On Monday, the Valparaíso Guarantee Court began pretrial hearings regarding the devastating wildfires that swept through the region in February 2024. During the first day of proceedings, the court ruled to uphold pretrial detention for four of the nine defendants involved in the case.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants are responsible for crimes including criminal conspiracy, arson resulting in death, and environmental damage. The wildfire emergency left 139 people dead and more than 4,000 homes destroyed across the area.
Prosecutor Osvaldo Ossandón explained that the review of the detention order revealed no changes to the grounds justifying continued incarceration.
“Pretrial detention is ordered based on security concerns and the established grounds for it. The situation today was that there were no changes to those grounds, so they remain in place,” the prosecutor stated.
Legal proceedings and defendants
The hearing also addressed the status of several plaintiffs who failed to appear. Defense attorneys requested that these participants be dismissed from the case, a motion the court will continue to deliberate on this Tuesday.
Regarding the duration of this procedural stage, Ossandón estimated that pretrial preparations could conclude as early as next week. However, he clarified that the final timeline depends on court rulings regarding motions filed by the parties involved.
The prosecutor noted that the Public Ministry has possessed the necessary evidence to support the indictment since last October.
“We are moving forward with the oral trial, and we have been prepared to do so since October of last year. All the accusations have been part of procedural developments where we have had to remain ready to proceed with the hearing,” Ossandón said.
The list of nine defendants includes former firefighters Maximiliano Véliz, Claudio Gamboa, Elías Salazar, Francisco Mondaca, and Matías Cordero. Also facing charges are former Conaf forest rangers José Jerez, Ángel Barahona, and Franco Pinto, as well as former Senapred official and former firefighter José Atenas.
Once the pretrial phase concludes, the oral trial is expected to begin within 60 to 90 days.