On Thursday, October 1, 2026, students marched along Santiago’s Alameda under the slogan “Not one peso less for education,” protesting possible cuts in the proposed 2027 budget. The Confederation of Students of Chile (Confech), which groups university student unions, called the national strike. The CUT, Chile’s largest union federation, and the Colegio de Profesores teachers’ union joined them.
The march began around 10:30 a.m. at Plaza Baquedano, with permission from the regional government delegation. Clashes followed. They broke out near the Catholic University, within metres of the starting point, and Carabineros, the national police, used water cannon and tear gas. BioBioChile reported at least 12 arrests. Police haven’t confirmed that preliminary figure, and authorities haven’t published a final arrest count. Most marchers continued west toward La Moneda, the presidential palace. Metro reopened its closed station at 12:32 p.m.
A Budget Under Fire From Two Sides
The student march came one day after primary health workers ended a 48-hour national strike. Both protests targeted the same bill, presented by President José Antonio Kast on September 30, which raises total public spending 1.5%.
The government points to health as evidence of its priorities. Health Minister May Chomali said her ministry’s budget would grow 4.7%, more than three times the overall increase. Education is another story, or at least an unfinished one. Student leaders described cuts as possible, but detailed education budget lines hadn’t appeared in the sources reviewed. That gap is exactly what marchers protested.
What Clinics Say They’re Owed
Confusam, the confederation of municipal health workers, held its strike on September 29 and 30. The dispute centers on the “per capita” payment the state sends municipalities for each patient enrolled at their clinics. Radio Universidad de Chile reported the current monthly rate at 11,932 pesos, about US$12.34. Confusam wants at least 16,000 pesos, about US$16.55.
The Finance Ministry offered an increase of 604 pesos, about US$0.62; the union wanted at least 1,000 pesos, about US$1.03. Confusam also said municipalities are owed more than 37 billion pesos, about US$38 million, dating from December 2025. The union welcomed Decree 29, which updates the 2026 rate to settle the arrears, but said it isn’t a structural fix.
The two sides disagree over how far the strike reached. Confusam president Gabriela Flores claimed 90% adherence nationwide. The Health Ministry counted 31.1% of staff on strike and 69.3% of facilities affected, according to Puranoticia. The ministry said emergency rotas covered all prioritised care and noted that 80% of Chileans use primary care. A joint working group on clinic funding was due to meet again on September 30.
What Comes Next
Whether the protests will continue remains unclear. Confusam said it would stay “on alert” while Congress debates the bill. Lawmakers could shift money within the bill before passage, so the 604-peso offer might not be final. The exchange rate cited was 967 pesos per U.S. dollar on October 1, 2026.
Why This Matters: Eighty percent of Chileans rely on primary care, so the per capita rate directly shapes what local clinics can offer most families. Teachers, students and health workers are challenging the same budget bill, suggesting public-service funding is becoming a shared political fight. Education spending details remain unpublished, leaving the people affected to argue over numbers they can’t yet see. Congress can still move money within the bill, so lawmakers, not only the executive, will decide whether the gap between the 604-peso offer and the union’s 1,000-peso floor closes. Arrests and tear gas during an authorised march also place the handling of public dissent under scrutiny. From a perspective that favors strong public services, the debate over the 2027 budget will show how much weight Chile gives to schools and clinics.