Colchane
| Colchane | |
|---|---|
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| Country | Chile |
| Region | Tarapacá Region |
| Settled | June 19, 1981 (with the current name) |
| Population | 1,290 |
| Area (sq mi) | 4,015.6 km2 (1,550.4 sq mi) |
| Population density (/sq mi) | 0.32/km2 (0.83/sq mi) |
| Current mayor | Javier García Choque |
| Demonym | Colchanino (-a) |
| Co-ordinates | 19°17′S 68°38′W |
Colchane is an altiplanic commune and town in the north of Chile with an average altitude of 3650 meters above sea level, reaching 3720 in the specific locality. It is located a few meters from the border with Bolivia, where on the other side is the town of Pisiga Bolivar. It is known for always vote for conservative right-wing options politically, even in referendums in which the left won. The majority of the population is ethnically Aymara.
Politics
For a large part of the country, the fact that Colchane was one of the five communes where the "Rejection" option won in 2020 was a surprise. A solid 74.06% achieved the option, being the opposite result to the rest of the country.[1]
However, if we analyze the beliefs of the residents and the recent electoral results we will realize that we should not be surprised, especially knowing its recent history.
Mass immigration problem
Since 2013 Chile has been increasingly summed into a mass immigration crisis, this problem has been specially worrying for the commune since the point of access of most of the illegal immigrants is the Colchane border cross with Bolivia, a country that lets them into Chile since the bad relations Bolivia has promoted against Chile. In 2019 the crisis began strongly in Colchane, immigrants even tried to take the houses of the local population. Most of the immigrants are Venezuelan, the crisis increased in 2020 and 2021, then candidate José Antonio Kast proposed the building of a trench on the border, something was softly built during the Michelle Bachelet's Second Government, however, wasn't because of immigration, but to prevent the trespassing of stolen Chilean cars to Bolivia. Then candidate Gabriel Boric made fun of the proposal and rejected it, during his government, the communist minister Vallejo promoted it in 2024, since the National immigration crisis is increasing. The Boric Government set up ridiculous loudspeakers to warn the immigrants not to pass and the border guards partied once while the illegals were passing through. In addition, when the military has been sent to the area, they do not have sufficient firepower.
Economy
Much of Colchane's economic activity consists of the production and export of organic foods such as organic quinoa, which is even exported to Italy. The State hardly owns any land in the area, so the means of production are privately owned by the Aymara who make use of their land.
History
The first traces of human presence in the altiplano date back to 5000 B.C., but the factor that determined the definitive settlement in the sector was that human groups were able to domesticate plants such as potatoes and animals such as the llama. With the passage of time, the primitive villages of the early farmers began to grow stronger until they became important human agglomerations. Some of the cultures that predominated in this sector were the Tiwanaku, Aymara (with the presence of communities to this day) and the Inka empire, among others.[2]
This is an important point, because during the Allende's Marxist Popular Unity period there were problems with the government, which had ideas of a centralized and collectivist economy, and as the locals say, there were clashes over land ownership and the government of the time "expropriated their goods, crops and livestock" and had to hide the production so that it would not be collectivized.
Also at that time a professor with the initials J. O., a follower of the socialist regime, managed to enter in 1972 from the Bolivian town of Llica, a handgun and a Winchester carbine in order to support the revolution “with a taste of empanada and red wine”.
Pinochet's government put them on the map, communicated with local leaders, their lands were respected, houses, schools and the customs house were built, and for such reason the military government gained broad support in the area. The commune was founded in 1970 with the name "Los Cóndores", however, in 1979 it obtained its current name.
The Municipality of Colchane was founded in 1981 as stated on a plaque at the entrance of the municipality. This was done with the purpose of giving the wandering Aymara population a neuralgic, administrative and touristic point. At the beginning the community was reluctant to migrate but with time they settled down and now there are lodgings.
Micro-entrepreneur José García, who currently resides in Alto Hospicio and was born in Colchane in the 1940s, mentions that "the indigenous people were grateful to my General because he gave them dignity, pressure of grace, title deeds and many other things".
Religiosity and Aymara tradition
The vast majority of the residents are Aymara who maintain their millenary traditions and the Christianity adopted at the time of the Spanish Empire creating the contemporary syncretism of their traditions.
More than half of the Aymara belong to the Evangelical Pentecostal Church and it is precisely the traditional values that motivate this electorate, which is also mostly older.
The Evangelical Church made a national call to vote for the "Reject" option in favor of the "traditional family, the right to life, against gender ideology", something that contrasts with the "Approve" option which was characterized by social progressivism, favorable to abortion and feminism.[3]
References
- ↑ La incógnita de Colchane: Alcalde explica por qué ganó el Rechazo en una de las comunas más aisladas de Chile (es). ADN Radio (October 26, 2020).
- ↑ Descubre la magia de Colchane y las bellezas del altiplano chileno (es). Chile es Tuyo.
- ↑ Colchane, ¿un bastión del conservadurismo? Analizando el triunfo del «Rechazo» en la aislada comuna y su historia (es). Diario El Tarapacá (October 30, 2020). Archived from the original on October 3, 2022.