Tocopilla, Antifagasto Region, Chile
Our fourth Sister City of Tocopilla (pronounced “to-co-PEE-ya”) is the coastal and capital city of the Antifagasto mining region of northern Chile, with approximately 25,000 inhabitants. After a long tradition of coal mining, it has begun the process of converting to alternative power sources and green industries. Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains this thriving city faces drastic changes in the near future and has reached out to Lawrence to dialogue about dynamic possibilities.
Our Sister City Agreement
After almost a year of preparation, on March 5, 2024, the City Commission of Lawrence approved adoption of a fourth sister city. On July 18, 2024 the agreement was made official during a signing ceremony at Lawrence City Hall. Mayor Bart Littlejohn hosted the 10-member delegation from Tocopilla and their Mayor, Ljubica Kurtovic, who attended virtually. Read more about the event as reported by the Lawrence Journal World on July 19.
About Friends-of-Tocopilla
We want you! Sign up for Sister Cities Lawrence membership here. Contact the Chair of the Friends-of-Tocopilla committee, Sara Lechtenberg-Kasten (slechtenbergkasten@anl.gov) to volunteer your help, or to suggest an area of interest for developing a project of mutual benefit to Tocopilla and Lawrence.
Delegations
The first delegation from Tocopilla visited Lawrence in March 2024 in order to formalize the new relationship. Friends-of-Tocopilla is in the process of organizing our first delegation to Chile. Contact the Chair (see above) for further details.
Our History
The Sister Cities Lawrence Governing Board accepted the proposal for our fourth Sister City at its December 2023 meeting, then made a presentation to the Lawrence City Commission for their approval on March 5, 2024. Plans began immediately to host a small delegation from Tocopilla to visit Lawrence in the summer in order to sign a Sister City Agreement. The resulting first week-long visit by a delegation from Tocopilla to Lawrence in July of 2024 forged many new friendships.
Resources
