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The symbolic signing marks the beginning of a partnership led by Universidad Católica del Norte and SQM to protect, highlight and promote one of Chile’s most important industrial legacies.
Heritage has the power to bring people together to work toward a common goal. That was the spirit that gave rise to the symbolic signing of the commitment to sustainability for the Saltpeter Heritage Route, which brought together 16 institutions from the public, private and academic sectors, as well as organizations dedicated to heritage conservation, to advance a joint strategy for protecting and spotlighting the saltpeter, or nitrate, legacy.
The initiative is led by Universidad Católica del Norte, in partnership with SQM and with support from the municipalities of María Elena and Sierra Gorda. As part of this project, a technical committee was formed, bringing together representatives from various institutions to design a roadmap focused on the management, conservation and promotion of the Saltpeter Heritage Route.
For Aníbal Abogabir, SQM’s Manager of Communities and Public Affairs, the challenge is to promote the region’s saltpeter heritage as a driver of development. “Antofagasta played a leading role in the Industrial Revolution, and as heirs to the nitrate industry, we want to promote its cultural identity.” This committee will enable us to coordinate efforts to strengthen infrastructure, train specialized tour guides and consolidate a tourism offering to attract visitors from around the world.”
Carlos Díaz, Director of Community Relations for Universidad Católica del Norte, noted: “This group demonstrates that conserving our heritage is a shared challenge. As a university, we are committed to doing our part to promote an initiative that we hope will endure for decades.”
Along the same lines, Ricardo Díaz, Regional Governor of Antofagasta, emphasized that protecting this legacy also means strengthening the region’s identity. “Caring for who we are allows us to look toward the future with our own identity. This commitment reflects a history that sets our region apart and can position it on the world stage based on that unique value.”
With this agreement, the Saltpeter Heritage Route is beginning to establish itself as a platform for collaboration between institutions and communities to conserve the rich history of the former nitrate offices and transform it into a hub for cultural, tourism and regional development in the Antofagasta Region.
Sidebar
The First Saltpeter Route
As a prelude to this initiative, the Saltpeter Route held its first pilot event as part of Exponor 2026, bringing together representatives from public and private institutions, as well as domestic and international visitors, to tour some of the key landmarks of the Antofagasta Region’s nitrate heritage. The tour included Baquedano Station, the former Chacabuco nitrate office, the Nitrates Museum, and the historic district of María Elena, ending at the former Pedro de Valdivia office.
The tour offered participants the chance to rediscover the history, identity and heritage of the Pampa, bringing them closer to the places where one of the industries that transformed northern Chile was forged.
