Solar panels to power 29 homes in Michilla

Minera Centinela and the Municipality of Mejillones said on May 14 that five community projects will be carried out in Michilla under the fourth edition of the Diálogos para el Desarrollo program. The package includes home photovoltaic systems for 29 households and new furniture and play equipment for the local school and kindergarten, according to regional outlet Diario Antofagasta and Minera Centinela’s participation platform. The projects were selected by residents in Michilla through in-person voting in the town plaza and online through the Centinela Participa platform, Diario Antofagasta reported. The initiative is part of the 2025-2026 edition of Diálogos para el Desarrollo in Michilla, which Minera Centinela describes as a community-led process to design and execute local projects. (diarioantofagasta.cl) ### Which project puts solar panels on homes? “Michilla Solar Renovable,” presented by Junta Vecinal N°6, will provide photovoltaic systems to 29 families in the locality, Diario Antofagasta reported. The project also includes support for installation and maintenance of the systems in an area of the Antofagasta region where power outages are described as frequent. (diarioantofagasta.cl) The 29-home rollout follows an earlier phase in 2022 that benefited 24 households with solar systems, according to local and company-linked reports. Antofagasta Minerals has separately described Diálogos para el Desarrollo as a flagship community program in the region, implemented with municipalities including Michilla. (diarioantofagasta.cl) ### What will the school and kindergarten receive? The Escuela Básica Lucila Godoy Alcayaga will receive new recreational infrastructure under a project called “Recreo Feliz,” Diario Antofagasta reported. The plan includes swings, a seesaw, oversized bowling pins and a human-scale tic-tac-toe game intended for the school’s students. (diarioantofagasta.cl) The local kindergarten will receive furniture under a separate education initiative included in the five-project package, according to the same report. The preliminary story cited by other regional outlets says the school and kindergarten improvements were chosen alongside health and sustainability measures. (diarioantofagasta.cl) ### Who chose the projects? Residents of Michilla chose between two groups of proposals, with the winning package containing five projects in health, education and sustainability, Diario Antofagasta reported. Teresa Muñoz, a resident and member of the local older adults’ club Los Recuerdos de Michilla, said the selected projects included benefits for older people. (diarioantofagasta.cl) Ayleen Barriga, secretary of the local neighborhood board, said the education component remained important because residents could choose their preferred projects and keep schooling among the priorities. Her remarks were reported by Diario Antofagasta as part of the announcement of the results. (diarioantofagasta.cl) ### How does this fit into the broader program in Michilla? Centinela Participa says Diálogos para el Desarrollo Michilla 2025-2026 is intended to strengthen local development through dialogue, participation and execution of projects created by the community. Antofagasta Minerals says the program in the wider Antofagasta region expanded participation and funding in 2025 across communities including Michilla. The Michilla program has run in earlier rounds. (diarioantofagasta.cl) A Centinela Participa page says the 2024 version was the third edition and was carried out in alliance with the Municipality of Mejillones and executed by Fundación Emprende2, while a later platform update said the third edition closed with a ceremony on Aug. 13, 2025. ### What happens next? The five selected initiatives now move into implementation with financing and technical support from Minera Centinela and backing from the Municipality of Mejillones, Diario Antofagasta reported. (centinelaparticipa.cl) Centinela Participa lists Michilla’s 2025-2026 Diálogos para el Desarrollo as an active initiative where residents can follow project results and updates. (diarioantofagasta.cl) (centinelaparticipa.cl)