ABSTRACT
This chapter examines retrospectively the impact on the businesses in the city of Valdivia, Chile, of the earthquake and tsunami on "El Día de Los Santos Inocentes". It shows that business recovery from a disaster is a complex and uncertain social outcome. The chapter also discusses the extent and effects of the hazards; their impacts on the businesses of the city; and the puzzle, despite the occurrence of similar risks, of the continued lack of business continuity planning and programs in the region almost half a century afterward. Chile's national disaster program reflects current understanding of risks. It is an impressive document that includes the involvement of citizens in committees that are part of the program. The case of Chile is puzzling in that it is the most advanced economy in Latin America. It handles some risks adequately, from public health and medicine to the risks generated by industrial production.
