The activity, promoted by the Alliance for Atacameña Women (AMA) and SQM Litio, included the participation of artisan Dionisia Berna Ayavire, who created busts with clay from San Pedro de Atacama, and of Tatiana Fuentes, a breast surgeon from the National Cancer Institute and the Oncology Foundation.
Art and culture to promote breast cancer prevention
Santiago, Chile – October 13, 2025 The main objective of “PalpArte” is to educate the community about breast cancer and the importance of self-examination and early detection. That is why the initiative took over the space in the Ruidosa Fest 2025 festival, to transform art into a powerful tool for self-discovery and awareness, in a context where breast cancer is the leading cause of death nationwide.
In 2023, 2.263 women died from breast cancer in Chile, representing a 12,83% increase compared to 2022. This is the highest number of deaths on record.
«Through art, we can raise awareness and transmit this information through culture, supporting those who face this process. Breast cancer is the main cause of death in women in Chile. There are various prevention strategies, and it is crucial to recognize both modifiable and non-modifiable factors. We must work to improve these aspects, raising awareness in the community about the importance of self-care and promoting mammograms,» said Tatiana Fuentes.
He also stressed that “early detection has cure rates of over 90 or 96%, which contributes to an excellent life expectancy by allowing for timely detection.” He also recalled that in 2020, statistics showed a mortality rate of 8.5% per 100.000 inhabitants, with more than 1.600 deaths recorded.
Ancient crafts to promote self-care
The event also featured artisan Dionisia Berna Ayavire, who led a workshop in which attendees created busts using clay from San Pedro de Atacama. "Art is intertwined with ancestral craftsmanship," said Dionisia, originally from Toconce in Alto El Loa. In her workshop, she combined an ancestral culture with a more modern one, namely medicine. "Today we are presenting some busts, some representing sick women and others healthy women, with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of prevention and self-care," she emphasized. She also highlighted the need for young women to begin performing self-examinations as adolescents, and then continue with the corresponding screenings in Primary Health Care (PHC).
SQM Lithium reinforces its commitment to health and the community
SQM Litio's Sustainability and Community Relations Manager, Javier Silva, concluded by stating that "PalpArte" is an initiative that fuses art, culture, and health with a territorial focus. Our goal is for it to serve as a vehicle to convey the importance of self-care and prevention, as well as to socialize the various care options related to breast cancer."
About SQM Lithium
SQM Litio is a global company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Santiago Stock Exchange (NYSE: SQM; Santiago Stock Exchange: SQM-B, SQM-A). SQM develops and produces diverse products for several industries essential for human progress such as health, nutrition, renewable energy and technology through innovation and technological advancement. Our goal is to maintain our global leadership position in the lithium, potassium nitrate, iodine and salts markets.
More Information
Learn more about the PalpArte initiative and the important role that art plays in breast cancer prevention.