Chile Budget Education Cuts Draw Fire From Kast Allies
POLITICS · CHILE
Key Facts
- —The country Chile, where President José Antonio Kast sent his first budget bill, for 2027, to Congress on 30 September. Lawmakers have 60 days to pass it.
- —What happened On 3 October deputies of the UDI, a conservative party in Kast’s coalition, objected to education cuts and proposed trimming the INDH human rights institute instead (La Tercera, Cooperativa).
- —The numbers Bicentenario merit high schools lose 46.71% in real terms. Laptop grants, worth about CLP 35 billion (about US$35.6 million) in 2026, get no money (El Mostrador, 3 October).
- —What it means for you Public school families could lose the seventh-grade laptop grant in 2027. Existing Bicentenario schools keep funding, but no new schools would join, El Mostrador reported.
- —Still open Whether Congress moves money from the INDH, which had CLP 16.339 billion (about US$16.6 million) for 2026 (La Tercera, August). Full education detail is due on Monday 5 October.
Chile’s 2027 budget education cuts have drawn their first open challenge from inside President José Antonio Kast’s own coalition. On Saturday 3 October deputies of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), a conservative coalition party, vowed to reverse them.
The UDI wants to save two programmes: the Bicentenario merit high schools and the laptop grants once called Yo Elijo mi PC. To pay for them, it proposes trimming the National Human Rights Institute (INDH), an autonomous state body.
What the UDI wants changed
In a public statement, the UDI deputies voiced “deep concern” at lower funding for both programmes, Cooperativa and La Tercera reported. They called the Bicentenario schools “a true beacon” for middle-class and lower-income families.
Caucus leader Flor Weisse, who sits on the Chamber of Deputies’ finance committee, focused on the laptops. “This programme must not be eliminated, it must be strengthened,” she said, according to La Tercera.
The deputies said they share the government’s goal of a leaner state and still back Kast. They promised an “exhaustive review” of budget lines to find money for education instead.
Where the 2027 budget education cuts fall
The overall education budget totals CLP 18.16 trillion (about US$18.5 billion at 982 pesos per dollar, 2 October close), El Mostrador reported. That is still 0.78% more than in 2026, in real terms.
Inside that total, several lines shrink sharply. Bicentenario schools lose 46.71% in real terms and the Education Recovery Fund falls 55.2%, according to El Mostrador.
The laptop grants cost about CLP 35 billion (about US$35.6 million) this year and reached 96,100 pupils. The bill contains no line for them, as the Rio Times reported in Chile 2027 Budget Drops School Laptop Scheme.
The government says committed Bicentenario projects keep their money, but no new schools would be added. Ministers argue the laptop scheme was poorly evaluated and did little for learning.
Why the INDH is in the firing line
The INDH monitors human rights in Chile and publishes an annual report. UDI deputies accuse it of political bias, citing its conduct during the 2019 protests.
On 29 September three UDI deputies, including Sergio Bobadilla, announced an amendment cutting its budget to CLP 1,000 (about US$1). They said this would force it to close until a reform of its governance passes, El Dínamo and G5 Noticias reported.
The institute had CLP 16.339 billion (about US$16.6 million) for 2026, La Tercera reported in August. The UDI now says it should not again receive close to that sum without governance changes.
The INDH has defended its spending. In August it told La Tercera a disputed CLP 250 million (about US$255,000) events contract was tendered publicly and audited.
The government has ruled out closing the body. Justice Minister Fernando Rabat backs a deep reform of its powers and make-up instead, La Tercera reported.
What the government says
Education Minister María Paz Arzola said the laptop scheme was not having the expected impact on learning. She added that Congress would decide its future, Canal 9 Bío Bío reported on 3 October.
Total spending in the bill rises 1.5% on expected 2026 spending, as covered in Kast Raises Chile’s 2027 Spending 1.5% in Budget. Finance Minister Jorge Quiroz says his team reviewed more than 600 programmes.
What Is Not Yet Known
The full budget detail reaches the Chamber of Deputies on Monday 5 October. Only then can lawmakers see every line the UDI plans to review.
It is unclear whether the UDI can gather the votes to move money from the INDH to schools. A similar UDI push against the institute’s funds was dropped last year, La Tercera reported.
The INDH’s own allocation in the 2027 bill has not yet been published. No public response from the government or the institute to the UDI’s latest proposal had been reported by Saturday afternoon.
Sources: La Tercera, 3 Oct 2026; Cooperativa, 3 Oct 2026; El Mostrador, 3 Oct 2026; Nuevo Poder, 3 Oct 2026; Canal 9 Bío Bío, 3 Oct 2026; El Dínamo, 29 Sep 2026; G5 Noticias, 29 Sep 2026; La Tercera, 4 Aug 2026; La Tercera, 4 Aug 2026 (INDH response).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief