The law establishes protection mechanisms against possible reprisals or retaliatory acts against people who report conducts that are contrary to probity, and establishes the obligation to investigate the cases.
It also provides for the creation of a new digital channel, administered by the Comptroller’s Office, with the option of keeping the identity of the whistleblower confidential.
A study conducted in 2020 revealed that only 32.9 percent of victims or witnesses of an act of corruption reported it, and the main reason for this attitude was fear of being subjected to retaliation or threats.
“Every act of corruption weakens democracy, and we want to take care of it”, said the President in an event at Palacio de La Moneda, and admitted that when there is misuse of public resources, trust is broken and society as a whole is damaged.
Several officials at national and regional levels have had to resign from their posts in the last two months, as a result of the so-called “Convenios Case,” which shows irregularities in the transfer of State funds to private foundations. At least 37 non-governmental organizations from 11 regions are being investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
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