© Hernán Torres
By
Marcela Torres
It is the most imposing geoglyph in our country
and last week it suffered irreparable damage. It is the Giant of Tarapacá (Gigante de Tarapacá), located on Unitas
hill, approximately 100 kilometers away from Iquique, in the Atacama Desert, in
the Tarapacá Region in northern Chile. The figure, which measures 119 meters,
is the largest in Chile and was presumably created by ancient indigenous
cultures inhabiting the area more than 1,000 years ago.
What is most sad is that the damage was caused
on Saturday, January 6 by three irresponsible tourists who drove a 4x4 vehicle
on the figure’s feet and head, not heeding the signs that indicate the limit
for proximity to the geoglyph and the prohibitions to damage it. Three people
with Belgian passports were involved – one Chilean woman who obtained Belgian citizenship,
one Chilean man born in Belgium, and one native Belgian woman – and they
visited the area with the help of a Chilean.
Photograph obtained from Twitter.
Other tourists visiting the place, outraged
because of the lack of respect and culture, reported the incident on social
media and the authorities acted quickly, taking the three Belgian citizens into
custody at the Santiago airport as they were preparing to board their plane
back to their country. After their arrest in Santiago, the tourists will be
sent to Pozo Almonte, in northern Chile, to face charges for the crime of
damaging a national monument, and they risk a sentence that could range from short
prison, from its minimum (between 61 and 301 days) to maximum degree (between
302 and 540 days), to the payment of a fine that could go up to approximately USD
$ 14,230).
Lack of protection and
education
The news turned my stomach. The first thing I
asked myself was: Who would do something like this and why? I hold special
affection for this place, which I’ve visited several times, and which has a
special symbolism for the Tarapacá Region. In fact, in January 2010 I was proud
to be given the opportunity of leading a tourism exercise of the
Pressure-State-Response model on this site as part of a Sustainable Tourism
workshop organized by Universidad Arturo Prat for tour operators of the region.
The exercise was very fruitful and allowed
participants to analyze the pressures (threats) faced by this cultural
heritage, the state (condition) it was in, and the evidence of society’s
response (actions) in the area. Although the geoglyph itself was not damaged,
there was a lot of trash around it (we picked up several bags full of paper,
plastic bottles, and other waste), there was no infrastructure for visitors,
and there were few signs.
© Hernán Torres
Marcela Torres leading a sustainable tourism exercise at the Giant of Tarapacá.
Even though the Giant has been exposed for
centuries and has suffered previous damage on other occasions, none has been as
serious as this. The worst part is that it is hard to understand what these
people were trying to accomplish. The geoglyph was created to be admired from a
distance. The truth is it cannot be seen well up close. Therefore, the only
explanation is that this criminal act was exclusively meant to cause damage.
Who’s in charge of
protection?
Because of its location, the direct
responsibility for the protection of this important site lies in the
Municipality of Huara, with a population of approximately 3,000 people. True, but
we all know that in Chile all municipalities don’t have the same financial
resources and, in my opinion, leaving the protection of such an important
ancient heritage at the hands of a municipality shows a lack of vision.
While it’s true that the Giant of Tarapacá is a
significant attraction, tourism leaves very little for the small locality of
Huara, since most visitors go on day trips from Iquique, either on their own or
through a tourism operator. Hence, tourism incomes mostly remain in the
regional capital.
What we need to understand as a society is that
any damage to our cultural and natural heritage is a damage to all Chileans. I want
the people who are guilty for this to receive prison time, even if it’s short,
to serve as an example and a deterrent to anyone thinking of damaging the
heritage of all Chileans.
I would also like to see more actions and funds
invested from the central government level on this monument, whose protection
cannot be left solely at the hands of a municipality that does not have the
necessary resources. It seems to me a great initiative for the ministries of
Cultures and National Assets to send archaeologists to assess the damage and
the possibility of repairing it, although experts indicate this is very
difficult because the vehicle tracks are too deep. Anyway, I believe there is a
need to evaluate how the protection of our heritage can be financed and
supervised with national funds.
Unfortunately, as a result of the actions of
these irresponsible tourists, future generations will never be able to see the
Giant of Tarapacá in all its splendor. I hope this doesn’t happen again and that
we protect our heritage the way it deserves.
This is tragic but not uncommon occurrence. It only needs one thoughtless person to destroy something as old and fragile as this location. While destroying the ambiance to some extent it may require the erection of a fence to protect the site.
ReplyDeleteThis is tragic but unfortunately not uncommon in unguarded sites. While entry barriers such as fences reduce the ambiance of sites they are often necessary.
ReplyDelete