How long does memory endure? Destruction and patrimonialization of the Villa San Luis de Las Condes

Abstract

This article seeks to understand the processes of destruction and patrimonialization of the villa San Luis de Las Condes in Santiago de Chile from a historiographical and anthropological perspective, between 1976 and
the present. Based on a review of literature, press, official sources, and personal archives, as well as interviews and on-site observations, this article critically analyzes the forced eviction of the residents of the villa during the civic-military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet –which is a violent and under-studied episode of human rights violation in the housing sector–, and the destruction and transformation of a significant part of the sector into a luxurious economic
district, in the context of the merging of the neoliberal economic regime. This article highlights the importance of the organized action of the former residents in defending and activating the heritage of the villa’s vestiges –which led to its declaration as a Historical Monument in 2017–, and the controversial valorization of the site as a place of memory in recent years. The study aims to contribute to theoretical reflection and updated monitoring of the heritage disputes surrounding the intervention, memorialization, and musealization projects of the villa’s ruins. As well as the heritage of Human Rights and urban
landmark that, despite its disintegrated and fissured materiality, sustains the memory of a traumatic past for the former inhabitants of the residential complex. And, at the same time, resists oblivion and the pressure of economic
groups.