MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile appoints interim Joint Chief of Staff

Vice Admiral José Luis Fernández replaces General Paiva

Chile's Defense Minister Maya Fernández is to appear before Congress Tuesday to brief lawmakers on the scandal involving the leak of confidential emails among high-ranking military officers.

After General Guillermo Paiva resigned as Armed Forces Joint Chief of Staff over the incident, Vice Admiral José Luis Fernández has been appointed to replace him on an interim basis.

Deputy Camila Flores has announced she would like to know about the extent of the information leaked and if and how it endangers the country while insisting on holding accountable those responsible for the serious mishap because Paiva's resignation would be insufficient.

Socialist Senator Gastón Saavedra pointed out that Minister Fernández has a political responsibility in the case, and that in Congress she must deliver the necessary information to advance in the investigations.

Independent Senator Kenneth Pugh questioned the government's ability to protect the country's security in cyberspace and has pledged to promote improvement in the areas of cybersecurity and intelligence.

Senators of the Defense Committee have proposed to speed up the passing of the Cybersecurity Framework Law, and that a new National Cybersecurity Agency be created by the year 2023, especially after this hacking episode

Brigadier General Mario Grez Casanueva has been appointed as the prosecutor to head “the administrative summary investigation” of the hacking of the emails.

The hacktivist group Guacamaya accessed the email systems of the organization in May. In the next few hours emails of private companies, but also of Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico, which are directly related to military intelligence, are to be made public, according to press reports.