Independence (Chile)

Independencia is a commune in the north-central sector of the city of Santiago, Chile. It is part of the Province of Santiago, which belongs to the Metropolitan Region of Santiago.

History

Independencia, commune located in the old sector of "La Chimba" in the central-north sector of Greater Santiago. Its urban layout is rather irregular in shape and is characterized by the presence of medium-rise buildings.

The neighborhood emerged at the end of the 19th century as a traditional sector of the city, seeking to occupy the northern bank of the river Mapocho. However, its dizzying demographic growth constituted it as an autonomous commune, which is an integral part of the capital conurbation.

The main road axis of the commune is Avenida Independencia (which gives its name to the commune), which crosses it from North to South. The old Inca road passed through this avenue on its way through Santiago de Nueva Extremadura, configuring the northern access to the city. The name by which the avenue, and therefore the commune, is known, is due to the fact that in this area on February 13, 1818, the Liberation Army was established in the current Plaza Chacabuco (named in honor of the Battle of Chacabuco, the previous day) and that through this route they triumphantly entered the capital.

The commune of Independencia emerged in 1991 with the union of part of the communes of Santiago, Conchalí and Renca. The southern part of the commune, that is, the quadrant included by the Mapocho River, Plaza Chacabuco (southern and northern limits), Avenida La Paz (to the east) and Panamericana north, Avenida Hipódromo Chile and Avenida Fermín Vivaceta (to the west) It belonged to the commune of Santiago and the northern part to that of Conchalí.

Given the short time of the creation of the commune, it is still possible to see the social differences between the different communes that make up the current Independence, thus the sector that corresponded to Santiago is clearly a middle class neighborhood (in all its strata) while the others reflect a more popular character.

Demography

According to the data collected in 2002 in the Census of the National Institute of Statistics, the commune has an area of 7 km² and a population of 65,479 inhabitants, of which 34,846 women and 30,633 men. 100.00% of its population is urban. According to the 2017 census, the commune has 100,281 inhabitants, where 51,095 are women and 49,186 are men. Independencia is home to 1.41% of the region's total population.

Environment

Geomorphology and abiotic components

The commune of Independencia is located in the geomorphological unit of Cuenca de Santiago; and presents, according to the Köppen climate classification, a Mediterranean climate of winter rain (Csb) and a semi-arid climate of winter rain (BSk (s)). This is also located in the Maipo River hydrographic basin. In addition, the commune has within its territory the banks of the Mapocho River.

Biotic components

Within the territory of the commune the following ecosystems could be found; However, because the entire surface is urbanized, there are no vestiges of natural areas without human intervention:

• Indoor Mediterranean thorn forest where predominant Acacia caven and Prosopis chilensis (Vulnerable).

Environmental protection measures and socio-environmental conflicts

Until 2022, the commune of Independencia does not have any type of territorial area intended for environmental protection.

Administration

Municipality

The Illustrious Municipality of Independencia is directed in the period 2021-2024 by Mayor Gonzalo Durán Baronti (independent), who is advised by the councilors:

I approve Dignity

• Daniela Parada Vargas (UNIR)
• Claudia Castañeda Larraín (PC)
• Rosa Huilipan Castillo (PCCh)

Democratic Socialism

• Carola Andrea Rivero Canales (PS)
• José Miguel Cuevas Fonsea (PS)

Chile Let's Go

• Rodrigo Barco Sánchez (RN)
• Agustín Iglesias Muñoz (Ind-RN)

Out of Coalition

• Jennifer Pérez Rivera

Parliamentary representation

Independencia belongs to Electoral District No. 9 and the 7th Senatorial Circumscription (Metropolitan Region). It is represented in the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress by the deputies Karol Cariola Oliva (PCCh), Érika Olivera de la Fuente (Ind/RN), Andrés Giordano Salazar (Ind/RD), Maite Orsini Pascal (RD), Jorge Durán Espinoza (RN), Boris Barrera Moreno (PCCh) and José Carlos Meza (PLR) in the period 2022-2026. In turn, in the Senate she is represented by Fabiola Campillai Rojas (Ind), Claudia Pascual (PCCh), Luciano Cruz Coke (EVOP), Manuel José Ossandon (RN) and Rojo Edwards (PLR) in the period 2022-2030.

Economy

In 2018, the number of companies registered in Independencia was 2,735. The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) in the same year was 1.7, while the economic activities with the highest Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index were Racecourses (159.72), Individual Private Homes with Domestic Service (47. 43) and Psychiatric Clinics, Rehabilitation Centers, Asylums and Rest Clinics (42.93).

Public services

Education

Since 2009, the commune has had the modern Independencia Public Library, the work of Marsino Arquitectos Asociados.

Universities

The Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile is the northern headquarters of the Faculty of Medicine and is located within the commune. There are also the Faculty of Dentistry and the Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Chile.

Security

The commune has a barracks of the Santiago Fire Department, as well as the Independence Barracks of the Chilean Investigative Police

Culture

Monuments

The Old San José Hospital, located on San José Street #1053, was declared a National Historical Monument on December 27, 1999, under Supreme Decree No. 442.

The Monasterio del Carmen Bajo de San Rafael is located on Avenida Independencia #225. Its church and its patios were declared a National Historical Monument on November 24, 1983, under Supreme Decree No. 1412.

The Chapel of the old Lazaretto of San Vicente de Paul, located at Santos Dumont Street #991, was declared a National Historical Monument on January 12, 1981, under Supreme Decree No. 73. It is one of the few surviving structures of the former San Vicente de Paul Hospital.

The House on Avenida Francia 1442, located within the Los Castaños Town, was declared a National Historical Monument on October 3, 1996, under Supreme Decree No. 555. House registered in the eclectic Art Nouveau period of the decade of 20. This work was carried out by the prominent architect Luciano Kulczewski.

Sports

Within the commune is the Santa Laura Stadium, where the Unión Española soccer club plays its home games. There is also the Hipódromo Chile, which together with the stadium is located in the Plaza Chacabuco sector. The Hipódromo Chile Grand Prix is held at the racetrack, for horses 3 years old and older, and the St. Leger Classic, a Triple Crown colt and filly race.

Transportation

In 2019, the commune was finally connected to the Santiago Metro through the following stations on Line 3, one located in Plaza Chacabuco and the other inside the patio of the medical school of the University of Chile:

• : Plaza Chacabuco • Hospitals.

Independencia, together with Huechuraba, Conchalí, Quilicura, Renca and Recoleta, was part of Feeder Zone B of Transantiago.

In 2014 the municipality decided to enter as part of the Bikesantiago public bicycle sharing system, which was implemented in the commune in August 2015.

Road connectivity

Road arteries