Analysis for 20 other agencies and chosen by Senda: zoom to the laboratory that tested former undersecretary Rodríguez

Presidente José Antonio Kast removed Juan Pablo Rodríguez from his position as Undersecretary of Finance last Thursday after he tested positive for drugs during a mandatory screening required of the president, ministers and undersecretaries. However, this was not the end of the story, but rather the beginning of a controversy that continues to unfold with new chapters and participants. The ex-undersecretary has since accused the laboratory responsible for conducting the tests of violating protocols related to handling sensitive data and maintaining patient information confidentiality. She also insists that the test result is incorrect. The laboratory in question is Corthorn Health, which was selected through a public tender to analyze hair samples from 65 officials. According to its website, the company has been providing such services for nearly three decades. It describes itself as a leader in clinical toxicology in Chile, committed to excellence, innovation, and the well-being of individuals. Francisca Corthorn is listed as the legal representative of the company. Corthorn Health offers various programs to detect the presence of illicit drugs, alcohol, and other toxins in biological samples such as saliva, urine, blood, and hair. The laboratory is not unfamiliar within the state apparatus, having participated over the years via public tenders in urine testing mandated by Decree Supreme 1215 of 2006 for drug consumption monitoring among state employees. Despite its involvement in urine testing, the use of hair analysis techniques by Corthorn Health within the public health system appears more limited. Nevertheless, according to records in Mercado Público, the platform for public tenders, there are historical instances of the technique's application. In July 2020, the Public Defender’s Office contracted the firm for toxicological exams that included hair sample collection. Corthorn Health has a long history as a regular provider for the state, offering different types of drug testing services. The first recorded order or direct contract of the 109 registered in Mercado Público dates back to January 27, 2020, two years after the company's establishment. This was for a service involving confirmation of drug control in the Accounting Unit of the Health Directorate of the Chilean Carabineros. Since then, more than 20 state institutions have commissioned various analyses from Corthorn Health. These include the administrative corporation of the Judiciary Power, Senda, the Public Defender’s Office, the National Police, the Navy, the Air Force, the Internal Security Directorate, the Hospital of Talca, the Municipality of Colina, the University of Chile, the Association of Municipalities for Urban Safety in the Eastern Zone, the Army, and several subsecretariats including those of Public Security, Cultures, Mining, and Labor. From the current administration’s assumption of power on March 11 of this year, a total of 17 public orders have appeared in the registry. Some belong to independent institutions outside the central government, but 12 are directly linked to the executive branch. Subsecretariates of Public Security, Cultures, Mining, and Labor, among others, have issued tenders for services. The most recent of these is valued at $29,999,970 gross. This is precisely the tender that led to the positive result of the former undersecretary.