\n
\n\u00daltimamente, ha habido mucha discusi\u00f3n en Chile sobre el \u201cacceso\u201d y bUSiness CHILE ha estado al frente, como de costumbre. El Acceso a la Informaci\u00f3n P\u00fablica fue el titular de la portada de la edici\u00f3n del mes pasado. Pero tengo una preocupaci\u00f3n mayor sobre otro tipo de acceso: ya no se puede pasear por los gloriosos cerros que rodean Santiago sin evadir guardias armados y pasar a trav\u00e9s de huecos en las rejas que nos mantienen prisioneros en esta ciudad. <\/p>\n
S\u00ed, \u00a1estamos atrapados en Santiago! <\/p>\n
Tengo tres perros labradores que necesitan correr libres en los cerros, conmigo a poca distancia de ellos. Hace diez a\u00f1os, pod\u00eda salir de mi puerta en la zona oriente de Santiago y gastar una, dos, tres o treinta horas recorriendo los cerros. Hoy, estoy rodeado por condominios de casas y no hay c\u00f3mo pasar. Miren las faldas de los cerros de Los Andes, tan cercanas y al mismo tiempo tan inaccesibles. Estoy seguro de que cada metro cuadrado, justo sobre la base del cerro el Plomo, pertenece a alguien (una persona, una corporaci\u00f3n o una agencia de gobierno), pero \u00bfpor qu\u00e9 no puedo tener derecho a pasar? El paso de mi cuerpo y mis tres perros no le hace da\u00f1o a nadie e incluso \u00a1fertilizamos la tierra mientras lo hacemos!<\/p>\n
A mis perros les gusta harto ser perseguidos por un huaso armado, pero a m\u00ed no me agrada del todo, pues podr\u00eda dispararme por accidente\u2026 El derecho a pasar a trav\u00e9s de terrenos privados es tan antiguo como la propia historia de las naciones de Gran Breta\u00f1a, Escandinavia y \u00c1frica. Imag\u00ednese que incluso exist\u00eda la posibilidad de que fueras asesinado y que tu ganado (o perros) fueran robados, especialmente en Escocia, si eras un MacDougal pasando a trav\u00e9s del territorio de los McGregor. <\/p>\n
Pero yo debiera volver a Chile. En el \u201cnuevo mundo\u201d de la conquista prehisp\u00e1nica, el derecho a vagar por los terrenos era intr\u00ednseco. Hab\u00eda riesgos, pero hab\u00eda libertad. \u00a1Ahora estamos atrapados en un campo de concentraci\u00f3n de concreto y asfalto! \u00bfPor qu\u00e9? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 tengo que ser mantenido a la fuerza en Santiago en contra de mi voluntad? \u00a1Por qu\u00e9 no puedo ponerme las botas, cubrirme de bloqueador solar (UV 55 por lo menos, no hay que olvidarse del hoyo en la capa de ozono) y simplemente salir a caminar! Me veo obligado a usar mi auto y viajar a trav\u00e9s de uno de los canales autorizados tipo autopista Costanera en busca de nuevos espacios. El problema ahora es que \u00a1\u00a1tienes que conducir tres horas para encontrar un lugar sin rejas!! <\/p>\n
\u00c9ste es un tema muy serio. Ustedes p\u00e1lidos, paticortos y barrigones humanoides citadinos amantes del Transantiago, puede que hayan olvidado que la libertad de tr\u00e1nsito est\u00e1 impresa en alguna parte de su mapa gen\u00e9tico; quiz\u00e1s no de manera tan obvia, pero ah\u00ed est\u00e1. <\/p>\n
Y de este modo, imploro a todos los socios de AmCham Chile a hacer lobby ante su diputado o senador (directamente, o trav\u00e9s de las m\u00e1s de 50 firmas de relaciones p\u00fablicas que operan en Chile, lo que en \u00a1s\u00ed resulta atemorizante!) para introducir una legislaci\u00f3n que restituya el derecho a vagar a cada chileno. Debiera seguir paseando a voluntad y exponi\u00e9ndome a los guardias, las armas y las cercas de alambres de p\u00faas, pero no quiero convertirme en una estad\u00edstica: \u201cDisparan a excursionista gringo mientras traspasaba ilegalmente terreno privado\u201d. Ahora que lo pienso, mejor dejo mi obituario escrito y archivado\u2026<\/p>\n
Detr\u00e1s de cada an\u00e9cdota divertida siempre hay algo de verdad, as\u00ed que no piense en estas palabras a la ligera, sino que prep\u00e1rese para la acci\u00f3n y convi\u00e9rtase en un activista, antes de que tambi\u00e9n construyan un techo sobre la ciudad\u2026 <\/p>\n
Vuelvo a estar ubicable en mi correo electr\u00f3nico con el fin de entregar liderazgo, hacer lobby o lo que sea que necesite. Piense en usted mismo, sus hijos, sus nietos y, por supuesto, en los perros.<\/p>\n
Sigo, cautivo de las excursiones y decidido a vagar,<\/p>\n
Santiago Eneldo<\/p>\n
(Consejos, suscripciones y detalles para ser miembro de la ONG Derechos de los Excursionistas disponibles en santiagoeneldo@yahoo.com).
\n
\nOf late, there has been much discussion in Chile about \u201caccess\u201d and bUSiness CHILE has been out front, as usual. Access to Public Information was the banner headline of last month\u2019s issue. But I have a greater concern about another type of access – you can no longer go for a walk in the glorious hills surrounding Santiago without dodging gun-wielding guards and crawling through holes in the fences that keep us imprisoned in this city. <\/p>\n
Yes, we are Trapped in Santiago! <\/p>\n
I have three Labrador dogs which need to run free in the hills – with me close behind. Ten years ago, I could walk out of my front door in eastern Santiago and spend one, two, three or thirty hours hiking in the hills. Today, I am surrounded by housing condominiums and there is no way through. Look up at the foothills of the Andes, so close and yet so inaccessible. I am certain that every square meter, right up to the base of the Plomo glacier, is owned by someone (an individual, a corporation or a government agency) but why can I not have right of passage? The passing of my body and three dogs causes no one any harm and we even fertilize the land as we go!<\/p>\n
My dogs quite like being chased by a shotgun-totting huaso (cowboy) but I am not so keen; he might shoot me by accident\u2026 The right to roam across private land is as old as history itself in the nations of Great Britain, Scandinavia and Africa. Mark you, there was an even chance you would be murdered and your cattle (or dogs) stolen, especially in Scotland if you were a MacDougal passing through McGregor territory. <\/p>\n
But I should return to Chile. In the pre-Spanish conquest \u201cnew world\u201d, the right to roam the land was intrinsic. There were risks but there was freedom. Now we are trapped in a concrete and asphalt concentration camp! Why? Why should I be held in Santiago against my will? Why can I not pull on my boots, coat myself with sun block (UV 55 at least – don\u2019t forget the ozone hole) and simply go walk! I am forced to use my carbon footprint-creating automobile and travel through one of the authorized Costanera free(ha!)way-type exit channels in search of open spaces. The trouble is you now have to drive three hours to find a place with no fences!! <\/p>\n
This is a very serious issue. You pale, short-legged, wide-midriff, Transantiago-loving, city-dwelling humanoids may just have forgotten that the freedom to roam is printed somewhere on your genetic map; perhaps not too obviously, but it is there. <\/p>\n
And so, I implore all AmCham Chile members to lobby their Deputy or Senator (directly or through one of the more than 50 public relations firms operating in Chile – pretty frightening in itself!) to introduce legislation that will return the right to roam to every Chilean. I shall continue to roam at will and risk the guards, guns and barbed wire fencing, but I don\u2019t want to become a statistic: \u201cgringo hiker shot while trespassing on private land\u201d. Come to think of it, I had better get my obituary written and filed\u2026<\/p>\n
Behind every humorous anecdote there is always a grain of truth, so think not lightly of these words but gird your loins and become an activist – before they build a roof over the city as well\u2026 <\/p>\n
I am back on e-mail in order to provide leadership, entrepreneurship, lobbyship or any kind of ship you need. Think of yourself, your children, your grandchildren and, of course, the dogs.<\/p>\n
I remain, hooked on hiking and determined to roam,<\/p>\n
Santiago Eneldo<\/p>\n
(Advice, subscriptions and membership details for Hikers Rights NGO available from santiagoeneldo@yahoo.com).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Of late, there has been much discussion in Chile about \u201caccess\u201d and bUSiness CHILE has been out front, as usual. Access to Public Information was the banner headline of last month\u2019s issue. But I have a greater concern about another type of access – you can no longer go for a walk in the glorious hills surrounding Santiago without dodging gun-wielding guards and crawling through holes in the fences that keep us imprisoned in this city.Of late, there has been much discussion in Chile about \u201caccess\u201d and bUSiness CHILE has been out front, as usual. Access to Public Information was the banner headline of last month\u2019s issue. But I have a greater concern about another type of access – you can no longer go for a walk in the glorious hills surrounding Santiago without dodging gun-wielding guards and crawling through holes in the fences that keep us imprisoned in this city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","news_tax":[],"user_type":[],"class_list":["post-3801","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n