Santiago Mayor Mario Desbordes and former Undersecretary of Regional Development Miguel Crispi engaged in a heated exchange of accusations this Thursday, following revelations regarding the departure of a former Subdere official who was undergoing treatment for cancer.
The dispute, sparked by a report from Canal 13, escalated on X (formerly Twitter), where Desbordes directly blamed Crispi and Deputy Giorgio Jackson for the worker's dismissal during the 2022 change of administration.
“They agreed to analyze the request. On the morning of March 11, she was let go while still convalescing,” Desbordes stated, according to cnnchile.com. The mayor claimed he had formally requested that the official remain in her position until August to complete her medical treatment.
Miguel Crispi’s defense
Miguel Crispi rejected the accusations and presented an official document to support his position. The former Undersecretary attached an exempt decree from Subdere dated February 28, 2022, which records the acceptance of Eleonora Espinoza Hernández's voluntary resignation.
“You know well that the resignation was submitted and accepted on February 28 by the previous government,” Crispi replied on the same social media platform. The document indicates that the departure of the then-division head would take effect on March 11 of that year, coinciding with the presidential transition.
Crispi also maintained that, after taking office, he spoke with Desbordes, and during that meeting, the mayor allegedly confirmed that the woman's employment situation had already been resolved. “I don't understand the controversy you are trying to create,” the former official added.
Desbordes responded by disputing the timeline presented by Crispi. The mayor insisted that he had contacted both politicians weeks before the change in administration to explain the situation in detail.
“Mr. Crispi, I called both you and Mr. Jackson weeks before the change of command. I discussed the situation in detail with both of you, and both agreed to review the request,” the Santiago mayor wrote.
In a subsequent statement, Crispi reiterated that the resignation was handled by the outgoing administration and claimed he never received formal information regarding the official's health status. The former Undersecretary announced that he is considering legal action for defamation due to the allegations made against him.
