Chile Progress wealth and despair DW Documentary

Chile is going through a social and environmental crisis that is fracturing society. The wealthy nation is undergoing a migratory crisis on an unprecedented scale. Shantytowns are multiplying as a result, creating unprecedented societal tension.

Chile possesses huge mineral wealth and is an export giant. The country produces the most copper in the world, and is home to one of the globe’s largest open-pit mines, the Chuquicamata mine. Located in the Atacama Desert, this mine is one kilometer deep, four kilometers long and three kilometers wide. The town of Chuquicamata had to be abandoned in 2004: as the mine grew, so did levels of waste gas and dust in the air. The extraction of raw materials has many downsides.

Chile also mines lithium and manganese and holds some of the most productive salmon farms and marine resources in the world.

At the head of this economy are major industrial groups. Most are owned by old Chilean families. Some made their fortunes in the 70s, thanks to close ties with General Pinochet’s regime. The film presents the Pérez Cruz family business, which has a monopoly on gas distribution. They are typical of a small Chilean elite that is intent on defending traditional values.

But the impact of climate change and pollution represents a threat. The mining and textile industries are putting pressure on the ecosystem in a nation that grapples with extreme weather. In some regions, it no longer rains.

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