Chile: Neighbors Reject New Prison in Capital City
Chilean Prisions, July 2024 Photo: @alertanoti
July 22, 2024 Hour: 3:48 pm
Members of the Coordinating Committee of Housing Committees denounced in front of the building of the Ministry of Justice that this land was requested more than a year ago by the Mayor’s Office of Santiago, with the aim of building social housing.
On Monday, neighbors of Santiago Centro protested today against the possible construction of a high-security prison in that district, announced by the government to tackle the crisis of violence in Chile.
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This Monday, the Minister of Justice, Luis Cordero, said that a piece of land owned by the Army, located on Pedro Montt Avenue, is one of the sites planned for the construction of the new prison.
However, members of the Coordinating Committee of Housing Committees denounced in front of the building of the Ministry of Justice that this land was requested more than a year ago by the Mayor’s Office of Santiago, with the aim of building social housing.
The request was never answered and today we see that there are negotiations with the Armed Forces to install the new prison, they said.
Valeria Bustos, president of the coordinator, said that they have been fighting for years for decent housing and the aforementioned land meets the conditions to get it.
“We want to be heard. Now we see that the government is sitting down to negotiate with the army behind the backs of the people, and that is what bothers us,” said Bustos.
The leader added that they understand the country’s need for such a facility, but not within the urban perimeter.
The Justice Minister acknowledged that several prison infrastructure projects have been impossible to develop, mainly due to local objections.
However, he pointed out that urban planning regulations must make the general interest prevail.
The mayor of Santiago Centro, Irací Hassler, is one of the opponents to this initiative being carried out in this sector of the capital.
According to the mayor, the need for a new maximum security prison cannot be at the expense of the tranquility of the neighborhood.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: The Independent-The Star
