CHILE · COURTS
Key Facts
- Power Index Chile ranks 3rd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 63.6 points (October 2026 edition).
- What is happening Senator Miguel Ángel Calisto reportedly asked to bar 10 Supreme Court justices from his immunity vote.
- Why it matters A final ruling decides whether prosecutors can press fraud charges against a sitting senator.
- The numbers Prosecutors allege 105.6 million pesos (about US$106,300) was paid for work not done, and seek 12 years.
- Who is who Calisto, a senator for Aysén, denies wrongdoing; a Puerto Montt appeals court lifted his immunity on 6 October.
- What to watch Whether the court accepts the challenge, and when it rules on his immunity appeal.
- What it means for you Courts, not politicians, decide the case, so expect a slow process with no end date.
A Chilean senator facing a fraud case wants 10 of the Supreme Court’s justices barred from deciding his immunity. He denies wrongdoing.
Chilean senator Miguel Ángel Calisto reportedly asked to disqualify 10 Supreme Court justices from deciding whether he keeps his immunity. Prosecutors allege fraud against the state during his time as a deputy, and he denies wrongdoing.
The request, filed by his lawyer, was reported on Tuesday, 3 November. It matters to US readers because the case tests judicial independence in a close US partner and major copper producer.
What Calisto Is Asking For
According to local reports, his lawyer Nelson Salas asked to disqualify 10 justices so that they do not vote on his case. The case is the prosecutors’ request to strip his immunity, known in Chile as desafúero.
In Chile, a sitting lawmaker can face criminal charges only after the courts lift his or her immunity. A final ruling against Calisto would let prosecutors press their case, which he calls unjust.
How the Case Reached the Supreme Court
Regional prosecutors allege that a former parliamentary adviser received at least 105.6 million pesos (about US$106,300) for advisory work not done. The payments ran from March 2018 to February 2022, when Calisto was a deputy for the region.
The Court of Appeals of Puerto Montt granted the prosecutors’ request to lift his immunity on Tuesday, 6 October. It found the evidence serious and plausible, and it did not decide guilt.
The case went to Puerto Montt after the judges of the Coyhaique court were disqualified. He had lost his immunity once before, as a deputy, and his election as a senator forced the process to restart.
Calisto’s defence says the transfers related to a private investment project and that the adviser did give political advice. He says losing immunity is not a conviction and that he is convinced of his innocence.
On Friday, 9 October, the Supreme Court separately rejected an appeal that sought to reopen the investigation. Calisto said on 6 October that he would appeal the immunity ruling.
What It Means for You
Chile’s courts, not politicians, will decide the immunity question, and no end date has been announced. Investors in Chile should expect a slow legal track, with the senator in office until a final ruling.
Related Rio Times coverage includes how Chile removes judges over medical leave and the Senate’s one-vote advance of President Kast’s tax reform. More is on the Chile hub, who holds power and the Santiago page.
The dollar figure uses the central bank’s observed rate of 992.66 pesos per US dollar for 2 November, the latest published. Prosecutors have asked for a prison term, but no court has convicted anyone.
What Is Not Known
The Supreme Court has not announced when it will rule on the challenge or on the immunity appeal. The challenge has been confirmed only through press reports, and its legal grounds and any court handling are not set out here.
No court has found Calisto guilty, and the fraud allegations remain unproven. Whether any justice will step aside voluntarily is not known.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Miguel Ángel Calisto?
He is a senator for Chile’s Aysén region and was a deputy for the region from 2018 to 2022. Prosecutors allege fraud against the state, and he denies wrongdoing.
What is desafuero?
It is the lifting of a lawmaker’s parliamentary immunity, which lets prosecutors bring criminal charges. Courts decide it after prosecutors ask.
What does Calisto want from the Supreme Court?
Local reports say his lawyer asked to disqualify 10 of its justices so they do not vote on his immunity case. No ruling has been reported.
Is Calisto guilty?
No court has found him guilty. Losing immunity is not a conviction, and he says he is convinced of his innocence.
When will the Supreme Court decide?
No date has been announced. The challenge and his immunity appeal are both pending, according to the reports.
Sources: Poder Judicial de Chile (Puerto Montt Court of Appeals ruling of 6 October and Supreme Court case information); Fiscalía de Chile (public prosecutor, Aysén regional case); Banco Central de Chile (observed dollar rate); all accessed 3 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief