared Minister Camila Vallejo, from La Moneda, highlighting the resources and legal modifications aimed at strengthening the prosecution of this type of crimes. “We have created an institutional framework at the national level to work specifically in the persecution of organized crime so that it pays with the highest prison sentences,” she added.
The Government spokesperson stressed the importance of isolating dangerous inmates as a key to preventing the operation of crime from prisons. In this sense, she expressed concern about Judge Urrutia’s decision, pointing out that it could have a negative impact on the government’s strategy.
“This, in the opinion of the Executive, evidently does not contribute. There may be legitimate reasons on the part of the judge, but the truth is that the impact it may have from the point of view of the strategy against organized crime may be complex and, therefore, it does not seem to us,” Vallejo stated.
In that sense, the Secretary of State stressed that although the power is autonomous, the magistrate’s decision “does not help our strategy against crime at all.”
Furthermore, Minister Vallejo strongly condemned the death threats directed at Judge Urrutia, emphasizing that no one, especially the authorities of the Executive and the Judiciary, should act under threat. However, she did not confirm whether additional protective measures will be taken by the government towards the magistrate.
It is worth mentioning that a series of pamphlets were thrown outside the REPAS, with images of the Minister of Justice, Luis Cordero, the national director of the Gendarmerie, Sebastián Urra, and the warden of the facility, Fabiola Valladares. In them, the authorities were represented with guns pointed at them and red X-shaped lines on their bodies.
The Government seeks to highlight its continued commitment to the fight against organized crime and its concern about judicial decisions that may hinder this national strategy.
From the ruling party, the deputy of the Liberal Party (PL), Vlado Mirosevic, stated that we are facing a “terrible” decision that, in his opinion, is also illegal.
“What Judge Urrutia does is establish an exceptionality to the norm that is applied by the Gendarmerie in high security prisons. The question is why these inmates are going to have an exception to the general rule for anyone who wants to visit an inmate in a high security prison. Therefore, establishing an exception, an alternative way of communication, is not appropriate. Less so in the face of the danger that these prisoners represent for the country,” said the liberal deputy.
Mirosevic, former president of the Chamber, ruled that “Judge Urrutia has endangered the security of the country and from that point of view it is an illegal and also unacceptable decision.”
Judge Urrutia’s decision also led to a presentation by the Gendarmerie before the Court of Appeals of Santiago.
From the opposition, the UDI board called on the Supreme Court to suspend Judge Urrutia. Given this, Senator Iván Moreira assured that the judge cannot surpass “national security.”
Minister of Justice visits the Supreme Court
In the midst of the controversy generated by the controversial decision of Judge Daniel Urrutia, the Minister of Justice, Luis Cordero, met this Monday, February 19, with the president of the Supreme Court, Ricardo Blanco. During the meeting, Cordero expressed his concern, arguing that the magistrate’s determination “infringes the rules that regulate penitentiary law, particularly those linked to high security establishments.”
The minister emphasized that, according to the Executive’s position, telematic communications in this type of establishments must be completely restricted, and that the possibility of allowing video calls from these centers with people outside the country compromises the security of the establishment and its maximum security condition. . Cordero clarified that the discussion does not revolve around the right of prisoners to receive visits, but rather telematic communication with individuals outside the prison. The meeting took place in a context of debate on the adequacy of penitentiary measures in the country.