Original article: “El INDH no defiende delincuentes”: Tobar desmiente a Kaiser y pone los puntos sobre las íes
The spread of false news about the human rights organization sparked a wave of misinformation that reached political figures from various sectors, including far-right parliamentarians, forcing the INDH to clarify the facts and defend its institutional work.
A surge of misinformation rocked public debate in Chile this week after a false report about the National Institute of Human Rights (INDH) went viral on social media, being echoed by national political figures. The article titled «Encerrona in Quilicura Opens Debate: INDH Questions Actions of Driver Who Hit Criminal» prompted an immediate reaction from the agency, which not only categorically denied the claims but also responded to criticisms from MP Johannes Kaiser (PNL), who both spread the falsehood and used it to attack the institution.
Acting Director of the INDH, Alejandrina Tobar, addressed the damage caused by such practices to democracy and public trust and responded point-by-point to the accusations made by the far-right parliamentarian.
“Critiques are valid, but the dissemination of false facts is not. Institutional trust is protected with verified information and transparency, not by spreading lies,” stated Tobar.
The Origin and Spread of the Fake News
The incident began with a publication on the site “Diario Sur Noticias,” which suggested the INDH’s stance regarding a driver who, trying to escape an ambush in the Quilicura area, hit one of the perpetrators. The piece, written by Rodrigo Flores, detailed the events and only in its final paragraph stated that “the National Institute of Human Rights has indicated in similar situations that these types of cases open up a debate regarding the use of force by civilians,” without presenting any official statement about the specific case.
Despite the lack of corroboration, the information was replicated by at least five outlets and quickly reached political figures’ accounts. MP Johannes Kaiser (PNL), former presidential candidate Franco Parisi (PDG), elected MP Leandro Kunstmann (Republican Party), and Sin Filtro panelist Gabriel Alemparte were among those who shared the content on their social media, helping it to spread further.
The outcry was so significant that the INDH became a trending topic on social media platform X, trailing only behind Bad Bunny and the Super Bowl.
“This reaction was so massive that it showcased how completely false this news is,” asserted Acting Director Alejandrina Tobar.
INDH Concern Over Political Figures Replicating Fake News
In light of the misinformation’s scope, the INDH released a public statement categorically denying the news. “The institution has not made any statements regarding the reported incident. It is particularly concerning that false information is replicated by news portals, media outlets, and even authorities without proper verification,” the agency stated, expressing its concern over the lack of rigor.
In subsequent statements, Tobar noted a crucial distinction between what happened in October, when the institute faced a similar situation, and what occurred this time, where political figures joined in the dissemination of the fake news.
“There were elected or serving authorities who replicated the false news, which further exacerbates the situation because they have a different outreach and, in some ways, legitimize this information,” explained the Acting Director.
She also described the misinformation mechanics in the digital age: “There is a sequence that allows for the propagation of facts that are not real. They distort the truth, fabricate facts and headlines, there are accounts that promote and amplify these messages. And some authorities share them, emit judgments, and create opinions based on a lie without sufficient verification,” she criticized.
Alemparte’s Apologies and Kaiser’s Persistence
Among those who shared the false news, responses varied. Gabriel Alemparte, a panelist on Sin Filtro, chose to publicly apologize through his account on X. He explained that “Grok—the AI assistant of the X social network—asserted that the news was true” and confirmed that the post “was deleted immediately.”
However, Tobar warned about the asymmetry in the reach of corrections compared to the original viralization of the lie.
She cited Alemparte’s example, providing revealing figures: “His apology received 7,000 views versus the posts defending the false news, which each had five times that number.”
This observation emphasized the importance of verifying information before publication or sharing, as “unfortunately, social media moves very quickly. People form opinions in a short time and apologies or clarifications do not necessarily reach those who believed that a media outlet was doing its job correctly, namely, communicating facts, contrasting sources, or gathering information,” she added.
The case of Johannes Kaiser proved to be more complex. The far-right MP not only shared the false news but also accompanied it with a provocative message: “Share if you believe the INDH should be abolished,” he wrote on his X profile, using misinformation as a platform to promote a campaign against the institution.
Even after the INDH debunked the news and Kaiser acknowledged it was false information, the MP decided to keep the post on his profile.
He argued that it was easy to believe what the article from Diario Sur Noticias claimed because, according to his perception, there is a “historical defense of criminality” by the institute.
«The INDH Does Not Defend Criminals»: Tobar’s Response to Kaiser
In response to Kaiser’s claims, the Acting Director of the INDH did not stay silent and offered a detailed defense of the institution’s work.
“Regarding Mr. Kaiser’s assertions, he also claims that the institute only defends criminals, and that is something that is categorically untrue,” she replied.
In her exposition, the authority referred to the fundamental principles governing international human rights law: “Human rights are universal and inherent. All individuals enjoy them regardless of age, gender, nationality, etc.”
She then highlighted that the work of the INDH “is to defend people’s lives, ensure that we have the right to access health, education, housing, a name, and basic necessities. It defends people’s rights and also educates about them.”
Tobar urged political actors to adequately inform themselves before voicing judgments about the institution.
“We find it crucial for authorities to speak with knowledge of the impact, the role of the Institute, and the diversity of its tasks,” she added, clearly alluding to the carelessness with which Deputy Kaiser handled the subject.
Caricatures of the INDH and the Risk to Human Rights Culture
The Acting Director of the INDH went further in her analysis and warned of a deeper phenomenon: the systematic construction of a distorted image of the organization. Tobar noted that various types of caricatures about the role of the INDH have been “fed,” which generates ignorance and weakens the culture of human rights in the country.
This process of delegitimization, she explained, has concrete consequences that extend beyond social media debates.
“As the Institute is delegitimized, the culture of human rights declines, enabling spaces where discussions arise, such as the same Deputy Kaiser noted, to close the institute or where for three years we have faced budget approval problems,” she argued, establishing a direct link between the spread of lies and the budgetary challenges facing the institution, as reported by Diario U de Chile.
In this context, she emphasized that “when the role of the institute is misunderstood or delegitimized through inaccurate information, it weakens the culture of rights, making it difficult for people to understand that these standards are not obstacles, but conditions for a fairer, freer, and safer society.”
