Codelco Chairman Máximo Pacheco has detailed the various pressure tactics used by the Belaz-Movitec (CBM) consortium in an attempt to reverse the termination of its earthmoving contract for the Rajo Inca project.
According to statements made by Pacheco to Bío Bío’s investigative unit, the consortium sought to escalate the matter to an international level. “For a long time, they tried to politicize this conflict; they attempted to frame this as an international dispute,” the executive stated.
The dispute began after the state-owned copper giant decided to terminate the agreement early in February 2023. The contract, valued at $282 million, was canceled due to construction delays, contractual breaches, and safety deficiencies.
Among the reasons cited for the termination, Codelco pointed to the death of worker Rubén Trigo in July 2022. Testifying before the Chamber of Deputies' Mining Commission, Pacheco noted critical failures, stating that the worker had not been properly trained for the Belaz truck and that the unloading area failed to meet safety regulations.
The testimony also includes an encounter with former President Sebastián Piñerc on March 15, 2023. The conversation took place during the wake of Isidoro Palma, a director of the copper company, at the San Francisco de Sales parish in Vitacura.
During the meeting, Piñera asked Pacheco directly: “Listen, Máximo, I want to ask you something. What conflict does Codelco have with Belarus?”
Pacheco responded by clarifying that the dispute was strictly local: “Mr. President, this is a conflict between a company, Codelco, and a Chilean consortium. It has Chilean management and is based in Chile, so there is no conflict here between Codelco and Belarus.”
Lobbying efforts also reached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pacheco recalled a call from then-Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren, who informed him of a Belarusian diplomat's intention to request an audience.
Lobbying law records confirm that a meeting took place at the Foreign Ministry on March 9, 2023. Participants included managers from Movitec and Belaz Latinoamérica, along with lobbyists, to discuss the status of the contract.
During that meeting, the consortium presented a letter from the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The document requested the Chilean government's assistance in resolving differences between the partners of both nations.
Following the termination, Codelco executed performance bonds totaling more than 11 billion pesos. The process of severing ties with CBM occurred against a backdrop that, according to reports, led to one of the largest corruption scandals in the country's history, linked to former Supreme Court Justice Ángela Vivanco.
