The 30th Civil Court of Santiago officially ordered the liquidation of OHL Industrial Chile S.A. (OHLI) this week. The ruling marks the beginning of a formal bankruptcy process requested by the company itself under Chile’s Law No. 20.720.
In its court filing, OHLI admitted it lacks the liquidity to cover its debts. The company reported liabilities totaling 21.086 billion Chilean pesos, or approximately 21 million euros, as of the end of 2025. Financial records show a sustained decline since 2023, driven by mounting debt and failure to pay suppliers.
Impact on infrastructure projects
While OHLI faces liquidation, its parent company, the Spanish group OHLA, remains active in Chile through its local agency. The group currently holds several high-profile public infrastructure contracts, including construction work on the Santiago Metro’s Line 7 and long-term hospital concessions in the Bío Bío region.
Syncore, a Chilean firm, stands as the primary creditor in the case. An arbitration award from the Santiago Chamber of Commerce and Mediation, issued in July 2025, identified that OHLI owes Syncore more than 21 million euros, including interest. OHLI acknowledged in its February 2026 filing that this debt accounts for roughly 90% of its total liabilities.
Despite the liquidation order, OHLI is pursuing a final legal challenge before the Santiago Court of Appeals. The court has already rejected a request to halt the execution of the arbitration award, meaning the process to settle claims will proceed.
The court has ordered the consolidation of all pending civil and labor litigation against the company. Creditors have 30 days from the publication of the resolution to formalize their claims. A meeting of creditors is scheduled for May 11, 2026, in Santiago.
