Vandalism and Looting Ravage Historic Cobija Cemetery in Chile

The abandoned 19th‑century cemetery near Cobija, a former Bolivian port now a small fishing hamlet in northern Chile, is being systematically desecrated. Visitors from the ecological‑cultural group Caminantes del Desierto documented coffins removed from graves, tombs broken open, and mausoleums stripped of their contents during a July 2026 field trip. The group reported a disturbing pattern: not only are bodies exhumed, but skulls are being taken, leaving many remains “virtually decapitated.”

The corporation condemned the ongoing “barbaric” practice, noting that while such acts have declined, a new wave of grave‑robbers continues to target the site. The cemetery, which once held at least 500 interments from the mid‑1800s to the early 1900s, fell into disuse after the 1877 earthquake and tsunami that ended Cobija’s role as a port. Today, the site stands as a stark reminder of cultural heritage loss in the region.