Original article: Cubillos, Guerra, Squella y compañía: Gobierno descabezó al regulador y sanción a la USS queda en el aire Government Shake-up at Educational Regulator Leaves San Sebastián University Sanction Unresolved The Superintendency of Higher Education has kept the sanction process against the San Sebastián University (USS) on hold for two months, just as it was poised to define fines or corrective measures for the irregularities identified in the hiring of over fifteen politically exposed persons. Key figures under scrutiny include former minister Marcela Cubillos, former prosecutor Manuel Guerra—currently in preventive detention related to the so-called Hermosilla Case—and senator and president of the Republican Party (PR), Arturo Squella. The decision by José Kast’s government to demand the resignation of then-superintendent José Miguel Salazar during the resolution phase—citing “loss of trust”—has left the case in limbo.
The regulator’s investigation dates back to October 2024, when media reports revealed that Cubillos, who served as Minister of Education under former President Sebastián Piñera’s second term, earned a gross salary of $17 million at USS, which far exceeded the scope of her job. It was determined that she did not fulfill her roles as a teacher and researcher, particularly during her time outside Chile. Questions arose over alleged violations of internal policies requiring a master’s degree for regular academic positions, a qualification she lacks.
Following this allegation, the Superintendency broadened its audit and identified a scheme of hires that breached USS’s internal regulations for executive and academic roles. Sources from the institution confirmed to investigative media Reportea that the contractual ties of former ministers Andrés Chadwick, Víctor Pérez, Juan José Ossa, Julio Isamit, and Enrique Paris, along with current Ñuñoa mayor Sebastián Sichel, and former under-secretaries Arturo Zúñiga and Rodrigo Ubilla were also under investigation. All held significant positions during Piñera’s second term.
Despite USS’s defenses, the departure of Salazar, which occurred in mid-March—the same day Reportea revealed the existence of the process—created a vacuum at the top of the agency. Acting superintendent, Daniela Poblete, has limited remarks to stating that “the process is ongoing, with no closure yet,” and that due process must be ensured. Investigations Against USS in the Prosecutor’s Office and the Comptroller’s Office Meanwhile, two external investigations are progressing, further cornering USS: one at the Regional Western Prosecutor’s Office for possible criminal offenses resulting from complaints by Deputy Daniel Manouchehri and Senator Daniella Ciccardini, both from the Socialist Party, and another at the Comptroller’s Office, examining the transfer of over $1.
479 billion in public funds to the university while Cubillos served as Minister of Education. Hiring of Former Prosecutor Guerra and Alleged Judicial Favor Payments Complicating matters is the angle of the so-called “Hermosilla Case,” where the hiring of ex-prosecutor Manuel Guerra at USS—accused by the Public Ministry of aggravated bribery, administrative prevarication, and breach of secrecy—is being investigated as a potential payment for judicial favors. According to the prosecution’s allegations, Guerra allegedly received his position at the university in exchange for dropping cases that affected lawyer Luis Hermosilla and Andrés Chadwick himself, who is also under investigation by the Superintendency as a politically exposed person.
When questioned by Reportea, Chadwick claimed ignorance of the report; Julio Isamit affirmed that all information was provided directly to USS; and Juan José Ossa defended his leadership of the university’s Public Policy Center, stating that he never received any salary outside of the agreed terms. While Kast’s government insists that Salazar’s resignation was an autonomous administrative decision, the timeline drags on with no clear sanction against USS. The sanctioning file remains confidential, and not all names of those involved have even been made public.
With three fronts open—the regulatory agency destabilized, the obscured criminal investigation, and scrutiny from the Comptroller’s Office—the looming question is whether the university will once again evade consequences.