Deslizamientos de Callapa 2011 y Kantutani 2019: Una Construcción Social del Riesgo en la Ciudad de La Paz - Bolivia.

The city of La Paz has historically been affected by socio-natural disasters, primarily related to landslides in densely populated urban areas. In the current century, two significant landslide events stand out: the first, known as the "Callapa Megalandslide," occurred on February 26, 2011, affecting approximately 140 hectares and around 6,000 people. The second, the Kantutani landslide, took place on April 30, 2019, affecting 8 hectares, where approximately 560 families resided. These two disasters were socially constructed due to the way the land was occupied. Additionally, in the case of the "Megalandslide," the disaster was conditioned by the occupation of a former landslide deposit, while in the case of Kantutani, the occupation of a former solid waste landfill was a determining factor. La Paz, with its rugged topography, presents a series of challenges from both an engineering and social perspective. The hillsides are susceptible to frequent landslides, driven by factors such as the presence of low-quality geotechnical materials, groundwater, and erosion zones. This is further compounded by social factors such as deficient or non-existent drainage systems, illegal constructions using cesspits, and precarious structures that, over time, turn into multi-story buildings exceeding permitted limits. As a result, the risk level in these areas has been classified as "High" to "Very High" according to the municipality's risk map. Settlement in these areas has been a process of land occupation that started after the 1952 revolution, accelerating in the 1970s when the medium and high slopes of the city began to be "conquered." In this context, this article presents a series of reflections on the occupation of high-risk areas, which now represent imminent threats. The FORIN methodology is used to deconstruct the underlying causes and explain the two landslides mentioned in the first paragraph.