A rape allegation against a senior official has sparked a crisis for Chile’s leftwing government, sapping support for President Gabriel Boric as the unpopular leader tries to relaunch his presidency midway through his term.

Manuel Monsalve, 59, who was until recently Chile’s security secretary and had been the face of the government’s effort to fight a rise in organised crime, was accused this month of raping a 32-year-old staffer in a hotel room after meeting her for dinner in September.  

Chile’s police force said Monsalve asked officers to examine security footage from the hotel before the staffer made the allegation. Monsalve, who has not yet been formally charged, has denied committing any crime, telling a press conference: “I will prove my innocence during the investigation.”