Thursday 16 January 2014

A Mayor of the people

Isidora has oftened talked about the previous Mayor - Manuel Jose Ossandon as being the person who first started the mosaicing project  in Puente Alto.  He appears to be one the most popular Mayors in Chile and in 2009 secured over 70% of the vote. This is quite an achievement seeing as he is from the centre right and this area is a working class area and one that was the centre of resistance against the dictatorship of the former general Augusto Pinochet.
But he seems to have invested a great deal in open spaces, education and art. The article below is in English and gives a good insight into his policies. I am hoping to interview him before I leave for the UK.
The new Mayor Mr German Codina decided to also invest in the mosaic project - it was his decision to mosaic the front of the Town Hall. Quite a brave move really.
Mosaics are not paint - and once this work is grouted the only way to remove it would be to forcibly smashed them from the wall.
Maybe Boris could learn a thing or two from these two Mayors who have both seen this area radically change and prosper from Ossandon's  original idea's.

http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/puente-alto-mayor-ossandon.html

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