The North Metropolitan Regional Public Defender's Office has confirmed that attorney Patricia Alvarado Masafierro will take over the defense of former Supreme Court Justice Ángela Vivanco. The appointment follows the resignation of her previous counsel, Jorge Valladares, who cited professional reasons for stepping down from the case.
Alvarado Masafierro is a Santiago-based public defender and has been a member of the North Metropolitan Public Defender's gender specialist team since 2016. With this new appointment, she will represent Vivanco in the investigation known as the 'Belarusian Plot.'
Shift in legal strategy
The former justice is currently in pretrial detention. The measure remains in place following the restructuring of her legal status in late March, when she was charged with repeated bribery and money laundering.
Outgoing attorney Jorge Valladares’ final action involved filing an injunction with the courts, aiming to overturn the pretrial detention imposed on the former Supreme Court justice.
In a brief filing submitted to the court, Valladares announced his departure. “For strictly professional reasons, I am resigning from the legal representation and power of attorney granted to me by Ms. Ángela Francisca Vivanco Martínez,” the lawyer stated.
The arrival of Alvarado Masafierro marks a new chapter in the former justice's legal defense, as the judicial proceedings remain under intense public scrutiny due to the gravity of the corruption and money laundering charges.