Kiosko 24 - Taller de Cerrajeria

Talking less than 5 minutes with someone can open an amazing world.



Liborio Alvarez has been making, copying, and fixing keys for 35 years. He was lucky enough to be grandfathered into his prime location by knowing the owner of the kiosko, which was brought over from England almost 70 years ago. The original engraving has worn off during his many years of working in the small cube.



Although mainly dealing with keys, Liborio also sells newspapers, giving him a chance to read most of them over the course of the day.



The Plaza, being one of Santiago´s main tourist attractions, has allowed Liborio to meet many key makers from all over the world who stop by and share a story when they see his kiosko at the southwest corner of the Plaza.



Keys range in price. A standard copy will run you $0.80. But a Mercedes or BMW job will jump up to $4,900 pesos, or $10.00 US. Accessories, such as key rings or color bands, are also offered. The crucifix isn´t far from home, as the National Cathedral is about 100 feet across the street.



Liborio takes about 30 seconds to copy a key on a box from Italy that he has rebuilt innumerable times. His breaks from reading the newspaper are never long.