[Chile] Protests: Peaceful protest

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1) Summary On March 20, 2025, local residents in Caleta San Marcos, Tarapacá Province, northern Chile, held peaceful protests over sewage treatment plant pollution issues that have persisted for over a year. Parents and local residents demanded solutions to odor and environmental pollution problems, but authorities continue to be unresponsive, leading to accumulated community dissatisfaction. While the current protest scale is small, there is potential for prolonged action given the nature of environmental issues.

2) Supply-chain impact

• Port operations risk - Tarapacá Province is a major mineral export region in northern Chile, with potential indirect impacts on nearby port operating environments
• Regional labor supply - Health problems caused by environmental pollution may have long-term effects on regional industrial labor supply
• Lithium and copper production region - Northern Chile is a major mineral production area, and increased pressure for environmental regulation could act as a constraint on mining activities
• Logistics infrastructure - Worsening regional environmental problems may require transportation route diversions or additional safety measures

3) Watch points

• Government response and environmental improvement measures - Need to track whether Tarapacá Province authorities announce sewage treatment plant improvement plans and implementation schedules
• Potential protest expansion - Monitoring required for protest spread to other northern Chile regions experiencing similar environmental problems and changes in scale