Coquimbo Mayors Urge Government for Extraordinary Funding as Reconstruction Costs Reach $500 Million

Original article: Coquimbo: Alcaldes de la región piden «recursos extraordinarios» al Gobierno y proyectan que reconstrucción post temporal costará US$500 millones

The mayors of Coquimbo region have called on the government to allocate «extraordinary resources» from the central government to address the reconstruction of communities impacted by the recent storm.

Local leaders argued that the damages «exceed the financial capacity of both municipalities and the Regional Government.»

This request, reported by various local media, was articulated by Coquimbo’s mayor and president of the Association of Municipalities of the Region, Alí Manouchehri, who read a public statement approved unanimously during an extraordinary assembly of the organization.

They warned that the frontal system left devastating consequences across the region, with «destroyed homes, damaged roads and bridges, affected water systems, disrupted basic services, and severe losses for the livelihoods of thousands of families.»

«We municipalities have put in everything we have,» stated Manouchehri, detailing that preliminary estimates suggest the reconstruction will require over $500 million, «an amount that no municipality or the Regional Government can fund on their own.»

In this regard, mayors emphasized the need for the reconstruction not to be financed through cuts to resources already designated for regional development.

«We want to be unequivocal. We will not accept reconstruction being funded by cuts or reallocations from budgets intended for the development of our own region. Taking resources from Coquimbo to rebuild Coquimbo is not a solution,» Manouchehri expressed.

As a proposal, local leaders requested the President to include additional resources through a veto amendment to the National Reconstruction Bill, currently under consideration, and to allocate the constitutional 2% for emergencies.

Additionally, they proposed that the 2027 Budget Bill include a special reconstruction program for Coquimbo, to be implemented by the Ministry of Public Works, an agency they claim has the technical capacity to carry out large-scale projects.

The declaration also highlights the need to strengthen housing support through Serviu subsidies to expedite the recovery of affected homes, along with a request to incorporate resources from the Mining Royalty Law, utilizing the additional income generated by copper prices exceeding projections.

«Emergency resources must arrive now. The program must ensure that reconstruction does not get abandoned midway,» the document signed by the mayors of one of the regions hardest hit by the recent storm states.

«This is a united and cross-party position of the municipalities of the Coquimbo region. There are no political colors here; there are families that need to recover their homes and entire communities that must rise again. The families of Coquimbo region cannot wait. Reconstruction has to start now,» concluded Mayor Manouchehri.

The declaration was supported by deputies Daniel Manouchehri, Erick Castro, Fernando Bórquez Salinas, Aileen Urqueta, Nathalie Castillo, and Carolina Tello, as well as senators Matías Walker and Daniel Núñez, who participated in the extraordinary assembly of the Association of Municipalities of the Coquimbo Region.

We will continue to provide updates.