Chilean lawmakers demand probe into alleged Chinese cyberattack on telecom firms

Members of the Chamber of Deputies' Public Works, Transport, and Telecommunications Commission have called on the Public Ministry to thoroughly investigate allegations of a cyber espionage attack. The suspected culprits are an Asian group, reportedly linked to China, which may have targeted Chilean telecommunications companies.

According to reports in El Mercurio, the Center-North Prosecutor's Office and the Investigations Police are actively conducting inquiries to verify "possible cyberattacks" by a group identified as "Lilac Typhoon." This group is alleged to have gained access to information from prominent companies such as Entel, Movistar, and Telmex, among others.

René García, the commission's president and a deputy for RN, stressed the urgency of the situation. "Chile needs to know if sensitive information was compromised," he stated. "When we talk about potential cyber espionage actions that could compromise information, telecommunications, or critical infrastructure of our country, we cannot relativize the situation or jump to premature conclusions." García urged competent institutions to conduct their work with full transparency.

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Chile needs to know if sensitive information was compromised. When we talk about potential cyber espionage actions that could compromise information, telecommunications, or critical infrastructure of our country, we cannot relativize the situation or jump to premature conclusions.

In a similar vein, Deputy Fabián Ossandón (PDG) asserted, "We cannot allow foreign powers to violate our national security or interfere with telecommunications companies that handle the private data of millions of Chileans." He emphasized that "Chile's sovereignty and the privacy of our citizens are not negotiable under any international influence."

Deputy Leandro Kunstmann (Republicanos) described the "Lilac Typhoon" operation as potentially one of the most significant cyberattack incidents in Chile's history. He called for the implementation of all necessary measures to strengthen and fortify the country's IT systems and its defenses against such attacks.

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We cannot allow foreign powers to violate our national security or interfere with telecommunications companies that handle the private data of millions of Chileans. Chile's sovereignty and the privacy of our citizens are not negotiable under any international influence.