President Bachelet at Expo Regiones 2015: “Chile can and must be more decentralized”
President Michelle Bachelet participated in the inauguration of Expo Regiones 2015 this morning, a joint public-private enterprise which brings together representatives from across the country with a shared vision: to improve the opportunities for development and the quality of life for all Chileans throughout the country.
The three day event which is taking place at the Centro Cultural Estación Mapocho in Santiago will feature “key projects which have been prioritized in various spheres: for example transport connectivity including roads, ports and airports; digital connectivity; infrastructure for schools, sports and parks; and national heritage restoration projects” the President explained.
Similarly, she noted that “at this Expo we will see around 360 initiatives representing a total investment in excess of US$15 billion which will be carried out over the next few years. This is a major infrastructure venture and an unprecedented level of investment in our regions.”
She went on to highlight some of the projects planned for the far south of Chile which will capitalize on the region’s strategic position and tourism potential: improvements to the D-7 ‘Carretera Austral’ or Southern Highway, extending fiber-optic broadband as far as Puerto Williams and the Magallanes Interactive Antarctic Center, all of which are part of the Government’s Special Development Plan for Extreme Zones.
She also referred to the “Arica y Parinacota region, where there are landmark projects to improve public services and infrastructure and strengthen regional identity, for example the long-awaited Museum of the Chinchorro Culture.”
Similarly, she highlighted the concession for the cable car between Iquique and Alto Hospicio, the expansion of Copiapó airport and the desalination plant in the Atacama region. “In addition, we will see major reservoir construction projects including the Chironta reservoir in Arica, the Valle Hermoso reservoir in Coquimbo, the Las Palmas reservoir in Valparaíso, the Bollenar reservoir in O’Higgins and the Punilla reservoir in Bío Bío” she explained.
With regard to central and southern Chile, she explained that “we will learn about various emblematic projects such as the anticipated extension of Valparaíso’s Merval train service as far as Quillota and La Calera; the ‘Ruta de la Fruta’ in O’Higgins; the new rail bridge and bridge for commercial vehicles over the Bío Bío River in Concepción; the construction of the Pablo Neruda Museum in Temuco; and the urban development plan for the Bajos de Mena district of Santiago in the Metropolitan region.”
President Bachelet emphasized that Expo Regiones is more than just an exhibition of regional projects: “Another core objective is to bring together in one place all of the actors who will help bring these projects to fruition. And I would like to invite the private sector in particular to become an active part in building Chile from its regions”, she stressed.
“As I have said before and I reiterate again today: Our country cannot aspire to being truly developed, in a way that is sustainable over time, if we fail to take into consideration each and every region” she emphasized. She also highlighted that with the current projects and initiatives “we are laying the foundations for a Chile that is gradually starting to reduce the unacceptable gap of inequalities that exists between our various regions and districts.”
In her closing remarks, the President declared that “Chile can and must be more decentralized. We cannot afford to miss out on everything that our regions can contribute to Chile’s progress, simply because they lack the necessary tools. And this is why the Government is committed to building stronger regions and defining their future in concrete terms.”