A major power outage struck Chile on March 5, 2025, leaving more than 80% of the population without electricity for almost eight hours. The blackout, which began at 15:16 local time, affected 14 of the country's 16 regions, stretching from Arica and Parinacota in the north to Los Lagos in the south. Over eight million households—equivalent to more than 80% of the 20 million residents—were plunged Into darkness, disrupting daily life across the nation.
The immediate aftermath of the outage prompted the Chilean government to declare a state of emergency and impose a curfew from 22:00 to 06:00 local time. President Gabriel Boric criticized energy providers during a televised address, stating, "It's unacceptable for one or more companies to impact the daily lives of millions of Chileans. The state's duty is to hold them accountable." Minister of the Interior Carolina Tohá emphasized, "We had to take extraordinary measures to guarantee the safety of citizens.”
The blackout wreaked havoc, with traffic lights failing and public transportation, including the Santiago Metro, being halted. Although the largest airport remained operational with delays, many businesses, hospitals, and key services faced significant challenges. Reports indicated the interferences also affected communication networks, leaving many unable to access their smartphones.
During the lengthy outage, some instances of looting were reported, but authorities were able to restore order quickly, deploying three thousand soldiers alongside police forces to manage potential unrest. Tohá later confirmed, "There was no indication of an attack. It was due to problems within the distribution network," dispelling rumors about possible cyberattacks. This incident is reminiscent of prior disruptions, such as the severe blackout experienced six months earlier when storms left millions without power.
Public curiosity has surged around the causes of the blackout. The National Electricity Coordinator (CEN) indicated the outage stemmed from issues on high-tension lines but was still investigating to establish its root cause. The significant scale of the disruption raised concerns about the vulnerability of Chile’s electrical infrastructure, especially as it impacted major industries, including its world-renowned copper mining operations.
One of the largest copper mines, Escondida, was among those affected, leading to operational interruptions. With the blackout taking place during the summer months when temperatures soar above 30°C, citizens expressed outrage over the situation, demanding greater transparency about the infrastructure's robustness and preventive measures to avoid similar outages.
After hours of darkness, electricity began to be restored gradually, with Energy Minister commenting, "We have resolved the issue and are bringing light back to Chileans' homes." While services returned, frustrations lingered about the handling of the situation and the reliability of electricity supply.
Chile has faced considerable growth and development, but this extensive outage presents significant questions for its energy providers and government officials as they grapple with public safety and infrastructure resiliency moving forward. All eyes will be on the improvement initiatives announced by the government, aimed at ensuring such incidents do not recur.”