Trinidad Steinert exceeded authority in PDI data request, Contraloría rules

Chile’s Contraloría General ruled that former security minister María Trinidad Steinert Herrera overstepped her legal powers by demanding detailed, confidential information on Police Investigations (PDI) detectives involved in the ongoing “Clan Chen” case in Tarapacá. The reserved letter dated 13 March 2026, sent shortly after she assumed office, sought names, identification numbers, ranks, assignments and disciplinary records, which the oversight body determined violated the duty of abstention, created a conflict of interest, and risked compromising active criminal investigations.

The decision, signed by Comptroller Dorothy Pérez, concluded the request was beyond the ministerial competence defined by law 21.730 and therefore illegal. While the ruling does not assign criminal liability or overturn the dismissal of PDI sub‑director Consuelo Peña, it has opened the door to possible constitutional accusations against Steinert, with politicians suggesting a special investigatory commission could be formed.