SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile experienced its most significant power failure in 15 years, impacting nearly all of the nation’s 19 million residents. The government confirmed on Wednesday that electricity had been restored to most areas, and the strict curfew imposed following the blackout was lifted. However, about 220,000 residents still faced power outages, primarily in the northern regions of the country.
The blackout originated from a fault in a key transmission line, which led to a series of shutdowns in multiple power plants and transmission lines throughout Chile. This was announced by Interior Minister Carolina Tohá, who assured that efforts were ongoing to restore full power, though challenges persisted, especially in the north where the initial fault occurred. The exact cause of this failure is currently under investigation.
Tragically, the outage coincided with the deaths of three individuals who were “dependent on electricity,” though further details were not disclosed. It’s believed that these individuals relied on essential medical equipment that requires electricity to function, such as ventilators.
In the capital city of Santiago, normalcy began returning as trains and the subway gradually resumed operations. The government chose not to prolong the state of emergency which ended early Wednesday, though the previous night’s curfew saw over 200 people detained for violations.
Even as power returned in many regions, areas like Maipú, located south of Santiago, continued to wait for a reconnection to both power and drinking water services. Motorists faced difficulties with non-operational traffic lights, prompting an increase in security presence to manage traffic flow.
Chile’s position as a leading copper producer was slightly upended, with firms including Codelco, the largest in the world, restarting operations at several mines upon restoration of the power supply. Chile contributes approximately a quarter of the world’s copper.
This blackout is reminiscent of 2010, when an earthquake and subsequent tsunami disrupted power and communications across Chile. President Gabriel Boric expressed strong disapproval at the incident, citing a lack of accountability from energy companies and promising to hold them responsible. The faulty line, reportedly installed by ISA InterChile, a transmission company, came under particular scrutiny.
Boric emphasized that it is intolerable for millions of lives to be disrupted due to corporate negligence, underscoring the state’s role in overseeing such infrastructure failures. Meanwhile, energy sector experts noted that the blackout may impact foreign investment, with potential investors being warier about the country’s electricity stability. They highlighted the absence of preventive measures against such widespread outages as a critical issue.
This incident renews calls for the Chilean state to assume a more prominent role in electrical infrastructure oversight. Some critics recall the privatization of essential services during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship, which led to the current profit-driven control by private enterprises.
