Poet and chronicler Roberto Merino published Ciudad del olvido, a volume of essays on the history, neighborhoods and transformations of Santiago. In a recent interview, Merino reflects on the fragility of urban memory and violence during the social outbreak.
Born in the San Isidro neighborhood, Merino wrote his first chronicle about Santiago at age 13 during the 1970s. He recalled walks with his family and friends in the 1980s, a time of economic restrictions when walking was a way to experience the city.
The book's title came from one of his essays. Merino noted that Santiago changes quickly and it is easy to forget what came before, though he also questioned always lamenting those transformations. He pointed out that an architect can build a building knowing it will disappear, unlike a symphony.
Merino addressed the social outbreak and compared violence against public space with earlier periods. He stated that in the 1970s and 1980s it was not common to attack buildings or urban furniture, and he criticized what he called malicious attenuations that downplayed events.
The author mentioned the Chilean Belle Époque, with its splendor coexisting with extreme poverty in areas like Zanjón de la Aguada. He also spoke of the literature that has founded an imaginary city, from Martín Rivas to the generation of the 1950s.