Political recruitment practices in northern Chile have triggered a sweeping administrative investigation after audio recordings leaked from the regional ministerial office of economy in Arica and Parinacota. According to reporting by El Mostrador, leaked audio files reveal that regional officials allegedly pressured public administration directors to favor specific political party members for vacant state positions, deepening a mounting institutional crisis over partisan hiring practices known locally as “cuoteo político.”
The controversy centers on Romina Cifuentes González, who serves as the regional ministerial secretary (seremi) of Economy, Fomento y Turismo and as national vice president of the Partido Republicano. The unfolding scandal follows the recent departure of Marcos Oviedo González, the former acting regional director of the National Consumer Service (Sernac), who was removed from his post after an internal email surfaced detailing restrictive recruitment criteria favoring members of Renovación Nacional (RN) and the Partido Republicano.
While government insiders previously indicated that potential disciplinary action against Cifuentes was weighed and temporarily sidelined to protect political stability in the region, newly surfaced audio recordings have revived scrutiny. Recorded during June, the conversations feature Cifuentes discussing candidate selections with a party member who had applied for a public vacancy—a post that was ultimately awarded to Evelyn Milos Cáceres, a social worker and member of Renovación Nacional, as reported by El Mostrador.
Pressure Tactics and Party Rivalries Exposed in Audio Leaks
The leaked recordings shed light on internal tensions between coalition partners within the regional administration. In the conversations, Cifuentes describes a direct confrontation with regional authorities, including Regional Presidential Delegate Cristian Sayes Maldonado, and details how she pressured the acting director of Sernac to block alternative candidates.
“The delegate here is the one who has the power, because he is the delegate,” Cifuentes states in the recording published by El Mostrador, explaining her opposition to candidates from allied political factions. She recounts telling the former acting Sernac director that his continued tenure depended on rejecting candidates affiliated with Renovación Nacional for specific administrative openings.
The disclosures compound an already volatile political environment in Arica and Parinacota. On July 30, the regional health secretary, Karla Kepec Álvarez, was dismissed from her post following revelations that she used a messaging application to offer medical technologist positions exclusively to members of the Partido Republicano amid internal party elections, according to investigative reports by El Mostrador.
Comptroller General Launches Administrative Inquiry
In response to the recruitment practices uncovered within Sernac, the Comptroller General of the Republic (Contraloría General de la República) announced on August 5 that it had initiated an administrative summary to investigate potential irregularities and breaches of administrative probity. The oversight body subsequently broadened its scope beyond Sernac to examine hiring procedures across other public services within the region.
The expanded fiscalization targets entities dependent on or related to the Ministry of Economía, Fomento y Turismo.
Transparency portal records indicate that Sernapesca incorporated six contract personnel primarily as vessel certifiers between March and June, while the INE engaged 12 individuals under honorarium agreements for a program. The Comptroller’s ongoing review aims to establish whether these appointments adhered strictly to standard procedures or reflected broader partisan allocation patterns.
Next Steps and Official Oversight
The Comptroller General’s office continues its examination of public contracts and hiring records submitted by the designated regional ministries and related public services. Further administrative findings and potential disciplinary rulings from the oversight body are expected as the formal investigation progresses.
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