5,000 people marched for the expropriation of the native Bosque Panul
The enormous turnout for the march "Expropriate Panul!" sent a clear message to the political class, which refuses to grant official protection to the metropolitan precordillera, as well as to the real estate companies that insist on destroying Santiago's last urban forest.
During the afternoon of Saturday, August 16, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna (the main artery of La Florida and Puente Alto) filled with color, drumming, music, and dances from across the Americas. The Carnival organized by Red Precordillera brought together 5,000 people from different parts of the capital in a family parade that stretched dozens of city blocks, ending in a cultural event in front of La Florida's municipality — an activity that was entirely self-organized.
The community's demand is that the State intervene and expropriate the territory where Bosque Panul lives, so that residents can take on the management of a public community park. In this way, the aim is to reverse the serious reduction of green spaces in Santiago, which no administration has been able to address. Despite all the plans announced to create new parks and plazas, no government has prevented them from turning back into "grey areas" or barren lots. Bosque Panul, by contrast, is native — it withstands months of drought every year and requires no irrigation or maintenance.
What is needed is for the municipality or the Intendancy to amend the Zoning Plan, designating the forest as a "natural heritage area, free from construction" — something Rodolfo Carter refuses to do, disclaiming his responsibility and pointing toward Intendant Claudio Orrego.
In a meeting with residents, the Intendancy committed to forming a working group to fund the expropriation of Panul — which must happen before November, when real estate company Gesterra can once again submit its project.
In the meantime, the definitive solution continues to depend on the residents themselves, who must organize to keep protecting the forest and build a community park with their own hands, and continue filling public space with color, music, and carnival as they did on this occasion under the slogan "Expropriate Panul."
Video of the march (courtesy of Brigada Informativa Desborde)
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