Who runs local government in Chile?
Chile has long been one of Latin America's most centralised countries, but since 2021 its 16 regions have elected their own regional governors. Each region also has a presidential delegate appointed by the President, so power is split between an elected regional government and a centrally appointed representative. Below them, 345 municipalities with elected mayors run local services, and a dense network of legally recognised neighbourhood councils (juntas de vecinos) links residents to the municipality.
Republic of Chile · Unitary republic · South America
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Regions (16) | Regional governor and regional council (CORE) directly elected (first in 2021); regional presidential delegate appointed by the President | Governor and council run regional development and investment; the delegate handles public order, emergencies and co-ordination of central services. |
| Provinces (56) | Provincial presidential delegate appointed by the President (in 40 provinces) | Deconcentrated arm of the Interior Ministry; no elected body. |
| Municipalities (345, covering 346 communes) | Mayor (alcalde) and municipal council (concejo) directly elected for four years | Local services, primary education and health in many communes, urban planning, waste; advised by a civil society council (COSOC). |
Three questions about local power in Chile
Are local leaders elected?
Regional governors, regional councillors, mayors and municipal councillors are directly elected. Regional and provincial presidential delegates are appointed. Junta de vecinos boards are elected by members. Mapuche lonkos are chosen by community custom.
Which laws set up local government?
Regions and municipalities are in the constitution and law. Juntas de vecinos and Indigenous communities are recognised in law (Laws 19.418 and 19.253). Traditional Mapuche authority works by custom.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Elected officials answer to voters, the Comptroller General and the courts; electoral courts can remove a mayor for serious breaches. Presidential delegates answer to the President. Junta boards answer to their members and must file accounts.
Traditional and customary authority
Indigenous peoples (including Mapuche, Aymara and Rapa Nui) are recognised in Law 19.253 of 1993, the Indigenous Law, but not in the constitution. Under that law, Indigenous communities and associations can register with CONADI, the national Indigenous development agency, and gain legal personality. Mapuche traditional authorities such as the lonko (community head) and machi (spiritual healer) are respected within communities but have no formal powers under Chilean law. Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is a 'special territory' in the constitution (Art. 126 bis), governed under special statutes. Religious leaders have no formal local role.
Community and neighbourhood power
Juntas de vecinos (neighbourhood councils) are set up under Law 19.418. Each represents the residents of one neighbourhood unit (unidad vecinal) and is run by a board of at least three people elected by secret ballot for three years. Residents aged 14 and over can join. Mayors and councillors cannot sit on their boards. Juntas de vecinos join into communal unions (uniones comunales), and municipalities consult them and fund small projects. Each municipality must also have a COSOC (civil society council) with an advisory role.
Points to know
- Before 2021, regions were run by an intendente appointed by the President; that post was replaced by the presidential delegate when governors became elected.
- Some critics point out that elected governors have limited money and powers compared with the appointed delegate, who controls police co-ordination.
- A junta de vecinos is not a private club: the law defines it as the representative organisation of everyone living in a neighbourhood unit.
- Two proposals for a new constitution were rejected in referendums in 2022 and 2023, so the amended 1980 constitution remains in force.
Local terms
- Gobernador regional
- The directly elected head of a region (since 2021).
- Delegado presidencial
- The President's appointed representative in a region or province.
- Junta de vecinos
- A legally recognised neighbourhood council representing residents of one area.
- Lonko
- The traditional head of a Mapuche community.
Sources
- Chile's Constitution of 1980 with Amendments through 2021, Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Country profile: Chile, OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment, checked 14 October 2026
- Decreto 58 (1997): texto refundido de la Ley 19.418 sobre juntas de vecinos y demás organizaciones comunitarias, Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (Ley Chile), checked 14 October 2026
- Ley 19.253: normas sobre protección, fomento y desarrollo de los indígenas, Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (Ley Chile), checked 14 October 2026
- Servicio Electoral de Chile (SERVEL), SERVEL, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Chile's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.