Students, university unions and organized workers marched in Santiago on October 1, protesting possible education cuts in a proposed budget that raises total public spending by 1.5%. The Confederation of Students of Chile (Confech) called the national strike. The CUT, Chile’s largest union federation, and the Colegio de Profesores teachers’ union joined under the slogan “Not one peso less for education.”
The government hasn’t published detailed education budget lines in the sources reviewed, and student leaders described the cuts as possible. President José Antonio Kast presented the bill on September 30. Its overall spending increase comes alongside a proposed 4.7% increase for the Health Ministry, more than three times the overall rate, according to Health Minister May Chomali.
Students and workers take the street
The march began around 10:30 a.m. at Plaza Baquedano, with permission from the regional government delegation. Clashes broke out near the Catholic University, within metres of the starting point. Carabineros, the national police, used water cannon and tear gas.
BioBioChile reported at least 12 arrests, a preliminary figure that police hadn’t confirmed. Most marchers continued west toward La Moneda, the presidential palace. Metro reopened its closed station at 12:32 p.m. The final number of arrests hadn’t been published.
The student protest followed a 48-hour national strike by primary health workers over clinic funding. Both actions opposed the same budget bill, connecting education spending disputes with public clinic funding. Confusam, the confederation of municipal health workers, held its strike on September 29 and 30.
Clinic funding and the limits of the offer
The health workers’ 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 as 11,932 pesos, about US$12.34. Confusam sought 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 said municipalities were owed more than 37 billion pesos, about US$38 million, dating from December 2025.
Confusam welcomed Decree 29, which updates the 2026 rate to settle the arrears, but said it wasn’t a structural fix. The Finance Ministry’s offer may not be final: lawmakers could shift money within the bill before passage. A joint working group on clinic funding was due to meet again on September 30.
A dispute still unresolved
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.
Education spending changes remained unclear. Whether protests would continue wasn’t known. Confusam said it would remain “on alert” while Congress debated the bill. The figures spell out the immediate stakes: an overall spending increase, a larger proposed health increase, an unresolved clinic payment demand and possible education cuts, which students say may be coming.