A well-known family in the city of Santiago has expressed concern to this media outlet, several months after a fire affected one of their properties, and has called on the authorities to ensure justice is served in this case. According to their complaint, the property was rented to a businessman as a warehouse for clothing sales, who allegedly accumulated over 48 months of unpaid rent, a debt amounting to thousands of dollars. Affected family members stated that the situation worsened when a sudden fire broke out inside the structure, causing considerable damage to the building, considered part of Santiago's architectural heritage. Vicenta Melillo, a member of the property-owning family, explained that there is currently a judicial process underway to clarify what happened. However, she noted that they have received little information from the authorities regarding the progress of the investigations related to the fire. Meanwhile, Iván Castillo, the family's lawyer, indicated that the legal process continues, although he acknowledged that the affected parties have faced limitations in accessing details about the procedures carried out by the entities in charge of the case. Melillo also reported that, approximately four months after the fire, they were finally granted a court order to break the locks on the property to gain access. With this authorization, the family began cleanup work on the property and is currently seeking specialized personnel to technically assess the structural damage caused by the fire. The affected parties reiterated their request to the judicial authorities for the case to proceed with greater clarity and for responsibilities to be determined, both for the alleged accumulated rental debt and for the fire that damaged the historic building. Meanwhile, the Melillo family awaits the expert assessments to determine the actual condition of the structure and thus define the necessary steps for the recovery of the historic building in the city of Santiago.
