Record investment in the SEIA (Special Economic Interest Zone): The first two months of the Kast administration have seen the highest investment figures since the return to democracy.
The number of investment projects undergoing environmental review saw a significant increase during the first two months of President José Antonio Kast's administration, from March 11th to May 11th, 2026.
In these first two months, the amounts associated with the projects submitted to the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA) reached their highest level since the return to democracy, exceeding the figures for the same period under previous administrations.
According to data provided by the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA), an agency headed by lawyer Arturo Farías and responsible for coordinating the processing of these investments, 65 projects were submitted for review during the first 61 days of the Kast administration. These initiatives represent a historic investment of US$22.258 billion.
To put this figure into perspective, it's important to compare it to the performance of previous governments.
While the number of projects that entered the system during this period (58) is lower than the numbers recorded at the beginning of the administrations of Gabriel Boric (109 initiatives) or during Sebastián Piñera's first term (228 initiatives), the volume of capital involved represents a substantial difference.
Prior to this record, the highest amount of investment submitted for the first two months of a government was held by Piñera's first administration in 2010, with US$6.369 billion, followed by…
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During the first two months of President José Antonio Kast's administration (March 11 to May 11, 2026), the number of investment projects undergoing environmental review significantly increased. The total value of these projects submitted to the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA) reached its highest level since the return to democracy, surpassing previous administrations during the same period. According to data from the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA), led by lawyer Arturo Farías, 65 projects were submitted for evaluation during the first 61 days of Kast's administration, representing a total investment of US$22.258 billion. This figure is significantly higher than previous records. For example, the first administration of Sebastián Piñera in 2010 saw US$6.369 billion in investment, while the Boric administration in 2022 saw US$5.835 billion. In addition to the increase in new project submissions, the processing of existing projects also accelerated. The SEA data shows that 36 projects received environmental approval during this period, totaling US$8.655 billion. This is the highest approval rate for any administration in recent history, exceeding the US$5.331 billion approved during the previous administration and the US$3.871 billion approved during the second term of Michelle Bachelet in 2014. Environmental Minister Francisca Toledo explained that the government is working to eliminate inefficiencies in the environmental review process while maintaining high environmental standards. The goal is to reduce the environmental assessment time for projects by at least 30%. Arturo Farías, Executive Director of the SEA, emphasized the importance of this increase in investment and the commitment to improving efficiency in the environmental review process. He noted that the approval of projects totaling over US$8.5 billion in the first two months is a significant achievement. Some experts and advisors have expressed concerns about the potential risks associated with accelerating the environmental review process. Former Minister of the Environment, Pablo Badenier, warned that it could lead to an increase in legal challenges if observations from public agencies or the community are not properly addressed. However, Felipe Riesco, a partner at Garrigues, believes that the acceleration is not a risk as long as it is done within legal deadlines, and that judicial oversight provides sufficient safeguards. Paulina Riquelme, a partner at EeLaw, cautioned that accelerating the process without adequate institutional support could lead to increased litigation. The majority of the investment is concentrated in five major projects, primarily in the mining and energy sectors. These include the El Abra mine expansion (US$7.5 billion), the Escondida mine expansion (US$5.15 billion), the Albemarle TED lithium project (US$3.1 billion), the Lobo Marte gold project (US$1.5 billion), and the NorQuim technology complex (US$900 million).