Reclaiming Memories, Recomposing Itineraries: Experiences, Frictions and Expectations about the Construction of a “Memory Route” in the Valparaíso Region, Chile

Abstract

In recent years, memorialization initiatives around places marked by State terrorism in Chile have multiplied, including different scales and formats. In this context, the article examines the construction of a "memory route" in the Valparaíso region, based on the experience of the citizen and institutional actors who carry it out. To do so, the collaborations, practices, and claims accompanying the materialization of this project in different locations
in the region are analyzed. Based on qualitative research—which integrated indepth interviews and ethnographic observations—it is argued that the search for symbolic reparation that guides this memory work is strongly articulated with representations and claims associated with a regional dimension. It is argued that both the patrimonialization of the sites making up the “memory
route”, as well as the conflicts and expectations arising around the initiative over time, are significant to grasp how social memories are disputed in their specific fields. From this discussion, the research intends to contribute to the
understanding of the link between memorialization initiatives and the social production of territories in local and regional contexts.