The most important Chilean news of the day, in summary.
Chile's trade surplus reached a record for the first nine months of 2026, driven by copper prices, while the Santiago stock exchange's main index moved back above 11,000 points. In politics, regional governors rejected the budget line for regional governments after a meeting without agreement, and the government said no marches are authorized for the anniversary of the 2019 social unrest. President José Antonio Kast travels to Bolivia, and football leaders discuss how the national federation will choose its president.
The Servicio Electoral (Servel), the autonomous body that organizes elections in Chile, opened two market consultations for telecommunications and operations providers. Sonda, Indra Sistemas, Pacifico Cable and Buk SpA are among the firms that responded, asked questions or sent proposals, according to Diario Financiero.
Between January and September 2026, Chile exported US$20,689 million more than it imported, the largest trade surplus in its history at US$25,721 million. The Subsecretaría de Relaciones Económicas Internacionales (Subrei) published the figure. It exceeds the same months of 2025 by US$10,512 million and the 2007 record of US$20,373 million. Copper averaged US$6.09 per pound, 40.6% more than in 2025.
The government confirmed there are no requests for authorized marches on Sunday, October 18, the seventh anniversary of the 2019 social unrest. Santiago governor Claudio Orrego said those who damage public infrastructure will be pursued. It is the first such date since José Antonio Kast took office. La Moneda expects a normal day and is reinforcing security in the Metro and police stations.
Regional governors ended a meeting with Budget Director José Pablo Gómez without agreement. The Asociación de Gobernadores Regionales de Chile (Agorechi) asked lawmakers to vote against line 31 of the 2027 Budget, which funds regional governments. The bill cuts $250,000 million from the regions, and the vote is set for Monday, October 19, in Valparaíso.
The Santiago stock exchange's MSCI IPSA index rose 0.4% to 11,012.73 points on Friday, closing a volatile week. Falabella led gains with a 2.1% increase, followed by CCU, Engie and Andina-B, according to Diario Financiero. The Nasdaq fell as bets tied to artificial intelligence were unwound.
The Banco Central de Chile warned in May about the large positions held by the AFP, the private pension fund managers, in interest rate swaps. The bets aimed to profit from falling US rates, and Bloomberg reported losses of US$7,700 million. The summary of the story cites US$11,600 million in losses for pension funds this year.
President José Antonio Kast's visit to Bolivia was cut from two days to one, and the stop in Santa Cruz was dropped. Bolivian forestry businesses demand explanations over more than 100 timber containers held in Arica in a drug trafficking investigation. Chile and Bolivia have gone 48 years without ambassador-level relations, and no Chilean president has made an official visit to La Paz since 1955.
The Corte de Apelaciones de Santiago declared the municipality's nullity appeal abandoned because no lawyer appeared at the October 7 hearing. The ruling stands against the political dismissal of a former employee who is a Communist Party member. The municipality must pay almost $16 million. The labor court ruled on July 27, 2026, during the administration of Mario Desbordes.
The Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (DMC) applied in September 2022 for two weather radars for the Región Metropolitana, in a project of more than $6,300 million from the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Regional (FNDR). The Gobierno Regional did not prioritize it, saying it did not meet its Circular N° 5. It will evaluate radars with the 2027 budget.
Pablo Milad, president of the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (ANFP), denied there was a conflict in Thursday's meeting with FIFA envoys Jair Bertoni and Mariano Zavale. He said FIFA wants institutional stability, avoiding transition mandates, and that the Federación de Fútbol de Chile (FFCh) should elect a president for four years.
Judge Lilian Sáez of the Tercer Juzgado de Garantía de Santiago rejected the former Recoleta mayor's request to travel to São Paulo from October 20 to 24, citing flight risk. Jadue, accused in the Achifarp case, wanted to accompany his Brazilian wife to a medical treatment scheduled for October 21.
According to La Tercera, the next president of the FFCh will be chosen by a council with 20 votes: nine for the ANFP, nine for the ANFA and half a vote for each of four football unions. The formula is not yet official. The FFCh must approve new statutes by FIFA's November 30 deadline.
