Original article: El acuerdo que no despejó todas las rutas: camioneros desconocen pacto con Kast y mantienen movilizaciones en regiones

Truckers Reject Agreement with Kast, Protests Continue Across Regions

The government announced on Thursday afternoon a deal with the transport confederations Fuerza del Norte and Centro-Sur to end a national strike caused by rising fuel prices. However, truckers from the regions of La Araucanía, O’Higgins, and Antofagasta rejected the terms of the pact and announced the continuation of their protests.

Representatives from both unions accepted President José Antonio Kast’s proposal to reverse the recent fuel price increases of $39 for gasoline and $42 for diesel, reduce the price of diesel by an additional $100, and suspend future fuel price hikes until March 31, 2027.

Following the announcement from La Moneda, members of the Association of Truck Owners of Cautín-Temuco protested in the Pillanlelbún area of Route 5 South in La Araucanía, leading to traffic disruptions, particularly for freight vehicles.

In this context, Yuri Sobarzo, president of the association, made it clear that they are unaware of the agreement and accuse it of lacking representation.

“The strike in Temuco will not be lifted,” he stated, demanding greater reductions in fuel prices, along with local grievances.

“We want a solution that includes lower fuel prices for everyone, as it is not only road transport that is suffering; local taxi drivers and school van operators are also affected. Temuco will not lift the strike until we see a resolution regarding our demands,” he emphasized.

Sobarzo criticized the decision made by the president of the Fuerza del Norte Transport Confederation (CTFN), Cristián Sandoval, who represented them in negotiations with the government, for not consulting the grassroots and signing the agreement.

“I believe we need to have more representation. Perhaps we mistakenly placed our trust in the wrong person, or maybe it was not the wrong decision, but something went awry. We are not going to judge the individual. This might be an opportunity to raise a different perspective from La Araucanía,” he noted, as reported by 24 Horas.

According to the leader, they will draft a new petition with their supporters to be submitted to the presidential regional delegate of La Araucanía, Francisco Ljubetic.

From Rengo, O’Higgins Region, local trucker spokesperson Camilo Jiménez rejected the agreement, arguing it does not provide a solution for all fuels.

“The mobilization began with a demand concerning fuels. Thus, it encompasses all fuels, not just oil. Therefore, Rengo will not lift the strike; we will continue as is,» he explained, as reported by Cooperativa.

Jiménez criticized the leaders who signed the pact with Kast’s government, branding them as “the usual dinosaurs.”

On Route 5 North, in the La Negra area of Antofagasta, independent truckers protested as well, dismissing the agreement and stating they will continue mobilizations indefinitely.

The northern drivers not only demand fair fuel prices for everyone but also seek to lower toll costs and ensure that 60% of local cargo is allocated to Antofagasta transporters.

They also question the representation of the CTFN president, Cristián Sandoval.

“He is not a representative for us. He has never communicated with us, nor has he even made a call to find out what we are doing. We are prepared to continue this strike; what we want is an ideal solution, which is to reduce fuel prices,” the group’s spokesperson told 24 Horas.

No + TAG: “Santiago Will Remain Paralyzed”

The spokesperson for the No + TAG movement, André Alarcón, confirmed that the protests will continue.

“Santiago will remain paralyzed,” warned the union leader while announcing that they would adjust the protests and the blocked areas on the highways in the Valparaíso and Metropolitan regions.

Alarcón denounced the inequity in the treatment provided by Kast’s administration to the groups, pointing out that parallel meetings have been held, such as one that took place in La Moneda with leaders from the National Freight Transport Confederation (CNTC) and the National Association of Truck Owners (CNDC), Sergio Pérez and Juan Araya, respectively.

“Face to face, in La Moneda, they have Pérez and Araya and the other leaders separated to seek solutions only for them, while we are looking for solutions for the citizens,” he claimed. Furthermore, he rejected further dialogue with Germán Codina, the metropolitan presidential delegate, insisting that negotiations should be turned over to officials with more decision-making power.

Transporters from Valparaíso and Coquimbo Begin to Withdraw Trucks from Routes

Following the announcement of the agreement, transporters who had been protesting in Valparaíso and Coquimbo started to clear the routes by Thursday night.

Carlos Carreño, a representative of independent truckers in Valparaíso, indicated that the mobilization ended in a coordinated manner after all their demands were approved.

At the same time, Octavio Villio, treasurer of the Federation of Truck Owners of the Fifth Region (Fede-Quinta), announced the start of the withdrawal of more than 200 trucks stationed in Casablanca, Bellavista, Valparaíso, and San Antonio.

In the Coquimbo region, the withdrawal from kilometer 443 of Route 5 North occurred moments after the news broke, allowing the road to be fully cleared around 8:00 PM, according to reports from Cooperativa.