La Tirana religious festival in Chile draws thousands of pilgrims and deploys over 200 police

Thousands of pilgrims gathered at the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in La Tirana, northern Chile, to receive a traditional blessing of their costumes and musical instruments. The ceremony was led by Bishop Isauro Covili Linfati and marked the start of the annual Virgin of Carmen celebrations, which attract up to 250,000 visitors.

To secure the massive influx of faithful, more than 200 Carabineros were deployed in La Tirana, including reinforcements from the Sub‑Officers School in Santiago and Antofagasta, a helicopter, drones, police vehicles and motorcycles. General Inspector Karina Soza said the forces would “resguardarán la seguridad de todos los fieles”. Regional delegate Adriana Tapia and Pozo Almonte mayor Richard Godoy praised the joint effort, noting that a town of a few thousand people would host over 200,000 attendees. Authorities also enforced the dry‑zone decree, seizing 220 liters of alcohol.