Santiago & Valparaiso

So, it turns out that Chile is impressive for a number of reasons beyond the beauty of its Patagonian wilderness. 

It has been independent since 1818. That makes it older than, for example, current Germany, Italy or Turkey. It’s an upper income economy. It is the safest country in the Americas after Canada! It ranks 42nd in the world human development index (a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators) and highest in Latin America (also higher than Turkey by the way). It proudly celebrates its indigenous people and their heritage. And at 4300kms long and (a maximum of) 350kms wide, and with 40% of its population residing around Santiago, it must be a weird place to govern.

I arrived in Santiago with some trepidation about the ongoing national protests. There was graffiti absolutely everywhere and maybe 5 people on the streets on the first day. I was a bit spooked. But - that’s just a Christian Sunday apparently and the next day the streets were bustling with people going about their lives. 

Chile has a long history and tradition of protests and civil disobedience. This was on detailed display at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, which chronicles the human rights abuses perpetrated by Pinochet’s government from 1973 to 1990. While very heavy and grim, it is also a testimony to the Chilean people’s resilience and resistance. I would highly recommend it if you’re ever in Santiago. (I can’t help but make note - the degree of United States support to Pinochet’s regime and its human rights abuses is stomach churning.)

The recent protests started in October 2019, when the government increased the Santiago public transportation fares. As with all protests, there were some incidents of vandalism. But the protests really picked up momentum when the government declared a state of emergency and deployed the army to counter the protestors (with a perception that these tactics are reminiscent of those used under Pinochet’s dictatorship) and anger bubbled up on a wider list of grievances about inequality and lack of accountability (again, perceived by the protestors as a legacy of Pinochet’s regime). The demands of protestors include changing the current constitution passed in 1980 under the Pinochet regime, increasing minimum wage (currently about 400 USD/month), improving access and quality in education and healthcare, and the resignation of President Piñera. There were reports of 29 protestor deaths, over 2,500 arrests and various human rights abuses by the security forces. So far, Piñera has changed eight members of his cabinet and signed an agreement to call a national referendum in April 2020 regarding the drafting of a new constitution. (Above, a photo of a dog dressed as Negro Matapacos, Black Cop-Killer, a Chilean dog who became the mascot of street protests in Santiago in the 2010s. The original dog died in 2017.)

While in Santiago, I also visited the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, where I saw a beautiful textile exhibition. The artist, Sheila Hicks, travelled from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego, crossing Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia and Chile over two years, learning techniques from local weavers and incorporating these into her own modern interpretation.

I also took a day trip to Valparaíso, which is the main port city for Santiago. Historically it was a significant port for European trans-Atlantic ships coming to the west coast of the Americas. Counter intuitive? Before the Panama Canal was opened, all the trans-Atlantic traffic would go through the Beagle or Magellan Channels in the south of the continent, travel north form there and re-supply in Valparaíso. This is why there are still German, French, Portuguese, Greek schools and neighborhoods. The historic part of town is very cute - with colorful houses and amazing murals / graffiti. If you have a rich tradition of civil disobedience, you also have a rich tradition of graffiti it seems!