The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) has revealed that Chile's 345 municipalities spent approximately 31 billion pesos on commemorative activities and celebrations during the 2024-2025 period.
The document, part of the Consolidated Circularized Information (CIC No. 22), outlines how these resources were distributed across events such as International Women's Day, Children's Day, and Senior Citizens' Day.
According to the report, 39% of this budget—roughly 12 billion pesos—was spent exclusively on logistics, including catering services, portable toilets, and sound systems.
Imbalance in social investment
The CGR report warns that in several municipalities, spending on festivities exceeded investments in social aid for vulnerable populations. In areas such as Alto Hospicio, Talca, Arica, Camarones, Huara, San Pedro de Atacama, and Pozo Almonte, celebration costs were more than 90 million pesos higher than the budget allocated for social projects.
A critical case was identified in the municipality of Alto Hospicio, where celebrations and community events reached 624 million pesos between 2024 and 2025. This figure surpasses social project investment in an area currently struggling with road paving issues, a lack of potable water, and high crime rates.
In the Magallanes Region, per capita spending shows a statistical anomaly. While the national average is 9,000 pesos per person, spending in the municipality of Río Verde soared to 981,000 pesos per person.
The Comptroller's report did not include expenditures for Christmas, New Year's, National Holidays (Fiestas Patrias), or official anniversaries, suggesting that the total amount spent on events is likely considerably higher.