Looting after Chile’s Earthquake: Why?

BBC. – Chile’s president has appealed for calm in the earthquake-ravaged city of Concepcion, vowing a stern response to any renewal of looting and violence. Michelle Bachelet says 14,000 troops are now in the region, after dozens of people were arrested on Monday. A BBC reporter in Concepcion says police are now posted on street corners in the city centre, but says that aid convoys are yet to reach the needy. The death toll from the 8.8-magnitude quake now stands at 795, officials say.

Chile is a well-known country in terms of natural disasters. Also the “sense of solidarity” of Chileans in this sort of situation represents for us something close to be called a national proud.

But, what is happening after the 8.8-magnitude quake in Chile? An overwhelming sensation over the whole population is installed. Dozens of images from the devastated city of Concepcion and terrible information from other damaged cities confirm that looting and violence are taking control over the destroyed cities, threatening the security of the people.

Why this effect in the population is happening? Are there such lacks of food and supplies that people desperate need to do this? Or might be another reasons, rather than the evident?

I think there are two main factors playing in this situation. One is structural and the other is functional.

We have to understand that in the Chilean society we can find a lot of inequality. Despite the development, the OECD membership, the GDP growing and country status in the worldwide context, Chile still has a lot of work in terms of decreasing the widespread differences and the lack of fairness. Those facts configure a “substrate” that allows in this case – disaster, lack of electricity, overwhelmed security forces and of course lack of food and water – this sort of social outbreak. I am not justifying that action, but we have to recognize the existence of this “basement”.

The other factor is related with the government’s performance during the current situation. Given the substrate we have defined before, was very easy to think this situation could occurs. President Bachelet has decided just yesterday the curfew, 48 hours after the onset of the disaster, and soldiers finally have taken the control of Concepcion’s city today. This decision was correct, but it was too late.

I do not know whether the “symbolic” image related with the soldiers on the streets – maybe remembering the Pinochet’s Military Government – played a role delaying the decision. But in the end was clear the decision was necessary, at all. Now the next President Pinera – who enter in the office 11th March –  knows he has not only the mission of reconstruct the country, also he and his cabinet must definitive became Chile a country where the social justice is present.

Massive Earthquake in CHILE

0730 at Manchester…. I just waked up and checked my twitter. Yes, it is a sort of addiction but when you live far away from your country and networks you want to keep connected all the time. At this moment, the timeline was unusually quiet but some friends had written messages about an earthquake. I did not understand it , so I tried to enter in the chilean information websites. I could not.  After that fact I decided to visit the BBC website and I founded this terrible holder: “MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES CHILE”

As all of you might know, an enormous earthquake has striked Chile in its central zone at Saturday 27th 0330 (GMT -3). Chile is a country with a huge history of earthquakes, an it has the highest earthquake on the history of earth (ever recorded) in Valdivia 1960. Now, this earthquake had a power of 8.8 degree in Richter Scale, that mean more destructive than the earthquake of Haiti.

The earthquake has shown once again what we are. Actually, after a very succesful decade defeating poverty, building speedways, growing our economy and thinking we are the best country of Latin-America, now we are seeing the dark side of all this “development”. Lack of communications, sensation of no-organization, crisis, dramatic looting situations and the most important thing…how the most deprived people are suffering specially in rural zones.

The inequality in my country is an important problem. This kind of event show us how fragile and how unequal is our development as a country. The most impacted areas are located in the south of Chile. Of course this areas were located close to the center of the earthquake, but also is true they do not have enough resources to resist an event of this magnitude.

But Chile will  stand up. We need stand up. Yesterday in the news in middle of the disaster I have heard a working woman saying “I  lost everything, but thanks god I am not dead, and its all I need to stand up and to start working again“. We have a “disaster culture-like” that I really do not understand, but works. Always works.

This man in the picture represent part of it. After the tsunami in Pelluhue, Region of Maule, with the spirit of his nation in this flag, he is trying to stand up and face the disaster with proud and hope.  This is the spirit of my nation, this is the spirit of Chile.  FUERZA CHILE!

Pictures:  http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/02/earthquake_in_chile.html

TRIAGE MORAL

Nacional
Lunes 28 de Enero de 2008
Conductor de mortal choque de Av. Kennedy iba ebrio, pero quedó libre tras formalización

José Maluenda Cuevas (39), quien protagonizó un mortal accidente antenoche en Avenida Kennedy, marcó 1,18 grado de alcohol en la sangre, técnicamente en “estado de ebriedad”. Sin embargo, ayer, luego de la formalización, quedó en libertad y sólo debe firmar diariamente en la fiscalía de Las Condes.

Despues de ver la serie TRAUMA – tratando de volver a sentir a escala la adrenalina que tenia mi vida anterior – no pude dejar de quedarme pensando en la historia central del capitulo recien terminado. En este, el paramedico del helicoptero - que es como la reencarnacion de Sawyer de Lost en version Salud – toma la decision en medio de un accidente vehicular multiple de trasladar primero, usando criterios de gravedad, al conductor que por venir hablando por celular ocasiono el accidente. El paramedico mas joven, el novato despreciable, le recuerda que por la imprudencia de este conductor hay otros heridos graves, entre ellos su paciente, ante lo cual Saywer-Paramedico le grita : Aqui no hacemos juicios morales, somos medicos !! Resultado final, se salva el malo y muere el bueno.

No pudo dejar de violentarme aquella escena, a la razon de mi memoria. El 28 de Enero del 2008 me toco participar en uno de los accidentes mas significativos en terminos de conductores ebrios y victimas inocentes. Murio un joven de 18 anos y tuve que grabar la imagen en mi memoria de la familia – hijo, madre, padre, abuela –  desparramada por el bandejon central de Av.Kennedy, quienes vieron truncado su viaje de vuelta de vacaciones por un tipo irresponsable, ademas de muchos suenos y probablemente para siempre su alegria.

En esa ocasion tuve que hacer el TRAIGE, decidir quienes se trasladaban primero y adonde , a quien dar prioridad y asignar el color negro de la muerte. Pero ha diferencia de Paramedico-Helo-Bakan, si senti el impulso de aplicar el criterio de seleccion hacia el conductor responsable del accidente con una cuota de castigo por su conducta, mas como un juez que como un tomador de decision sin sentimientos.

Es valido el TRIAGE MORAL ? es razonable el sentimiento de miles de trabajadores de la salud que se ven violentados en sus puestos, al forzadamente adoptar una posicion neutral? Es justo para el paciente herido-responsable, enfrentarse de forma asimetrica con su “justiciero” de turno?

No creo tener la respuesta, pero si siento que me acerco cada vez mas a una cuando veo una noticia de accidentes como aquella.