Independent truckers in San Antonio, in the Valparaíso Region, began an indefinite strike at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28, blocking access to the container depots of Chile's main port. They are protesting against rising diesel prices, the rates they are paid to move cargo and the four electronic toll gantries planned in the expansion of Route 78, according to BioBioChile and La Tercera.
It is the first truckers' strike under President José Antonio Kast. As of Thursday morning, the union said nobody from the government had called them. This article sums up what they want, how much cargo is affected according to the union leaders themselves and why diesel prices are at the heart of the conflict.
What the San Antonio truckers want
| Demand | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Measures on diesel prices | They want compensation for the rise in fuel, which went up for a fifth time on October 21 | La Tercera |
| Haulage rates | That cargo owners make rates transparent and raise them, passing the cost on to shipping lines and cargo owners | Emol and PortalPortuario |
| Toll gantries on Route 78 | They reject the four new toll gantries planned in the highway expansion | BioBioChile |
| Government presence in San Antonio | They want the Undersecretary of Economy to come to the area; they say they want no more working groups | CNN Chile |
The movement is led by the Association of Independent Truckers of San Antonio (Agreporsai), chaired by Manuel Araya. "Today we don't want working groups anymore, no more working groups," Araya told Radio Bío Bío, asking the Undersecretary of Economy to come to San Antonio to agree a "rate transfer." According to the union leader, about 90% of port haulage in the area is done by small business owners who own their trucks.
How much cargo is stuck at the port of San Antonio
The strike figures come from the union leaders themselves and do not match across media outlets. No authority had released an official assessment when this article was published.
| Data | Reported figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Truckers on strike | More than 40 | BioBioChile, CNN Chile |
| Trucks stopped | About 200 / around 120 | BioBioChile / La Tercera |
| Unloaded containers that would not be moved | 600 (to Contopsa) | Emol, El Desconcierto |
| Shipment affected | 200 containers (from SIX to DP World) | Emol, El Desconcierto |
| Blocked depots | Medlog, Contopsa, Sitrans, Agunsa and SIX | PortalPortuario |
| Terminals that could be blocked | STI (San Antonio Terminal Internacional) and DP World | BioBioChile |
Sources: BioBioChile, La Tercera, Emol, El Desconcierto and PortalPortuario. El Desconcierto notes that the 600 and 200 containers are specific operations mentioned by the union leader, not an estimate of the total cargo affected. According to PortalPortuario, the port's berths were still occupied by container ships on Thursday morning.
Why diesel is at the heart of the truckers' strike
Diesel has risen sharply since July. In the October 21 adjustment, the state oil company ENAP reported an increase of 91.5 pesos per liter, and the cumulative rise since late July reached 401.4 pesos, with a price of around 1,558 pesos per liter in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, an all-time high (see the fifth fuel price rise).
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Oil price | Close to US$100 a barrel, compared with about US$70 before the Middle East conflict, according to La Tercera |
| Mepco | The government neutralized it in March 2026 because of the fiscal situation and later restored it, according to La Tercera |
| Last adjustment | October 21: +91.5 pesos per liter of diesel |
| Next adjustment | Thursday, November 12 (every three weeks) |
How the mechanism that smooths fuel prices works is explained in what Mepco is and how it works. The National Confederation of Truck Owners (CNDC) backed the protest on social media but did not join the strike: it called on authorities and cargo owners to "truly negotiate rates that have been depreciated since 2021," according to PortalPortuario.
Timeline of the truckers' strike in San Antonio
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Previous weeks | The union holds convoys on local highways and meets authorities in Santiago without reaching a deal | Emol and El Desconcierto |
| Wednesday 28, night | Agreporsai confirms the strike after meeting its members | BioBioChile |
| Wednesday 28, 11 p.m. | The blockade of access to the container depots begins | BioBioChile and CNN Chile |
| Thursday 29, early hours | The initial plan was to block until 8 a.m., but the union declares it indefinite | El Desconcierto |
| Thursday 29, morning | Access in the Malvilla area remains blocked; the union says the government has not called | El Desconcierto and La Tercera |
Sources: Emol, El Desconcierto, BioBioChile, CNN Chile and La Tercera. The truckers who do port haulage move containers between the port terminals and the off-port depots, where cargo is consolidated and deconsolidated. So even if ships keep docking, a prolonged blockade of the depots can fill up the terminals' yards and hold up exports.
What could happen with the strike in San Antonio
- Talks: the union expects the managers of each depot and a government representative to sit down and negotiate in San Antonio.
- Expansion: Araya said another union, Fede Quinta, could join on Thursday; this had not been confirmed.
- Impact on exports: if the blockade extends to the terminals, it could delay container shipments and unloading.
- Fuel: the next adjustment on November 12 will be key for the mood in the sector.
This article will be updated if there is an agreement or an official response. In Mexico, a national transport strike over similar issues, costs and security, is summed up in the Mexican transport strike.
Frequently asked questions
Why are truckers on strike in San Antonio?
Because of rising diesel prices, the haulage rates they receive from cargo owners and the new toll gantries in the Route 78 expansion.
When did the truckers' strike start?
On Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 11 p.m., and it is indefinite, according to its leaders.
Who called the strike?
The Association of Independent Truckers of San Antonio (Agreporsai), chaired by Manuel Araya. The CNDC supports it without joining.
Is the port of San Antonio closed?
The port is still operating with ships at its berths, but the truckers are blocking the container depots and threatening to do the same at the STI and DP World terminals.
What does the union want from the government?
For the Undersecretary of Economy to travel to San Antonio to agree rates; they say they want no more working groups.
