Relatives of deputies use cards paid with public funds to load gasoline

A series of uncontrolled expenses in gasoline were revealed this Tuesday, after a report showed that Relatives and/or close friends of deputies could load fuel charged to the Chamber.

Among those mentioned is the representative of the Republican Party, Cristóbal Urruticoechea, where his wife has carried out 38 fuel loads with payment to the Chamber, while the son of the legislator -with the same name- has done so on two occasions.

In addition, on one occasion a candidate for councilor in 2020, Manuel Almendras Quezada, recharged on behalf of congressman Urruticoechea, reports the Ciper portal.

Another case is the deputy of the Communist Party (PC), Boris Barrera, who in 2020 assured that he lost one of the assigned cards, and that $1.7 million in gasoline loads were used in three different regions.

There is also the case of the deputy from Comunes, Claudia Mix, who registers gasoline loads in the name of her daughter and an official from the Maipú municipality, identified as Víctor Villar.

Between December 2021 and May 2022, Mix’s daughter spent $160 thousand on fuel at the expense of the Chamber, while Villar made 22 recharges between August 2019 and August 2021 for more than $600 thousand.

From the Mix environment they explained that the deputy does not have a driver’s license, so she always delegates driving to a third party.

“The driving will always be in the hands of one or a third party, either support or close personnel, to support her in her transfer. Indeed, the driver on duty is the one who must deliver her RUT, but the associated cars are exclusively those of the parliamentarian and her chief of staff. The deputy maintains a demanding schedule throughout the year, including weekends,” said the deputy’s team.

A similar response was given by the deputy from the Green Ecologist Party, Viviana Delgado , which has listed her husband, Daniel Espinoza, who has loaded gasoline on 14 occasions in charge of the House, because the legislator does not drive.

“What happens is that I don’t drive. Many years ago I almost crashed and I have not been able to take a car again. So when he rides with me or rides with the team, we load the car. I use the car, in fact the car is mine. But since I don’t drive, he does. Look, the truth is that it never struck me that he could do it. He always accompanies me in my legislative work in the territory, and when I have to travel to Congress, too. I’m not going to pay for a driver either, if my husband can do it,” Espinoza said.