Former Senator Prohens Under Investigation: Corruption Allegations Unveil Lobbying Network and Business Dispute in Atacama

Original article: Ex senador Prohens bajo la lupa: querella por cohecho destapa red de lobby y disputa empresarial en Atacama A criminal complaint for aggravated bribery filed in the Copiapó Guarantee Court has opened a new judicial front involving former senator Rafael Prohens Espinoza from the Atacama Region and business actors tied to hazardous waste treatment. This case, accepted by the judiciary for processing, reveals a complex web of alleged influences, opaque lobbying, and business competition that may have crossed legal boundaries, with lawyer and lobbyist Felipe Riesco Eyzaguirre mentioned as potentially involved in the appointment of new environmental authorities. This situation complicates Prohens’s position just days after being appointed by President Kast as Chile’s new ambassador to Costa Rica.

By El Ciudadano Team On February 28, 2025, the court declared admissible the criminal action brought forth by the company CONFINOR S.

A., referring the details to the Public Ministry for investigation. The complaint directly targets former senator Rafael Prohens, accusing him of aggravated bribery of a public official, as well as businessman Gonzalo Izquierdo Irarrázaval, who is charged with bribery of a private individual. It is worth noting that Prohens is set to be appointed as ambassador by Kast in Costa Rica, and this legal action, alongside recent embargo rulings against him, could jeopardize his “golden exile”.

According to the complaint, both individuals allegedly coordinated efforts to undermine CONFINOR—direct competitor of SOLENOR—in the hazardous industrial waste treatment market in the Atacama Region. The conflict stems from competition between two key companies in the management of hazardous waste resulting from mining activities. While CONFINOR has the authorization to process waste such as copper smelting dust, SOLENOR—owned by Izquierdo—does not hold the necessary permits for such operations.

The complaint asserts that, faced with this disadvantage, SOLENOR allegedly employed a systematic strategy to hinder its competitor through administrative complaints, judicial actions, and lobbying efforts. The Role of the Former Senator: Key Allegations and Interventions One of the central aspects of the case is the actions of former senator Prohens.

According to the document, he allegedly intervened in at least two instances: In July 2023, by filing a complaint with the Superintendence of the Environment against CONFINOR.

In January 2025, requesting to reformulate charges and reject a compliance program of the company, which could lead to its exit from the market. The complaint states that these actions do not correspond to his legislative duties and were driven by private interests, constituting an infringement of his responsibilities. The document describes a network of efforts involving lawyers and former officials acting as lobbyists.

Notably, Felipe Riesco Eyzaguirre, a former undersecretary of the Environment, is mentioned as having held meetings with authorities and the senator himself. Riesco has attracted attention recently due to the fact that several individuals appointed to significant positions by the new government of José Antonio Kast in environmental-related institutions are from his close circle, suggesting potential intervention by the lawyer and lobbyist in this regard.

According to the complaint, there are at least 20 recorded meetings under the Lobby Law connected to SOLENOR’s interests, several of which involve health and environmental authorities (details visible in the tables and records reproduced on pages 10 and 11 of the document). Even more concerning, it is noted that some key meetings—including contact between Riesco and the senator—may not have been officially recorded, raising questions about potential irregular lobbying efforts. Former Officials in the Network Another relevant element is the involvement of Rubén Verdugo Castillo, former head of inspections at the Superintendence of the Environment, who later appears linked as a lobbyist for SOLENOR.

The complaint raises concerns about a potential “revolving door,” highlighting that individuals who held significant public positions are now engaging in private lobbying efforts before the same institutions where they previously served. From a legal standpoint, the action focuses on the crime of aggravated bribery, which punishes the use of a public official’s influence to affect administrative decisions for the benefit of third parties. The document emphasizes that it is not necessary for the benefit to be realized; the exercise of influence is sufficient to constitute the crime.

Simultaneously, the businessman is accused of having offered or facilitated benefits to obtain such intervention, which would constitute private bribery.