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Infraestructuras industriales, policiales y materialidades patrimoniales en la construcción de la frontera chileno-boliviana en Ollagüe (Chile, 1879-2020)

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This chapter explores the historical process of border consolidation in Ollagüe, a town located in the north of Chile, based on three mechanisms: a first economic and political mechanism with the installation of mining industries, a second policing mechanism with the control of migration and smuggling, and a third cultural mechanism with the creation of heritage spaces (natural and cultural). Between 1887 and 1993, an economic model based on mining local resources was established in Ollagüe. The mining industry was both a project of regional economic development driven by Chilean capitalists and a political project driven by the State that served as a mechanism of control and consolidation of the Chilean-Bolivian border. During the 1970s, the border strengthening project was essentially based on national security and was deployed through heightened police control of migration and of smuggling and traffic. Since the 1990s, with the abandonment of most local mining industries, the border is symbolically constructed through discernible cultural markers. In Ollagüe, the Chilean State imposed border consolidation devices with the creation of heritage materialities. The natural (e.g., tourist trails) and the cultural heritage (e.g., archaeological sites, monuments) thus become other mechanisms that ensure sovereignty, channeling the national discourse and asserting the presence of the Chilean State at the border. Now considered National Monuments, abandoned architectural and industrial remains of the mining industry are transformed into symbolic spaces of border control. The historical development of three mechanisms of border control (political- economic, police, and cultural) is approached through the analysis of unpublished documents, architectural remains and infrastructures.
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
policiales y materialidades patrimoniales
en la construcción de la frontera


abstract




















Keywords
Introducción
       

 
     
     


    
 
 

 


   

432 
     
      
      
      
  
     

     
 
     

     
      


    




   
    
      
 

   



  



  
  
      
    
     
 

     
 
  
    

  

  
     

   

    

      

     
     


     



 
    
    
     
    
    
   
    
   

   
    
     

      

  
   

 433

   
 
   
  

 
     


   
     
  




Infraestructuras industriales en la
frontera

    
    
     
      
  




      



  


   
      

  

    
     
      
   
     




     



    
      





     






     



   
   
   

     


   

    

434 

 


     

  



    
   
      
    
   
   




     
    


  

    
    
    

  


     

    
    
 

    


     

Las estaciones del Ferrocarril Antofa-

      
     



     



     
     



   
    
   
     

     

     
  

     
      
     
       
     





 

 435
    


      
 
 

  

     




     

    
     
      
 
   

Figura 1. 



436 

 




      

    
     

     
      
  

     
     



       
   



     
      

  2
    



    
 
     
Figura 2. 


       
     
 
      
        


     

  

 
      
      
 
      
 

 





  
    


      
    
     

        
2   
          

    
     
      

   


       

   
  



 

     


       

     

  
  


   
    

 
      



       
     
       
 
       
      


438 
Figura 3.




Figura 4. 

 439
   
 
  
      


Los campamentos mineros
 
  
   


 
       
  

 

   
      
   
       
  
      
       
     
    
      
      
  
company towns   


 
    
company town
 
 
 


    

     
    
 
   
    
      


  
     
    

   
     
 
   
        
2

     
 

     
      
     

  




     
   

  
     
     


440 

    
3

  

     

 



 

     
 
     


     
    
     
      
     
      
      
   
      
    
   

     
   
Figura 5.-


 
       
      

       
    

  
     



        



    
   
     
    
     
  
   
    

     
 


      
   
  
     





   

     



4

    
  
     
  

    

company towns
    
    

   
    
     

     



 
    
    
     
      


Una frontera policial: aduana y contra-
bando
    

 

       

      
 
442 
     
     
    
     
      








 
       
    


   
      
      
       
    
  
  

      

     
      
    


      
 
       
      

       
      
      
 

     
      

      
 
   



 

     
      
      
 

 
 
       
    

 

  
     


    


    
    


       




    
     
 443
      
  
     
     
     
     
     

 

 
     

     



 
    





     
      
    
     
    
       

       
      





      


      
    





   
      
     
       
    

  
      
    

  

      
 


    

      

    

     

 
     

         

 
      
  
 
 
 
     
444 
    
  
       







 
      

      



     

     
   




   
 
   

        
     
  
 

  
   

  




   
    
  
 

 
     






 

     
 
      
     
  
 



     
  
  




      

    




 



 445


   


  




       

  
 


     
  
 

     
     


 
  

 
      
 


      


 


  
      
    

    
      
       
     








    


  
     

 
 
     

    
     
   

 
 





 




 
     
    

446 


 
    
 

     

  




     
    
       


  
      
 
    
      

    
     
      
     
    

 


 




    

     

     
     
 
     
     
    
     


    
     
      
     


   
  




      
    

     
 
    
      
 
     



    
     

     

  

      

 








   
     
     

    

       


 

   
 


    

  
    

     
   
     
       

    
  

 

    
    
      
     
       
     


    
 


 


      2
  

  

2     2 
     2 
 
     
     


  


     
     

 
      
 


      
 
       


  
   

448 
    
    

     


 

   

    


     
   


La construcción patrimonial-simbólica
de la frontera
     
       
     
     
     
    
    

     

     


     
    
Figura 6. 
 449
        




 


   
     



 





 
     
      
  
     


     
  

   
   
  
  
      
 
 

  
  


      





      
     
      

     
   




     
      
 





      
  


     
    



    

     




5
 
450 
   
     
    
      
      
      
       
 
     
     
      
 
      
 
    
    
     

     


   
     


    
    
 

    

       


     
      
      
  
  

  

 
     

    

  


 

     



    
     
    
 
    

 
     


  





    
      




      
      
     
    


 
     


 
 
  

  
     

 
      
      

   
    

   
 
    

 
   
     
 


     
Figura 7. -
-
-



452 
     

       


  
   




    
      
 

     


  
  
 
 
 




     

  
   


  
     
    


      
   

   
 

Geopolítica y arquitecturas fronterizas

      
     
   
      
     
      
   
 
     

      
   
     
 

    


    

 

  
       

    


  

      
     
     



 453



       
   
       
     
    
     



      





    

    
 


  

    


      
     
 
   
    
      
     
 
 


     






   


      

       




    

  
 

  

  
    
 


     
 
    
     


       

 
   
     



    
454 



      

    



      


     
      
     
     

     
      

   

    



    
       

     
    

  
      
  

     
  


    
     


      
  
      
      
    
   
      
      

      
   
     
   

     

     


 
   


 


      

    
       




       
 
    
    
     

 455
    


     

    
 

   
     
   
    






     
     
     

Conclusiones
      
     

    
      
  
      

     
   
     
    
    
  
  
   
    

     
    
   
 

 

    

     
    

    

     


     
     
    


    
 
 

     
      
    
 
     

   
   
  
     
 

  

  
456 



    

    


     



    

    
  

   

       

 

    
     



     

    

      


Referencias
From Borderlands to
    
 -
     

   -
den policial y política de la presencia en la
  


 
-
 
     

    La memoria olvidada:
historia de los pueblos indígenas de Chile


 


Company towns:
   
      Company
     
across time and continents  

 
  

   -
     
    



     
order
  Ley
-
     
      

   The Land of Open Graves: Li-
ving and Dying on the Migrant Trail

     
     

     

       
-



 -
    

Nuevos contrabandos

  -

un asalto a mano armada y en despoblado

Comercio con Bolivia

   Jeografía descriptiva de la
República de Chile 

Surveiller et punir. Naissance
de la prison
     -
 
      

-
-
-

   
-
laciones sociales en el sudoeste del altipla-
-
     

     
    -
   


 -

    -
    
 

     Boliv-
ian migration and ethnic subsidiarity in
    

    

   Herma-
nos Latrille: impronta en el desierto. Pau
 

    
 

 
    -
    
 en


-
     
   


   -
nica y ciudadanía en los países andinos y el




undocumented migration   

   La sociedad del cansancio

     
     

   Mining rushes and land-
      en
 Colonization of
unfamiliar landscapes. The archaeology of
adaptation
Lande: The Calais ‘Jun-
gle’ and Beyond   

   Béton : arme de construction
massive du capitalisme  

 Social approaches to the ar-
   en
      
Social approaches to an industrial past. The
archaeology and anthropology of mining

   
       

   La production de l’espace

Informe sobre las azufreras del
-
cisco Caralps y otros
458 
       
    

      
Part III: Chile   

     
    


      
    

     
-
     

   -


   The Materiality and Heri-
 en
     

Jeografía descriptiva de las pro-


     Perspectivas
   
      

  
-
    

 en
     

   
-
     -



territoriality: multi-scalar perspectives and
 


      


       
desarrollo industrial: un caso de crecimien-


       en


  The nature of the compa-


     

Las alambradas



-
  en
 

      
and challenges: technological system and
industrial heritage of sulphur mining in
 

-
   

   Geo-
graphical Review
      -
ama    

     
     


   Missing the revolution: anthro-
    

Regiones ganadoras y regiones
perdedoras en el retorno de la democracia
en Chile: poderes locales y desequilibrios te-

Border-
     


       -
 Edicio

 459
-
      

  
-
 n 
    

 Company towns. Corporate or-
der and community   

  
     
     

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This article explores the contributions related to everyday geographies in order to rethink the spatiality of border and cross-border practices, recognizing the relationships between processes, experiences, places, landscapes, perceptions, and affections. The aim is to outline a geographical approach for the understanding of Latin American state borders from the everyday life perspective. This exploratory study was based on a bibliographic review. Through the concept of border artifacts, it is argued that everyday geographies entwine national representations and central ordering regimes with the tactics, experiences, and emotions that negotiate and redefine the materials and the meanings on a daily basis.
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Bolivian migration in borax and sulphur high-altitude mining was fundamental in sustaining industrial capitalism in northern Chile. In this paper, we quantify and characterize Bolivian migration in the border mining camps of the municipality of Ollagüe, through the analysis of 335 migratory files, dating from 1888 to 1946. We focus on the Bolivian presence in eight villages and camps involved in sulphur and borax mining. We present the entry periods of Bolivian workers, as well as their origin, trade and profession, gender, marital status, age, and literacy. Results give an account of the central role played by the Bolivian migrant labour force for the development of non-metallic and high-altitude mining industries in the region. It is concluded that the capitalist expansion in the Chilean border was sustained by an ethnic subsidiarity of an international subordinate workforce.
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Se caracteriza un proceso de producción arquitectónica sustentada en el Movimiento Moderno en la ciudad de Tocopilla, durante el gobierno del Frente Popular. Se examinan las dimensiones urbana, social, arquitectónica y biopolítica como horizontes ideológicos que activaron la reacción gubernamental frente a una crisis socioeconómica.
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Infrastructure makes up a considerable portion of the material culture that archaeologists study. Whether measured in terms of spatial extension or just sheer mass, infrastructural entities are often among the biggest artifacts that archaeologists encounter in the field. Yet there is no overarching theoretical framework for the archaeological study of infrastructure, and its different varieties tend to be treated in a rather piecemeal fashion. This article therefore seeks to lay some foundations for a more theoretically unified approach to infrastructure within the discipline. It offers a general definition or infrastructure, as well as a basic typology. The typology presented is fourfold, encompassing (1) static infrastructure (e.g., terraces, harbors and storehouses), (2) circulatory infrastructure (e.g., highways, canals, aqueducts, and sewers), (3) bounding infrastructure (e.g., palisades, ditches, and corrals), and (4) signaling infrastructure (e.g., lighthouses and beacons). By analogy with more heavily theorized categories such as urbanism, it is suggested that infrastructure should be a topic of global comparative analysis within archaeology and its allied disciplines.