Infrastructure crises disrupt schooling in Chile and Peru

Educational institutions in Chile and Peru are facing critical infrastructure crises that threaten student safety.

In Iquique, Chile, the República de Croacia School has suspended classes due to a sanitary emergency. Recent rains caused sewage to leak into access points and courtyards, creating an imminent health risk. The Local Public Education Service (SLEP) Iquique has acknowledged a lack of financial and human resources to resolve the situation in the short term, leaving the school community without basic sanitary conditions.

In the Huánuco region of Peru, an initial school in Colpa Baja is at risk of collapse. Technical inspections revealed deep cracks in support columns, cracked ceilings, and deformed concrete slabs. The Comptroller General of the Republic reported fissures between 5 and 10 centimeters thick in the concrete walls. While teachers have improvised alternative spaces to protect students, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office is investigating the original 2017 construction of the facility.