The transition from protagonism to refusal: the double trauma in a post-fire resettlement in Valparaiso, Chile

Abstract

In this article, we analyze the process of resettlement, carried out by the State, of a group of victims of the mega-fire in the city of Valparaiso, Chile, in 2014. Based on a qualitative approach, the aim is to demonstrate how this disaster constitutes a double trauma for families affected,: on the one hand, the fire destabilizes lifestyles; on the other hand, through the resettlement process, the State reduces the lived experience to the delivery of social housing, which is perceived by the community as an abandonment. We characterize this process as the transition from leading role to refusal, that is, to the denial of the validity and veracity of the experience through of post-disaster resettlement.