In Chile, Building the First Latin American City. Breaking Barriers of the Slum “Los Arenales” in Antofagasta

Abstract

Women of different Latin American nationalities lead a self-managed process, Breaking Barriers (Rompiendo Barreras), seeking for the recognition of their rights in the settlement of one of the largest slums in Chile, “Los Arenales”, with two thousand families, in the city of Antofagasta. For the right to the city, they are in search of an ideal environment and want to be part of its construction. This struggle is part of the challenges of today’s Chile: the emancipatory constitutional process; the beginning of a new and socially committed government; with high barriers to access to housing and land; and the high migratory flow, especially in the north of the country. After seven years of solidarity and intercultural organization, the conditions are in place to propose a process of social integration, for the production of a place to live in and for better housing conditions.