The City as a Weapon: Producing space through conflict in Santiago, Chile

Sammanfattning: The idea of Chile as a “miracle” of neoliberal reform has been extensively confronted since October of 2019 in a large wave of protests throughout the country, by a vast majority feeling excluded from its benefits. Despite this conflict (known as the “Estallido Social”, or “Social Outbreak”) occurring exclusively in cities, previous analyses do not explicitly address the role of urban space in this process. This analysis regards Santiago’s urban space as an active element of the protests, a “weapon” per se, that both shapes and is shaped by the actions and decisions of both protestors and authorities. It frames Santiago as both a strategic element of Chilean neoliberal reforms and the site and object for urban social movements in the country. Drawing from Lefebvre’s ideas of the city, in terms of centrality and mediation, I expose the different ways in how urban space is used and appropriated between the center and periphery of Santiago. The creation of urban space through conflict largely happens through the creation of place. The key example examined is Plaza Dignidad, with significant symbolic value embedded in its location, locale, and sense of place.