Chacabuco is one of the many abandoned nitrate or "saltpeter" towns ("oficinas salitreras" in Spanish) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile . Other nitrate towns of the Atacama Desert include Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works . Unlike most of the other ghost towns in the Atacama Desert, Chacabuco became a concentration camp during the Pinochet regime in 1973. To this day, it remains surrounded by approximately 98 lost landmines , left by the Chilean military when Chacabuco was used as a prison camp.
19-613: Founded in 1924 by the Lautaro Nitrate Company Ltd., Chacabuco soon fell into ruin as the nitrate mining boom in Chile came to an abrupt halt at the end of the 1930s. Synthetic nitrate had been invented in Germany at the turn of the 20th century and by the 1930s and 40s had severely crippled northern Chile's nitrate industry. What had accounted for virtually 50% of Chile's Gross National Product fell to almost zero within
38-456: A concentration camp until the end of 1974. As a concentration camp, it held up to 1,800 prisoners many of whom were doctors, lawyers, artists, writers, professors and workers from all over Chile. By the 1990s, Chacabuco was in need of extensive restoration and several international organizations began the restoration of parts of Chacabuco. In 1991, a former political prisoner of Chacabuco, Roberto Saldívar, returned to Chacabuco in order to live in
57-442: A few decades. A total of 170 nitrate towns were shut down throughout Chile's Atacama Desert, only one remains open today, María Elena , about 95 kilometers north of Chacabuco. Chacabuco shut its doors in 1938. As a town, it had only survived 14 years. In 1971, president Salvador Allende declared Chacabuco a Historic Monument of Chile, at which point restoration began. But in 1973, after the military coup, Pinochet turned it into
76-570: Is Jorge Godoy Bolvarán ( PS ), and the council has the following members: Within the electoral divisions of Chile , María Elena is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Marcos Espinosa ( PRSD ) and Felipe Ward ( UDI ) as part of the 3rd electoral district, (together with Tocopilla , Calama , Ollagüe and San Pedro de Atacama ). The commune is represented in the Senate by Carlos Cantero Ojeda ( Ind. ) and José Antonio Gómez (PRSD) as part of
95-503: Is a Chilean town and commune in Tocopilla Province , Antofagasta Region . According to the 2012 census, the commune population was 4,593 and has an area of 12,197.2 km (4,709 sq mi). Maria Elena is named after Mary Ellen Comdon, the wife of the first saltpeter refinery works ( oficina salitre ) manager, Elias Cappelens. Originally, the name of the works was "Coya Norte". Situated on land purchased from
114-573: Is headed by a popularly elected governor and a regional presidential delegation, who represents the President of Chile in the region. The government and administration of each province lies in the provincial governorate ( Gobernación Provincial ), headed by a governor ( gobernador ), appointed by the President of the Republic . It exercises its powers in accordance with the instructions from
133-412: The 2nd senatorial constituency (Antofagasta Region). Administrative division of Chile The administrative division or territorial organization of Chile exemplifies characteristics of a unitary state . State administration is functionally and geographically decentralized, as appropriate for each authority in accordance with the law. For the interior government and administration within
152-602: The State, the territory of the republic has been divided into 16 regions ( regiones ), 56 provinces ( provincias ) and 346 communes ( comunas ) since the 1970s process of reform, made at the request of the National Commission on Administrative Reform ( Comisión Nacional de la Reforma Administrativa or CONARA). State agencies exist to promote the strengthening of its regionalization, equitable development and solidarity between regions, provinces and communes within
171-675: The Treasury in 1924, the plant was opened in 1926 using a sodium nitrate extraction system patented by the Guggenheim Brothers which had replaced the Shanks system. It was laid out on the basis of the flag of the United Kingdom . Together with the former refinery at Pedro de Valdivia built in 1931, it was the largest saltpeter works with a combined output of over one million tons per year. In 1965 both were taken over by
190-560: The abandoned town and guard it against vandalism and pillaging. He lived there almost completely alone until January 2006. Pedro Barreda replaced Roberto when he left as caretaker of Chacabuco. Currently living in Chacabuco alone, Pedro considers himself to be Roberto's apprentice and remains dedicated to the cause Roberto started. 23°08′50″S 69°37′00″W / 23.14722°S 69.61667°W / -23.14722; -69.61667 Mar%C3%ADa Elena, Chile María Elena
209-635: The area was devastated by a 7.7 M w earthquake with an epicenter 80 km (50 mi) north of Maria Elena. Almost all the town's old houses collapsed or were made uninhabitable, and the local hospital also almost completely collapsed, though with no loss of life or injuries. According to the 1992 census of the National Statistics Institute María Elena had 7,530 inhabitants; of these, 7,412 (98.4%) lived in urban areas and 118 (1.6%) in rural areas . At that time, there were 4,298 men and 3,232 women. By 2002,
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#1732773236311228-435: The decentralization of central power. They are advised by an Economic and Social Communal Council ( Consejo Económico y Social Comunal or CESCO), composed of representatives from the most important of the community's organizations and activities. There are 346 communes and 345 municipalities, as the municipality of Cabo de Hornos manages the grouping of communities of Cape Horn and Antártica . There are proposals to create
247-637: The nation. Since 2005, the creation, abolition and designation of regions, provinces and communes, the altering of their boundaries, and the establishment of the regional and provincial capitals are part of constitutional law. The Ministries of Chile (except the Ministries of the Interior , National Defense , Foreign Affairs and Secretary General of the Presidency ) are devolved to regional level, being represented by regional ministries, integrating
266-550: The north, and similarly, the X Los Lagos Region was split to create XIV Los Ríos Region to its north. Also there are plans to create a joint region between the provinces of Linares and Cauquenes by splitting the VII Maule Region . On March 11, 2010, the creation of the Marga Marga Province gave Chile a new total of 56 provinces. Chile is administratively divided into: The regional government
285-423: The population had fallen 44.9% (124,130 persons ) since the 1992 census of 13,660 . The commune of María Elena is composed of six census districts. Source : INE 2007 report, "Territorial division of Chile" As a commune, María Elena is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council , headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde
304-688: The regional intendant. It is advised by the Provincial Economic and Social Council ( Consejo Económico y Social Provincial or CESPRO). The only exception is the Santiago Province , which makes no provision for a provincial governorate in its regulations. Instead, the position corresponds to the intendant of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago . In January 2001, the Provincial Delegation of Santiago
323-405: The so-called "regional cabinet," chaired by the regional intendent. The political and administrative division of Chile has had four major periods: before 1833, from 1833 to 1925, from 1925 to 1976 and from 1976 onwards. Before 1974, Chile was divided into: In October 2007, two new regions came into force: The I Tarapacá Region was divided laterally to create XV Arica and Parinacota Region to
342-555: The state, through the Chemicals and Mining Company (SQM), which was privatized in 1980. This privatization explains why most land and buildings are owned by SQM and not by individuals or the Chilean state. In 1996, it became the only active mining community in the country after the closure of the saltpeter works at Pedro de Valdivia, following which many workers and their families were relocated to Maria Elena. On November 14, 2007,
361-411: Was created with the position of a Provincial Delegate, who exercises the functions of a provincial governor on behalf of the respective intendant. The local administration of each commune or group of communities resides in the municipality ( municipalidad ), consisting of an alcalde and a communal council ( Consejo Comunal ), elected directly for a period of 4 years renewable. Municipalities represent
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