Medical negligence cases and trials emerge in Argentina, Chile, and Peru

Multiple legal proceedings regarding medical negligence and fatalities are unfolding across South America.

In Argentina, the second oral trial has begun against surgeon Aníbal Lotocki. He faces charges of simple homicide with eventual intent following the 2021 death of Rodolfo Christian Zárate during an aesthetic procedure at the Centro Médico Conde. The prosecution alleges that Lotocki ignored the patient's pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes, and failed to perform the surgery in safe stages. Several other medical professionals and the clinic's director are also being judged in connection with the case.

In Chile, authorities have formalized anesthesiologist José Meneses Soto for quasi-delict of homicide. This follows the 2022 death of Jacqueline Bascuñán at Hospital San Camilo after an abdominoplasty. The surgeon, Marcelo Yáñez Leyton, was previously formalized for the same charge. Investigations revealed the patient had hypertension and diabetes, yet lacked recent essential preoperative exams.

In Peru, a 36-year-old woman died while being transported to the Carlos Monge Medrano Hospital in Juliaca, potentially marking the eighth maternal death in the Puno region in 2026. Family members have raised concerns regarding the adequacy of prenatal follow-up and obstetric care. Authorities are conducting a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death.