It really is terrible, liz. Sadly, both mayors are out of their depth and from a pretty extreme political coalition. They don't seem to get the importance of small enterprises, especially those in tourism, to their economy. Neither Viña del Mar nor Valparaíso has much economic activity outside of tourism. There are a few companies in other sectors based there, but tourism moves the economy.

I had a bit of sympathy for the mayor of Viña del Mar. When she took office, she had to deal with an economic hole left by the prior administration. But, since then she has shown she has made many missteps that make you think she doesn't understand the city she is running. Valparaíso has turned into a run-down graffiti-covered urinal under the current administration. It is really sad. I used to enjoy visiting the city.