Chile: Price-fixing problems in Viña del Mar housing market

Chilean NGO Fundación Defendamos la Ciudad announced last week the publication of the Seremi’s Report on Housing and Urban Development for the V Region of Valparaíso, which describes the illegal proceedings of more than 10 buildings and developments across the iconic Viña del Mar beach resort.

Pablo Herman, spokesman for the Foundation, said about the report that “we are now in a position to say, that thanks to the ruinous actions of this city’s Director of Municipal Works along with the owners of these ‘fishy’ buildings, they were able to gain considerably larger, unlawful profits, which we calculate at several million dollars. By violating building ordinances, these greedy businessmen were able to build taller and larger buildings, causing several negative impacts on the neighborhoods where these structures have risen.”

“The tarnish we are denouncing is doubly obscene, as this corruption also punishes those housing developers who follow legal norms. That is to say, we are facing dishonest actions, municipal and private collusion and other violations to the spirit of the free market” said Herman. The NGO has now demanded a full investigation into the processes for granting permits to the buildings they have singled out, while asking for an immediate halt to all ongoing construction and the removal of all public officials accused of violating the law.

Full Content: El Ciudadano

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