Preventive arrest of mayor Daniel Jadue is accused of lawfare in Chile

This Monday (3), the Chilean court ordered the preventive arrest of Daniel Jadue, mayor of Recoleta and a prominent figure in the Chilean Communist Party (PC). Jadue, a former presidential candidate, faces accusations of bribery, unfair administration, tax fraud and fraud in the management of “Farmácias Populares”, a program that aims to offer medicines at reduced prices to the population.

Judge Paulina Moya justified the arrest by stating that Jadue’s freedom would be “dangerous for the security of society”. The decision generated an immediate reaction from Jadue, who announced that he will appeal, classifying the measure as disproportionate political persecution. Organizations in Chile and other parts of the world are also mobilizing repudiation campaigns accusing lawfare (judicial persecution) against Jadue, which has become the most efficient form of coup d’état in recent years.

Ana Prestes, international analyst and Secretary of International Relations at PCdoB, told Red Portal that the investigations surrounding Daniel Jadue and the Chilean Communist Party constitute a clear case of lawfare. According to her, the entire left in Latin America sees the episode as a typical case of judicial persecution.

“The investigations have proven to be a real persecution, very disproportionate to the way they have been conducted. Jadue opened the entire city hall and his personal secrecy to the investigations. His management at Recoleta is recognized for its popular programs, such as popular pharmacies, popular opticians and popular furniture construction”, says Ana.

She also remembers that this year there are local elections in Chile, in November. “So everything seems to suggest that this is an attempt to destroy Daniel Jadue’s image via court,” she said.

Daniel Jadue is known for his innovative management in Recoleta, which includes initiatives such as popular pharmacies, popular opticians, popular bookstores, popular real estate agencies and open educational institutions. These measures break with the logic of commodification of life imposed by the 1980 Chilean Constitution, promulgated during the Pinochet dictatorship.

Latin American solidarity

Jadue’s arrest sparked a wave of solidarity across the Latin American left. The São Paulo Forum expressed support for Jadue, denouncing the judicial war as a practice that punishes emancipatory projects and challenges neoliberalism. The Brazilian Association of Jurists for Democracy (ABJD) also expressed support, highlighting that Jadue is being victim of lawfare for challenging power structures in Chile.

Several organizations denounced Jadue’s preventive detention as an attempt to make his political leadership unfeasible, especially in a year of elections for mayors and governments in Chile. ALBA Movimentos, which brings together social and political organizations in Latin America, also spoke out, condemning the communicational, judicial and political persecution against Jadue.

“This is not the first time that a popular leader has been sought to be politically banned in the region. We have already seen the judicialization of politics in countries such as Honduras, Haiti, Paraguay, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina and now Chile”, says the ALBA Movimentos statement.

Several organizations, including the Lawfare Nunca Mais Network and ABJD, signed a Letter of Support for Daniel Jadue, denouncing the practice of lawfare and highlighting the importance of Recoleta’s progressive experience. The letter warns of judicial and media persecution that aims to delegitimize popular political leaders, subverting popular sovereignty and violating the principle of due legal process.

Daniel Jadue’s preventive arrest and the charges against him are seen by many as an attempt to dismantle a public management project aimed at social well-being and the democratization of essential services. The response of the international community and social movements will be crucial in determining the next steps in this political and judicial controversy, in a context of increasing polarization and democratic challenges in Latin America.

Solidarity Campaign

The #JadueLibre campaign is gaining momentum on social media, with supporters sharing messages of solidarity and denouncing political persecution. Movements like ALBA Movimentos encourage the dissemination of the hashtag #JadueNoEstaSolo to strengthen the international movement in support of Daniel Jadue.

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ALBA Movimentos appealed to the international community, social movements, popular activists and all democrats in the world to reject this new lawfare attack against a popular leader in Latin America and denounce the proscription that threatens not only Jadue, but the democratic project itself. and popular among the Chilean people.