José Antonio Kast questions student protests over 2027 budget

President José Antonio Kast questioned the timing and preparation of student protests in Santiago on October 1, 2026, as thousands marched against potential budget reductions while police deployed tear gas and water cannons. Demonstrators gathered in the capital under the banner “Ni un peso menos para la educación” following the release of the government’s fiscal framework, according to reporting by DW.com.

The demonstration, authorized by the Delegación Presidencial Regional Metropolitana, drew approximately 6,000 participants from the Confederación de Estudiantes de Chile (Confech), alongside the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) and the Colegio de Profesores. Early in the day, thousands of students marched from Plaza Italia toward the La Moneda presidential palace in a festive atmosphere with banners. Protesters chanted, ¡Y va a caer y va caer, la educación de Pinochet!, referring to private sector educational advantages during the 1973-1990 military dictatorship. Clashes erupted about 800 meters into the march when police blocked protesters, resulting in physical confrontations, DW.com reported.

President Kast Questions Student Preparation and Preventive Marches

Speaking at the XIII Encuentro Anual del Comercio organized by the Cámara Nacional del Comercio (CNC), President Kast criticized the rationale behind the mobilization, noting that the complete Ley de Presupuestos 2027 text had not yet been formally presented to the Cámara Baja. Lawmakers have until November 30 to debate the fiscal package.

Kast argued that the protest was preventive rather than substantive. The president stated:

President José Antonio Kast

Kast questioned why the march was not held on Monday with a serious approach after reading the documents. He recalled claims that he would end the PGU, stating, I took out a heart and said ‘I love PGU’, and that it remains. He added that the protests occurred because people believed university gratuity would end.

The administration previously confirmed that university tuition-free access (gratuidad) for more than 600,000 students would remain protected, addressing fears raised by student groups before the fiscal plan’s full release, according to DW.com.

Clashes and Detentions Lead to 31 Arrests on the Alameda

Public safety officials reported 31 arrests following the demonstrations along the Alameda. Police intervened with chemical agents and water trucks after groups threw stones, bottles, and sticks, as detailed by DW.com.

The demonstration also involved violence outside the Casa Central of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where masked individuals attacked students carrying opposing banners. Ten students received medical attention on campus, and four were transferred to the Hospital Clínico UC Christus, according to statements from the university.

Carolina Mingo, a 21-year-old Occupational Therapy student, said she was kicked, spat on, and hit with sticks. Tomás García, a 24-year-old College student and former movement president, stated there was no provocation and that attackers simply saw them and decided to strike. García noted their goal was to prevent damage to their own institution. Juan Ignacio León, a 21-year-old Engineering student and member of Solidaridad, reported a large number of masked people approached violently to hit them and destroy their banners.

Subsecretario del Interior Máximo Pavez delivered the government balance, expressing support for police efforts to maintain public order. Delegado Presidencial Metropolitano Germán Codina visited the affected campus directly and specified that two students were taken to health centers.

Student representatives distanced themselves from the attacks outside the university.

“Nosotros como Confech condenamos todas las situaciones de violencia ocurridas en la movilización y en la jornada del día de hoy”.

Laura Mlynarz, Confech spokesperson

Meanwhile, affected students from the Movimiento Gremial and Solidaridad groups recounted being targeted with liquids, stones, and physical strikes while holding banners against paralyzed public services outside the university entrance. Luis Pino, a 22-year-old engineering student, told AFP that institutions function poorly when resources are made precarious.

The government stated that it fully supports police actions intended to restore public order against any incident affecting democratic coexistence in public spaces.