A serious allegation has been made by the families of the seven victims of the «Bruma» tragedy, who claim that the Prosecutor’s Office approved a technical inspection (maintenance) of the Cobra ship, directly involved in the sinking.
This comes at a time when there are still no formal charges in the judicial process related to this case, a situation that has raised concerns from Deputy Roberto Celedón.
«The families have reported that Brumar has received authorization for the Cobra vessel, involved in the collision that destroyed the boat of the seven artisanal fishermen from Constitución, to undergo a type of technical review. This occurs despite the fact that the ship is currently in a dry dock, undergoing examinations, and it is known for certain that it was the vessel that collided with Bruma,» the parliamentarian stated in a video posted on his social media.
According to Deputy Celedón, «this consideration for the interests of a company—allowing a technical review when the vessel is in a dry dock designated specifically to carry out the necessary expert analyses to determine responsibilities and collision evidence—contrasts sharply with the lack of truth and justice received by the families.»
«This is unacceptable. Why the different treatment? The most important duty of the Prosecutor’s Office is to investigate independently what happened and who was responsible. This is an affront, an insult to the victims,» the legislator asserted.
«For the company, everything; and for those demanding truth and justice—the minimum right of every crime victim—there has still been no statement, despite the report from the prosecuting attorney in the administrative summary, a naval prosecutor from Chile, which is believed to contain evidence of recorded dialogues that seriously implicate the captain of the Cobra, and even images,» Deputy Roberto Celedón reminded.
Finally, the parliamentarian urged the authorities to «be serious and strict. We cannot minimize the essentials: the rights of the families to know what truly happened to their loved ones, who disappeared at sea after being struck by the Cobra. The Cobra is safely docked in Puerto Seco. If it returns to the sea tomorrow, it must then undergo the necessary examinations mandated by maritime authorities. Before that, no. First: truth and justice,» he stressed.
Meanwhile, according to Radio Biobío, the families of the crew members of Bruma announced they will meet with the prosecutor in charge of the case, Marcela Cartagena, to discuss this complex situation.