The Chilean government announced Wednesday that it will file a criminal complaint following the assault of Science Minister Ximena Lincolao at the Universidad Austral in Valdivia. While initial reports indicated the minister was held in a classroom, new details from El Mostrador clarify that the incident occurred during the inauguration of the university's 2026 academic year at the Isla Teja campus.
Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado confirmed the legal action during a press briefing at La Moneda. He described the incident as a "criminal attack against an authority" and vowed that the administration would not be intimidated. According to El Mostrador, the aggression also targeted Presidential Delegate Vicky Carrasco, who was accompanying the minister. The report notes that both officials were subjected to insults, shoving, and were sprayed with water by protesting students before being extracted by the PDI (Investigations Police) under heavy security.
“A government authority was intimidated, detained, and subsequently assaulted in the legitimate exercise of her functions,” Alvarado said. “Violence has no place in the classroom, on campus, or in any space of democratic life.” Security Minister Trinidad Steinert, who will oversee the legal filing, categorized the event as a grave offense.
Demands for Accountability
Minister Alvarado urged the leadership of the Universidad Austral to cooperate fully with investigators. The university has since announced the launch of an internal investigation into the events, according to El Mostrador. Alvarado emphasized that the institution must identify those responsible, noting that impunity is not an acceptable outcome.
“Those who believe that aggression and intimidation are valid tools to silence the State or stop the work of its authorities are profoundly mistaken,” Alvarado added. Several members of the cabinet expressed their support for Lincolao on social media following the incident. Energy Minister Ximena Rincón described the situation as "unacceptable," while Economy Minister Daniel Mas characterized the attack as a cowardly act that contradicts the principles of democratic dialogue.
