海角大神

Susana Obando Valenzuela sits on the edge of her salmon-colored couch inside the government-built shack she reluctantly calls home and remembers the day that changed her life forever.

鈥淥ne day last year I went to bed and had everything a person could ever need,鈥� she says, her eyes welling with tears. "The next day I woke up with nothing.鈥�

One year ago today, a three-story tsunami washed away Mrs. Obando's home in Dichato, a small fishing hamlet in southern Chile. Thousands of families lost everything, while hundreds more perished in the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that shifted Earth鈥檚 axis three inches and proved pivotal for the first year of Sebastian Pi帽era's presidency.

In the aftermath, families like Obando's were moved into leaky, rat-infested tents provided by international aid organizations, but by mid-June most of the 4,291 homeless families had been relocated into one of 75,000 temporary wooden huts. These shelters are looking more permanent every day for those who lost everything in last year's quake, and daily frustration over poorly defined reconstruction plans, water shortages, and shared bathrooms is morphing into sagging poll numbers for President Pi帽era.

Pi帽era was widely praised for taking decisive action when he took office in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, but the conservative leader was greeted by angry residents as he visited the area this weekend to commemorate the anniversary of the tragedy. Thousands of demonstrators protested his visit to the regional capital of 颁辞苍肠别辫肠颈贸苍, shouting 鈥渞econstruction now!"

鈥淒on鈥檛 get me wrong, after living in the tents we were just happy to have a roof over our heads,鈥� says Obando鈥檚 25-year-old daughter, Susana, from her parents home here in Sector 2 of El Molino, which with 456 families is the largest of Chile鈥檚 106 temporary villages where those who lost their homes in the earthquake and tsunami now reside.

鈥淲e feel abandoned," she adds.

New president inherits gargantuan task

Frustration with Pi帽era's government is palpable in El Molino and in the nearby industrial city of 颁辞苍肠别辫肠颈贸苍,

A year ago, amid the tumbled buildings, some 6,000 troops descended upon Chile鈥檚 second-largest city to quell widespread post-quake looting and lawlessness. It was against this backdrop that Pi帽era took office as Chile鈥檚 first right-leaning president since democracy was restored two decades ago.

He inherited a gargantuan task and has addressed some of glaring weaknesses in the country鈥檚 emergency alert and response system, exposed by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami, says Ricardo Israel, a political analyst at the Autonomous University of Chile.

鈥淸Pi帽era] did a good job of making the necessary changes to the emergency system,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd the country was quick to return to normality compared to other countries who have suffered lesser magnitude quakes.鈥�

Where Pi帽era fell short

But the administration fell short in other areas, according to Mr. Israel. Past earthquakes have ushered in sweeping changes in building design and economic activity, but that has yet to materialize this time around.

鈥淭he economy has continued to grow, but the administration has failed to provide a grand reconstruction plan,鈥� he explains. 鈥淪o, no one knows what the reconstruction plan is. There isn鈥檛 a national understanding for the reconstruction as in earthquakes past, and public participation has been largely absent.鈥�

As a result, Pi帽era's approval rating has taken a beating. Once as high as 63 percent on the surprising rescue of the 33 trapped miners, his rating tumbled to 47 percent in December as goodwill eroded and opposition leaders criticized the president over the slow earthquake recovery.

But Claudio Deney, 32, project leader of the three camps near Caleta Tumbes under the purview of the Department of Housing and Urban Planning, rolls his eyes at the suggestion that his department has dragged its feet.

Little land suitable for homes

鈥淲e all understand how much people want a permanent home, but they aren鈥檛 aware of where the risks are and we can鈥檛 let them rebuild where ever they choose,鈥� Mr. Deney explains from his office in downtown 颁辞苍肠别辫肠颈贸苍. 鈥淏y now all of the land has been purchased and we anticipate all families will be in their homes by the end of 2012.鈥�

A topographical map of Caleta Tumbes was taped to the wall behind Deney鈥檚 desk, the unsuitable areas because of seismic or tsunami risks were shaded in yellow and purple 鈥� the lands unsuitable for building by far greater than the suitable land.

On Friday, a day ahead of Pi帽era鈥檚 scheduled visit to Caleta Tumbes, Deney was busy making last-minute preparations. He walked through the Maryland camp, pleased with its orderliness and the residents' sense of ownership. They had planted gardens, installed satellite dishes, replaced wooden latch windows with glass panes, and built additions to their original 194-square-foot homes.

Seventy-five families live in the settlement, their homes separated by a dirty rock-covered path, boxed in by steep mountains on all sides. Each bathroom unit is shared by two to three families, Deney said as a man with recently rinsed hair strolled through the dusty street with a towel hanging over his bare shoulder.

A couple of women managed a moment of playful banter with Deney over Pi帽era鈥檚 visit. 鈥淵ou know he won鈥檛 come if you pull out anti-Pi帽era signs,鈥� he kidded.

The following day, while thousands marched the streets of 颁辞苍肠别辫肠颈贸苍 in protest, Pi帽era told local residents that the only thing still standing between them and title to their land was legal formality.

鈥淚t鈥檚 true, you still lack infrastructure,鈥� Pi帽era told them Saturday. 鈥淏ut I want to say that the reconstruction is not only to rebuild what was before the earthquake and tsunami, it鈥檚 to rebuild it better, much better.鈥�

'I won't wait'

Back in El Molino, however, the Obando family is not amused. They're already five months late on their electricity bill, and others continue to mount.

鈥淭he reality is we鈥檇 starve if not for the kindness of others,鈥� says Susana, who has had to quit university and gain a job as a motel receptionist to help support the family. 鈥淧retty soon the food is going to run out and then what will we do?鈥�

As the family sat around the living room of their shack, the likelihood that this would remain their home for another two years ignited emotions simmering at the surface.

鈥淚 won鈥檛 wait another year,鈥� Obando says. 鈥淚鈥檒l pick up this shack and haul it back to Dichato, to start over on our plot of land.鈥�