Graffiti-covered abandoned buildings illustrate the decline of Valparaiso.
Photographer: Tamara Merino/BloombergDesign
Valparaiso’s Decline Leaves Unesco World Heritage Site Graffitied, Crumbling
Anti-government protests that exploded in late 2019 hit the Chilean city hard, leaving some stores still boarded up three years later
The sense of decline in Echaurren Plaza, near the heart of the World Heritage site in Valparaiso, Chile, is palpable.
On a typical Sunday afternoon, the Emporio Echaurren cafe has pulled down its metal blinds to avoid attempted robberies. Around the corner from the burned out shell of the Subercaseaux palace, buildings stand abandoned, with their roofs caved in and squatters occupying the ground floors.