MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Most of Chile sets clocks backwards during the weekend

As per Decree 224, the official time in most of Chile went back one hour to GMT -4

Chile went back to winter time as of Sunday in most of the country's territory. On Saturday, April 5, at 23:59, clocks in most of continental Chile were set back one hour to 23:00, shifting from UTC-3 to UTC-4, except in the regions of Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo (capital: Coyhaique) and Magallanes. Its capital being Punta Arenas, it also includes Chile's Antarctica. Both have retained daylight saving time (UTC-3)

On Easter Island and Salas y Gómez Island, the clocks were adjusted back one hour at 22:00 local time on April 5, aligning with the mainland's winter time shift but maintaining a two-hour difference (UTC-6).

In case of doubt, Chileans or would-be travelers were advised to check the official time for any region of Chile via the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean Navy (SHOA) website: https://www.horaoficial.cl/ . Surfers are advised that proof of humanhood is required before access is granted.

The time change will force students and workers to modify their routines, from Arica to Puerto Montt, as the day will end earlier, it was explained.

Chile has applied time changes since 1968, when the country faced an acute drought that directly impacted electricity generation. To deal with the energy crisis at that time, engineer Edinson Román, an official of the former electric company Chilectra, proposed to modify the schedules to boost daylight use efficiency.

The measure has been in force for over 50 years. However, it has been questioned during the last decade amid changes in electricity consumption habits and security concerns regarding road lightings, which would be favored by a single time zone all year round.

Five years ago, it was decided to keep daylight saving time in the Magallanes region. That approach was also extended to the Aysén region this year after a plebiscite.

Chile will return to Summer daylight saving time on the first Saturday of September.