Waiting for word in Chile's earthquake zone
Residents of Chile’s tremor-plagued southern Patagonian region are still waiting for President Michelle Bachelet’s promised return visit.
The remote and picturesque zone has been on edge after months of tremors, culminating in a magnitude 6.2 earthquake on April 21 that swept up people along the craggy coast, leaving at least 3 dead and 7 missing.
The quake triggered landslides that plunged earth, rocks and trees into the narrow Aysén Fjord, generating 25-foot waves. Speculation about its cause has centered on an underwater volcano.
Bachelet, who has been under fire in the capital for a botched public transportation plan and other woes, traveled to the site last month and promised federal aid, proclaiming she was not an ``ostrich’’ avoiding crises. She also vowed to return within a month.
Residents of the area have criticized the government response as inadequate and are looking for more relief for their economically and psychologically battered community.
Posted by Patrick J. McDonnell and Andrés D’Alessandro in Buenos Aires
