Chilean authorities announced an agreement late Thursday to end a three-day national freight transport strike that caused highway blockades and disrupted agricultural exports across the country.
Government Cancels Fuel Price Hikes and Reduces Diesel Costs
The package negotiated at La Moneda reverses a scheduled fuel price increase of $42 per peso for diesel and $39 for gasoline, according to Canal 9 Bío Televisión. In addition to canceling those hikes, the government agreed to an extra $100 reduction per liter specifically for diesel, bringing the total diesel price cut to $142 per liter, as reported by G5noticias.
During the afternoon of this Thursday, the biministro of the Interior and Segegob, Claudio Alvarado, reported from La Moneda that the Government reached an understanding with representatives of the main trucker associations to end the stoppage, which had lasted for three days. Following two days of negotiations, the biministro of the Interior and Segegob, Claudio Alvarado, accompanied by his counterpart from the Ministry of Finance, Jorge Quiroz, confirmed the agreement from La Moneda alongside Cristián Sandoval, president of Fuerza del Norte, and Freddy Martínez, representing the Confederación de Camioneros Centro Sur.
The understanding was also joined by the Confederación Nacional del Transporte de Carga (CNTC), led by Sergio Pérez, and the Confederación Nacional de Dueños de Camiones (CNDC), presided over by Juan Araya, organizations that had previously remained on the sidelines of the strike call.
Juan Araya, president of the CNDC, emphasized that the agreement prioritizes that group, stating that their focus has always been to defend small truckers who have been left without work and experiencing the anxiety of being unable to operate due to successive increases in diesel prices.
Yuri Sobarzo, a leader of the Asociación de Dueños de Camiones Temuco-Cautín, expressed a similar stance, confirming that transport operators in that area would not lift the strike unless the measure was broadened.
The executive branch also committed to freezing fuel price increases until March 31, 2027. Minister of the Interior and General Secretariat of Government Claudio Alvarado said that the measures aim to restore economic stability.
“Chile needs normality to keep growing, to keep moving forward,” Claudio Alvarado said, according to BioBioChile via BioBioChile.
Fiscal Cost Reaches US$500 Million Through 2027
Minister of Finance Jorge Quiroz estimated the total fiscal cost of the agreement at approximately US$500 million, distributed across 2026 and 2027. Quiroz maintained that the expense remains fully manageable within the government’s fiscal consolidation targets, according to El Mostrador. The cost is relevant, ranging around US$500 million not just for the current year, but heavily impacting the following year.
The agreement also adjusts the specific tax recovery brackets for freight carriers under Law 19.764, setting recovery rates at 90%, 65%, and 50% depending on annual sales tiers, while increasing the toll reimbursement for interurban buses from 35% to 70%, as detailed by Radio Maray. The specific percentages established are 90% for annual sales up to 2,400 UF, 90% for the range between 2,400 and 6,000 UF, 65% for companies with sales between 6,000 and 20,000 UF, and 50% for those with sales exceeding 20,000 UF.
President of the Senate Paulina Núñez announced that Congress will fast-track the required legislation, stating that the chamber expects to pass the bill into law by next Tuesday, as reported by La Nación.
Persistent Protests Among Independent Drivers
Despite the accord signed by major confederations such as Fuerza Norte and Centro Sur, independent transport associations and the No+TAG movement continued demonstrations in regions including Antofagasta, Valparaíso, La Araucanía, and the Santiago metropolitan area, according to G5noticias. Regarding traffic conditions, Emol reported congestion on Route 68 near Ciudad de Los Valles in Pudahuel, and on Route 5 South between Puente Maipo and Lo Herrera in San Bernardo.
Independent drivers and union representatives criticized the terms for focusing primarily on diesel rather than general gasoline and toll reductions, with some participants rejecting the settlement outright.
“I sent the proposal, I shared it with the guys and it was a flat no, we don’t accept it,” Patricia Angulo told Meganoticias.