Chiloe: A Bridge Too Far?

From: Homelands Productions
Series: Worlds of Difference
Length: 13:35

Chile's government is proposing to build the longest bridge in Latin America to connect the island of Chiloe to the mainland. But as Alan Weisman reports, islanders aren't sure they want to be connected Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Chiloe: A Bridge Too Far?
From: Homelands Productions

Chiloechurch_small Chile's government wants to celebrate its 2010 bicentennial by building a bridge to join the island of Chiloe to the continent. Officials say a bridge will make life easier for Chiloe's residents, and for the tourists who flock there from the mainland. But islanders fear that the real reasons for turning their island into a peninsula are less than altruistic. They say the bridge is being built for the timber and salmon industries, to the detriment of the island's unique local culture. But some find hope in Chiloe lore, which tells how local spirits have dealt with human hubris in the past.

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Piece Description

Chile's government wants to celebrate its 2010 bicentennial by building a bridge to join the island of Chiloe to the continent. Officials say a bridge will make life easier for Chiloe's residents, and for the tourists who flock there from the mainland. But islanders fear that the real reasons for turning their island into a peninsula are less than altruistic. They say the bridge is being built for the timber and salmon industries, to the detriment of the island's unique local culture. But some find hope in Chiloe lore, which tells how local spirits have dealt with human hubris in the past.

Broadcast History

Aired the weeks of 09/26/03 and 3/19/04 on NPR's Living on Earth

Transcript

[MUSIC: SONG BY ROLANDO ALARCON]

[DIESEL GENERATOR HUMMING]

WEISMAN: Chilote legends say that Chiloe was formed when an angered sea serpent, Quaiquai, made the waters rise, flooding the land. Taking pity, the land serpent Tenten lifted the mountains and the islands, so people could seek refuge.

[CARDENAS SPEAKING SPANISH]

VOICEOVER: About a decade ago, a big storm here destroyed half the salmon cages. Masses of free salmon, swimming in the open. The people's explanation was that Quaiquai was responding to what they are doing to the sea. This was Quaiquai's revenge.

WEISMAN: It's well known on Chiloe that the center column of the new bridge will rest on a rock that used to be an island, until an earthquake in 1960 submerged it. Or maybe that was Quaiquai, too.

[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH, BIRD CHIRPING]

WEISMAN: The spirits won't let the bridge happen either, says one of Re...
Read the full transcript

Timing and Cues

INTRO: Chiloe [chi-lo-WAY] is an island the size of Puerto Rico about two-thirds of the way down the coast of Chile. It's accessible only by ferry. But the government wants to build a bridge to join Chiloe with the mainland. Officials promise faster access for islanders to hospitals and other services, and less hassle for tourists trying to visit. But many natives say they'd rather NOT be connected -- they fear the bridge will destroy what makes their place unique. And they say the bridge is not designed for them anyway, or even for tourists, but for a fish -- and a foreign fish at that. Alan Weisman traveled to Chiloe and brought back this report

OUTRO: That piece was produced by Alan Weisman for Homelands Productions. It is part of the Worlds of Difference series on global cultural change. For more information, visit www.homelands.org.