This is the 236th most frequent Spanish word.
locales
"Locales" (Spanish): Premises, establishments, or locations.
Here, 'locales' is used to refer to commercial establishments or venues.
Visitamos varios locales en el centro de la ciudad.
We visited various establishments in the city center.
In this sentence, 'locales' functions as an adjective meaning 'local' to describe 'gobiernos' (governments).
Los gobiernos locales deben tomar decisiones importantes.
Local governments must make important decisions.
Here, 'locales' serves as an adjective describing 'pobladores' (inhabitants), referring to them being native or from the local area.