The political dimension of heritage: vindicating the social value of the railway in Chile between dictatorship and democracy (1973-2012)

Abstract

This article analyzes the vindication of the social value of the railroad in Chile between the political contexts of the dictatorship (1973-1990) and democracy (1990-2012). The technological, political and economic radical changes initiated in dictatorship, together with the de-industrialization and the decline of the railroad, triggered the loss of political power and the obsolescence of the modes of production of the railroad guild. While abandonment led to a process of heritagization since the 1980s, the claim of social value emerged with the return to democracy. The Ferrocarril del Sur is considered as a case study, understanding its social role and resignification with the declarations of national monuments.