A group of opposition deputies has formally requested that the Speaker of the House, Jorge Alessandri Vergara, file a criminal complaint against Senator Camila Flores. The petition seeks an investigation into the alleged misuse of parliamentary funds, which is estimated to total 300 million pesos.
The request was submitted via a letter from Deputy Luis Cuello (PC), supported by representatives Gael Yeomans (FA), Juan Santana (PS), Ana María Gazmuri (AH), and Bernardo Salinas (PC). The lawmakers are invoking the Speaker's legal authority to pursue criminal action regarding the misappropriation of public funds.
The lawmakers requested that the criminal action be integrated into the ongoing investigation led by the Valparaíso Regional Prosecutor's Office. The Regional Anti-Corruption Unit is currently investigating allegations of official misconduct and repeated fraud against the treasury, following an anonymous tip received in October 2025.
The investigation into the 'Flores fee'
The investigation focuses on an irregular collection scheme that allegedly operated during Flores's tenure as a deputy. According to the evidence, the scheme involved misappropriating a portion of her staff's salaries.
A former staffer of the legislator is credited with describing a system informally known as the 'Flores fee.' The testimony alleges that employees hired through her parliamentary budget were required to hand over a significant portion of their wages in cash.
Speaking to Radio Bio Bio, Deputy Ana María Gazmuri described the events as being of "the utmost gravity." The lawmaker asserted that media reports have uncovered a genuine fraud scheme in which workers' wages were being withheld.
"What we have uncovered is a true mechanism of fraud because that is exactly what it is—making people who worked for her... she kept a significant portion [of their pay]," Gazmuri stated.
The signatories of the letter argue that the Speaker of the House has a legal obligation to report criminal activity. Consequently, they requested that the letter be formally entered into the record during this Monday, April 13, ordinary session to finalize the criminal complaint for fraud against the treasury and embezzlement.
