Onco14 Case: Luisa Yasiris Guzmán reaffirms her innocence after ratification of preventive detention
The Santiago Court of Appeals confirmed the coercive measure consisting of 18 months of pretrial detention against Luisa Yasiris Guzmán, one of the figures identified in the case known as Operation Onco14. After the hearing, the defendant spoke about her legal and financial situation, asserting that she lacks the necessary resources to cover her defense costs.
Guzmán, who is the wife of businessman Héctor Lora Cruceta, took the opportunity to categorically reject the accusations presented by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The defendant denied any employment or financial ties to the National Health Insurance (Senasa).
I did not work for Senasa, I have never been paid by Senasa, I don’t even have insurance through Senasa. I am not a member of the oncology department. The only thing I did was help the patients.
Luisa Yasiris Guzmán
Criticism of the judicial process
During his statements, Guzmán questioned the handling of the investigation and suggested that there are irregularities in the way the case has been conducted. According to his perspective, some people are being used as scapegoats within the investigative scheme led by the authorities.
Details about the Onco14 Operation
The Public Ministry maintains its accusation against Guzmán, linking her to an alleged corruption network that reportedly operated from the Patronato Cibaeño Contra el Cáncer and the Instituto Oncológico Regional del Cibao (IORC). The key points of the accusation include:
- The alleged diversion of public funds intended exclusively for cancer patients.
- Direct impact on the assets of the State and the Senasa entity.
- Economic damage to the members of the subsidized regime who received care at said institutions.
Despite the ratification of the coercive measure, the defendant’s defense has expressed its dissatisfaction, denouncing what they consider unequal treatment in the justice system. For her part, Guzmán maintains that her work was always humanitarian in nature, focused on providing assistance to patients, and trusts that the truth will come to light as the judicial process advances.
For the moment, the defendant must continue to comply with the preventive detention measure in the designated detention center, while the Public Ministry continues to strengthen its accusatory file regarding this corruption case in the health sector.
