La Chureca was Managua's vast open landfill on the shore of Lake Managua — for decades one of the most visible symbols of the city's poverty and its failure to manage its own waste. Several thousand people lived in and around the dump, earning a living scavenging. The site became well known internationally through documentary films and journalism that drew attention to conditions that were genuinely extreme even by Central American standards.
The landfill was formally closed in 2013 after a major redevelopment project funded by the Spanish and Nicaraguan governments. The scavenger community was rehoused in a new development called Acahualinca, adjacent to the famous prehistoric footprints museum of the same name. The transformation has been partial and the new neighbourhood has faced ongoing challenges, but the open dump is gone. Some social tourism organisations offer visits to understand the history and current situation; this requires some research before arriving.