Francisco Kaminski has secured a legal victory against Canal 13, with the Santiago Court of Appeals ordering the television network to issue public apologies on air for misrepresenting him in a 2020 report. The ruling, issued on September 30, 2026, stems from coverage on the morning show Bienvenidos.
The Bottom Line
– The Ruling: The Fourth Chamber of the Santiago Court of Appeals ordered Canal 13 to air public apologies specifically addressing Francisco Kaminski within five days of the sentence becoming executory.
– The Origin: The litigation traces back to November 18, 2020, when Bienvenidos broadcast an event producer’s accusations linking Kaminski to an alleged fraud involving 80 million pesos.
– The Legal Scope: While Kaminski and his then-wife Carla Jara initially filed a joint lawsuit seeking over 530 million pesos, the final appellate judgment limits the mandated public apologies exclusively to Kaminski, with both parties ordered to bear their own legal costs.
Origins of the 2020 Broadcast Dispute
The legal conflict began on November 18, 2020, during a morning broadcast of Bienvenidos on Canal 13. The program dedicated extensive airtime to statements from an event producer who accused Kaminski of financial misconduct. The morning show’s framing explicitly labeled the dispute as an “estafa” or scam.
Kaminski and his then-wife, Carla Jara, represented by attorney Óscar Fuentes, argued that the broadcast constituted an “asesinato de imagen” or character assassination. The legal team maintained that the underlying commercial disagreement bore no resemblance to criminal fraud, and that the original complainant had never used the term “estafa” during their dispute. Subsequent legal proceedings ultimately dismissed the fraud accusations leveled against the animator.
The Court of Appeals Decision and Apology Terms
Signed by Justice María Soledad Espina Otero, the September 30, 2026 ruling confirmed the lower court’s determinations while modifying the specifics of the remedy. The court mandated that Canal 13 S.A. must issue public apologies directed exclusively to Francisco Kaminski Candia.
These apologies must be broadcast during a television program matching the nature, characteristics, content, and time slot of the program Bienvenidos. The judgment grants the station a strict five-day window to comply once the sentence is fully executory. Furthermore, the appellate court ruled that each litigant must absorb their own legal costs, leaving Carla Jara outside the scope of the final apology order.
Timeline of the Legal Proceedings
| Date | Legal and Broadcast Milestone |
|---|---|
| November 18, 2020 | Canal 13 broadcasts the contested report regarding Francisco Kaminski on the morning show Bienvenidos. |
| Post-Broadcast 2020 | Francisco Kaminski and Carla Jara file a 530-million-peso lawsuit against Canal 13 and then-representative Maximiliano Luksic. |
| September 30, 2026 | Justice María Soledad Espina of the Santiago Court of Appeals signs the final ruling ordering public apologies within five days. |
