La Chureca - History

History

It is difficult to say when La Chureca was created as there is no exact date recorded. Most remember it growing significantly after a devastating earthquake hit Managua on December 23, 1972 (Bergin, 2008). According to Science News (1972), the Managuan earthquake devastated approximately 70% of the city, left thousands dead and many others injured. In addition, tens of thousands were left unemployed and this led to a large a rise in extreme poverty. The combination of unemployment and extreme poverty led many families to scavenge for metals and building materials left in the rubble of the earthquake (Bergin, 2008). The majority of these materials ended up in La Chureca, prompting its rapid growth (ibid). In order to feed themselves, people from all over Managua who had no other alternatives went to La Chureca in the morning and worked long days, looking for salvageable materials for their own use or to sell (ibid). Though some people returned home after their long days at work, other who were left homeless after the earthquake constructed their houses out of the rubble itself and stayed in La Chureca. La Chureca has continuously grown since the 1970s.