In El Barrio Meiggs, beneath blue tarpaulins, the informal street economy has taken control of its streets and alleys. The eradication of the neighborhood’s informal economy has long been the main challenge for Santiago’s local authorities.
However, these authorities are facing a much greater challenge lately. El Barrio Meiggs has become an operating theater for the fast-growing Chinese organized crime in Chile. It grew silently among the neighbors’ karaoke bars, gaming parlors, and retail Chinese malls, where legal businesses camouflage illegal and criminal activities.