Valparaiso's Heritage Under Investigation

SCRIPT: Valparaíso is under investigation. A decade after its historic center was declared a world heritage site; a UNESCO mission is compiling a report about its state of conservation. The future development of the city is a worry, as are plans to construct a big commercial mall on the dock. Those against the plan say it will ruin the city's historical panorama. They also consider it a threat to the eventual expansion of the seaport. SOUNDBITE 1 - Camilo Vargas (man), activist against the Mall Baron project (Spanish, 14 sec): “We think that there are more important things that could be built in Valparaíso instead of this mall, and that there are other parts of the city, especially on its outskirts, that would be a much better place for a mall.” (IN SPANISH: “Pensamos que para Valparaíso existen unos usos mucho más importantes que ese mall, y que hay otras zonas en la ciudad, especialmente en la periferia, que sirven mucho mejor para instalar un mall.”) Thousands of European migrants arrived here during the last century. Valparaíso was known as the jewel of the pacific. Today, thousands of tourists flock to the port to admire its aged splendor. The city seems frozen in time - its lifts date back to the 19th century. But there is another side to Valparaíso. Its poverty rates are just two points away from the national average of 14.4%. The city's famous inclining streets complicate everything, from the distribution of water to the collection of rubbish. The city's mayor however sees potential jobs in the commercial construction plans for the center, as well as the generation of revenue for the municipal coffers. That money, he says, could go towards relieving the problems of cleanliness and rubbish collection. SOUNDBITE 2 - Jorge Castro (man), Mayor of Valparaíso (Spanish, 12...