Quiroz's plan against "permisology" allowed his brother's millionaire business to be approved despite a negative report from the Sernageomin

The project known as Alto Santorini, a real estate venture with an investment of approximately US$43.6 million, was approved despite a negative assessment from the National Service of Geology and Mining (Sernageomin). The approval came under the influence of a policy initiated by Minister of Finance Jorge Quiroz aimed at streamlining environmental permits for investment projects. This initiative, which involves monitoring the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA) and its subsequent evaluation by a committee composed of sub-secretaries from Economy, Interior, Environment, and Finance, led to the green light for the project, even though Sernageomin had raised concerns regarding the risk of mass removal. The project, located near the dunes of Concón, is backed by Víctor Quiroz, the brother of Minister Jorge Quiroz. Víctor is not only one of the owners of the architecture firm responsible for designing the project but also serves as its lobbyist. He holds a stake through a family-controlled entity that owns 12% of the initiative. According to official records, he shares ownership of the company alongside his wife and children, who collectively hold a 50% interest in another company that controls 24% of the project. The development process faced delays in 2023 following damage caused by a sinkhole affecting a building in the area of Reñaca. The evaluation process was suspended and resumed in July 2024 after the company submitted additional documentation to the Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) of Valparaíso. However, eleven institutions raised objections to the Environmental Impact Study. During the administration of President Gabriel Boric, representatives of the project requested two extensions to address these concerns, extending the deadline until March 31 of this year, just 20 days after Jorge Quiroz took office as Minister of Finance. With his brother now holding a key position in the government, Víctor Quiroz continued to push for the project’s approval. He met with the presidential delegate for Valparaíso and resubmitted responses to the observations. Despite these efforts, Sernageomin did not lift its concerns, citing the lack of a specific study on the risk of mass removal in the terrain. Nevertheless, the SEA of Valparaíso approved the project, concluding that geomorphology is not a protected element within the SEIA framework. Efforts to contact Víctor Quiroz via phone numbers listed in the project's registration on the SEIA platform and through the email address associated with his architectural firm have been unsuccessful. As of the time of this report, no response has been received. The mechanism implemented by Minister Quiroz aims to expedite the approval of long-stalled investment projects. This approach has allowed the approval of his brother’s project, despite the unresolved concerns raised by Sernageomin. The situation highlights the intersection of political influence and regulatory processes in the approval of large-scale developments.