Chilean President Gabriel Boric has been accused of sexually harassing a woman over a decade ago, a claim that he vehemently denies. The complaint, filed on September 6 in the southern Magallanes region where Boric is from, alleges an incident dating back to 2013.
Boric’s lawyer, Jonatan Valenzuela, issued a statement on Monday rejecting the accusation. "The president categorically denies the complaint," Valenzuela said, emphasizing that the allegation is without basis.
The case is being investigated by a special team from the Magallanes prosecutor’s office, led by Cristian Crisosto, who confirmed that a criminal investigation is underway.
According to Valenzuela, the woman who filed the complaint had sent Boric 25 unsolicited emails, some containing explicit images. He added that the woman had made the complaint more than 10 years after the alleged incident, and that Boric, then 27, had never had any emotional or personal relationship with her. The lawyer also stated that the two had not communicated since July 2014.
The accusation against Boric comes amid a separate scandal involving sexual abuse. Former crime czar and ex-deputy interior minister Manuel Monsalve was arrested earlier this month on charges of raping his subordinate, adding to the scrutiny faced by Boric’s administration.
As president, Boric is immune from prosecution, but any formal investigation would require an impeachment trial by the justice department. Boric, who is 38 years old, is ineligible to run for reelection after his four-year term ends in 2026.