Chile's State of Emergency: Nationwide Power Outage Leads to Curfew

On February 25, 2025, Chile declared a state of emergency following a widespread blackout that disrupted electricity to approximately eight million households nationwide. The blackout began in the afternoon and impacted major cities, including the capital, Santiago, where essential services were severely affected. Traffic lights failed, subways ceased operation, and many individuals found themselves stranded in elevators.

President Gabriel Boric announced the imposition of a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. to ensure public safety and facilitate the restoration efforts. He emphasized the day's difficulties for citizens and cited the outages' "outrageous" failure in the electricity transmission system. Although power had been restored to four million homes by late Tuesday, he warned that the situation remained precarious and unstable.

The blackout prompted a significant response from national authorities, with soldiers and police deployed to maintain order, particularly in the most affected areas. Emergency services, hospitals, and key infrastructure utilized backup power systems to ensure continued operations during the crisis. Meanwhile, the national disaster agency reported that schools across impacted regions would remain closed on Wednesday, leaving around 300,000 students without classes. As the country grapples with the aftermath, the government continues to address the citizens' urgent concerns and calls for accountability from power companies.