Attorney for Victims Refutes Claims of Case Closure, Condemns Disinformation

Six years after the tragic Kayser factory fire that claimed five lives during Chile’s 2019 social uprising, the investigation remains active despite recent reports suggesting its imminent closure, according to victims’ attorney Alejandra Arriaza.

In a recent interview with El Ciudadano’s program La Mañanera, Arriaza strongly disputed claims circulating in Chilean media that the case would soon be closed. She characterized these reports as a “disinformation campaign” deliberately timed to coincide with the sixth anniversary of the deaths.

“It’s curious that this report comes to light just days before the six-year anniversary,” Arriaza stated. “We are the plaintiffs with access to everything in the investigative file, yet only partial information was made public in a way that misinforms rather than informs.”

The Kayser tragedy unfolded on October 20, 2019, in Santiago’s Renca commune during widespread social protests. Five individuals—Julián Pérez, Andrés Ponce, Manuel Muga, Luis Salas, and Yoshua Osorio—died inside the factory warehouse following reports of looting and a subsequent fire.

Arriaza described the incident as “a turning point” that marked “the beginning of a series of human rights violations during the social outbreak.” She emphasized that the families of the deceased continue to await justice after six years of investigation.

Recent media reports claimed that a 500-page Police Investigations (PDI) report delivered to prosecutor José Morales of the Centro Norte Prosecutor’s Office concluded there was no involvement from public officials or external manipulation, potentially supporting case closure. Newspaper La Segunda suggested the prosecutor was considering ending the investigation based on this report.

Arriaza firmly rejected this characterization. “We are investigating the deaths of five individuals, the fire, and other crimes that remain active,” she clarified. “Many procedures are still underway. This case cannot be closed simply because one or two witnesses might have lied.”

The attorney highlighted what she described as systemic failures by Chilean state institutions in handling the case from its earliest stages. She pointed to serious irregularities involving the Carabineros national police, the Legal Medical Service (SML), and even the prosecutor’s office itself.

“From the beginning, measures to secure the crime scene were lost, evidence present on-site was not collected, and certain aspects were tampered with,” Arriaza stated. She was particularly critical of how authorities immediately characterized the victims as “looters” without proper investigation, creating a prejudicial narrative that she believes compromised the investigation from the start.

The forensic work was so problematic, according to Arriaza, that extraordinary measures became necessary. “Exhumation and new autopsies were required for two of the bodies because there were aspects not handled properly from the beginning,” she explained.

Arriaza also clarified the distinction between the criminal investigation conducted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the parallel inquiry by the Special Investigative Committee of Chile’s Chamber of Deputies. While the criminal case focuses on determining responsibility for the deaths and fire, the parliamentary committee investigated institutional failings in handling the case.

When asked about potential responsible parties, Arriaza remained cautious, stating that her role is not to speculate without evidence. “We have never named direct suspects as we don’t have that information. We hope efforts to clarify this matter are concluded swiftly because the harm being inflicted on these families is enormous.”

The Kayser factory case remains significant in Chile’s recent history, occurring during a period of intense social unrest that eventually led to constitutional reform processes. For the families of the five victims, however, the primary concern remains more immediate—discovering the full truth about what happened inside the factory on that October day in 2019.

“The public has the right to know the complete truth, not in piecemeal fashion,” Arriaza concluded, calling for responsible reporting and emphasizing that the families deserve definitive answers after six years of waiting.