Senator Camila Flores Oporto faces a judicial demand for more than 18 million pesos related to unpaid campaign materials from her 2025 senatorial bid. The claim involves a printer who alleges the senator failed to pay for 40,000 magnetic calendars, a debt the senator denies authorizing. The legal challenge, which follows existing allegations of fiscal fraud, now moves to the Corte de Apelaciones de Valparaíso to determine the admissibility of the case given the senator’s parliamentary immunity.
The Origins of the Campaign Debt
The dispute centers on a meeting held on October 27, 2025, at the Restaurant Iruanai in Viña del Mar. According to Luis Villa Villar, a consultant for Chinese business interests, the meeting included Senator Flores, her husband Percy Marín, and Maria Ester Munnier, a former regional director of Senda. Villa claims the group requested assistance from a print shop owned by his uncle, Hugo Villar, to produce campaign materials for Flores.
Villa alleges the intent was for Chinese business associates to cover the costs of the printing and a planned campaign closing event. He stated these businessmen sought “direct lines” and influence with the politician to expedite bureaucratic processes. While Munnier confirms orchestrating the meeting, she denies requesting explicit support from Chinese businessmen for Flores’ campaign.
The print shop owner, Hugo Villar, did not issue the formal invoice for the 40,000 magnetic calendars until May 7, 2025, months after the election period concluded.
Evidence of Campaign Involvement
While Senator Flores has denied instructing the purchase of the materials, records show her campaign team actively retrieved them. Evidence reviewed by investigators includes images of a police vehicle—assigned to the senator for protection—being used to collect propaganda from the print shop in Santiago Centro. The vehicle was driven by a Carabineros officer from the Department of Protection of Important Persons (PPI), who was assigned to the senator following reported threats.
Additionally, an email sent on November 6, 2025, by Julio Lillo, then an advisor to Flores, requested further deliveries of the magnetic calendars. The correspondence explicitly mentioned the need for the materials for two “big events” scheduled for the following day, which coincided with the senator’s campaign closing activities.
The core of this conflict lies in the distinction between “donations” and formal campaign spending. Under the Servel framework, any service provided to a campaign—even if labeled a donation—must be valued and reported. The senator’s defense relies on the lack of a formal purchase order, yet the use of state-funded security resources to collect these materials creates a significant evidentiary hurdle for her legal team.
What Happens Next
The Pleno of the Corte de Apelaciones de Valparaíso is expected to appoint a “ministro de fuero” next week to evaluate the case. Because Flores serves as a Senator of the Republic, she holds parliamentary immunity, which prevents standard judicial proceedings without prior authorization from the higher courts.
Vinko Fodich, the attorney representing the printer, has initiated a formal executive collection process to recover the 18.3 million pesos. Meanwhile, the Servicio Electoral (Servel) has clarified that any unpaid campaign obligations must still be treated as electoral expenses. The agency maintains that it can review new information regarding irregularities at any time, provided the offenses have not reached the statutory limit for prescription.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the senator denying the debt?
Senator Flores states there is no purchase order, dispatch guide, or any other document that proves she authorized the hiring of the printing services.
What is the role of the Chinese businessmen in this case?
According to intermediary Luis Villa, these individuals were intended to cover the costs of campaign materials and events in exchange for potential influence and easier access to public authorities.
Can the printer sue the senator despite her immunity?
The printer has filed for a judicial notification of the invoice to force payment. The Corte de Apelaciones must now decide if the case can proceed, as the senator’s parliamentary fuero requires court authorization before she can be subjected to a formal legal process.
Could the use of state-funded security resources for campaign activities lead to further investigations beyond the current debt dispute?
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