The Convenios case (, lit. "Agreements case")  is an ongoing political scandal in Chile about the discretionary contracting of politically connected non-governmental organizations (NGO) by regional government entities. The scandal began with the Democracia Viva case () named after the NGO Democracia Viva but was subsumed into a larger scandal as more similar cases were uncovered. It is the first large corruption scandal to affect the ruling coalition since Gabriel Boric became president in March 2022.

Democracia Viva case
The Democracia Viva case revolves around possible influence peddling and conflict of interests among people with overlapping membership in the NGO Democracia Viva, the political party Democratic Revolution and the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism. Frauds such as embezzlement and misuse of funds have also been added to the investigation.

Democracia Viva is a Chilean NGO with offices in the commune of Ñuñoa in Santiago and in the northern city of Antofagasta. The NGO was established on February 25, 2022, less than a month before Boric assumed office. For the 2022 Chilean national plebiscite Democracia Viva received donations totalling 31 million Chilean pesos to campaign for the approval of the new constitutional draft, which was ultimately rejected by a margin of 62% to 38%. The leaders of Democracia Viva belong to Democratic Revolution. In 2022 and 2023 it was granted contracts for a total of 426 million Chilean pesos, or 6% of Antogastas Regions budget, by the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism. As of June 2023 these last contracts were being investigated for their possible obtention through influence peddling. On June 23 the offices of Democracia Viva in Ñuñoa and Antofagasta were raided by the Investigations Police of Chile.

Resignations
Carlos Contreras, the local representative (Seremi) of the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism in Antofagasta resigned on June 17 in connection to the Democracia Viva case.

The subsecretary of housing, Tatiana Rojas, resigned on June 24 by request of President Gabriel Boric. Her resignation was indebted to the fact that she was deemed to not have taken swift action despite learning about the Democracia Viva case already in May.

Catalina Pérez of Democratic Revolution has also been implicated for her supposed knowledge of the dealings of Democracia Viva. This view is based on her recent intimate relationship with Daniel Andrade, the visible leader (legal representant) of Democracia Viva, having formerly employed Carlos Contreras as an advisor and for her purported large influence and contact network as deputy in the  National Congress of Chile for the district of Antofagasta. Pérez has faced intense criticism, including from people of her own party. Following a request by the mayors of Democratic Revolution Pérez declared on June 23, 2023, to be available to have her membership in the party put "on-hold". She resigned from the board of Chamber of Deputies.

Other non-governmental organizations

Urbanismo Social
As a result of the Democracia Viva case, other NGOs began to be scrutinized for their contracts with the Chilean state. Urbanismo Social, an NGO linked to Democratic Revolution, had its contract with the municipality of Santiago canceled by mayor Irací Hassler. The dealings of Urbanismo Social with the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism in the commune of Pedro Aguirre Cerda and Maule Region have also been questioned. In Maule Region Rodrigo Hernández, the local representative (Seremi) of the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism and member of Democratic Revolution resigned in early July following a request by minister Carlos Montes. Hernández is accused of having had a conflict of interest when granting public funds to Urbanismo Social in which he had been active until his appointment as Seremi. His house was raided by the Investigations Police of Chile as were the offices of Urbanismo Social in Santiago.

Capital Social
In Concepción, an aspiring politician has been accused of hiring a shell foundation to funnel public funds from the government of Biobío Region into various minor urbanism projects that were publicized under the name of Capital Social, a NGO that had no legal existence. The aspiring politician contracted through Capital Social a company partly owned by her partner to execute the works. Some of the resources granted to the hired fundation were used for thing such visits at restaurants, delivery services and female underwear purchases, things which wear no connection to the urbanism project. Additionally, parts of the project have been criticized by Radio Bío-Bío as irrelevant and being rather ways to give employment to the aspiring politician's associates.

Comprometidos
In late June 2023 it became known that Comprometidos, an NGO focused on veterinary services and film production, has been granted contracts to deliver potable water to communities in the city of Copiapó.

EnRed Social

The foundation EnRed received little more than 1060 million Chilean pesos in a single day in August 2022 through direct contracts by the Seremi of the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism in Tarapacá Region. The transfer is being investigated by the central authorities of the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism. According to the contract, EnRed Social was to perform work on improving the housing conditions in Tarapacá Region.

Aftermath

The Democracia Viva scandal has shaken up Democratic Revolution which as result postponed its internal elections of the 1st and 2nd of July to the 22nd and 23rd of the same month. Carlos Contreras and Daniel Andrade were expelled from the party on June 30. In June Democratic Revolution registered a loss of 298 members, having 27,048 members by June 30.

The Comptroller General of Chile decided to put on hold 91 agreements between state entities and private foundations while they are up for review. By July 29, the Comptroller General of Chile had reviewed 34 agreements and concluded that 29 of them did not met legal requirements to be done. As such these contracts, made for a total of c. 13,000 million Chilean pesos were cancelled.

On July 4 the government of Gabriel Boric announced the creation of a "probity and transparency commission" led by María Jaraquemada to suggest within 45 days measures to improve the relation between the Chilean state and organizations of the civil society.

The theft of 23 computers and a safe deposit box from the Ministry of Social Development on the night of July 19 has arisen suspicions of some sort of connection to the Convenios case.

Notes

References

2023 in Chile
History of Antofagasta Region
Non-governmental organizations
Urban planning
June 2023 events in South America
Political scandals in Chile
Presidency of Gabriel Boric