Villa Grimaldi

      I had the privileged of touring the infamous Chilean torture camp, Villa Grimaldi, with survivor as my tour guide.  Pedro Matta studied Law at the Universidad de Chile in 1975. He was a politically active member of his university and supporter of the left-wing democrat, Salvador Allende.  Due to his political affiliation his was detained and tortured here at Villa Grimaldi.  He described to us the methods of torture used in order to force prisoners to divulge the names of others who were contra the Gobierno Militar de Augusto Pinochet.
     Up until the late 1980's Villa Grimaldi was utilized as an interrogation and torture center for the DINA, Pinochet's secret Chilean police.  This complex once housed over 4,500 detainees, and an unfortunate 230 "disappeared" and were never to be seen again.  Citizens who were considered too politically active, or anyone who protested against the fascist regime was detained, tortured, and even killed.  Decades after this unforgettable mark in history, Villa Grimaldi serves as a memorial to the victims of torture and the end of a traumatic period in Chile.

Up to 5 detainees were forced to live in these tiny sheds for weeks on end.

This rose garden commemorates each  detained woman who was sexual assaulted at Villa Grimaldi   

Those taken to this torture tower, almost never made it out alive. 

 

 

 

 

The juxtaposition between the torterous activity that took place in this compound and the now serene environment of Villa Grimaldi is something that I found eerie, but at the same time plesant. A complete oxymoron I know, but one can't help but feel a sense of tranquility here despite the grusome past of this compound.  My trip to Villa Grimaldi was nothing less than fulfilling and the sheer fact that I was able to experience this neagtive historical period through the eyes of a survivor, was more than I could have asked for. A speacial thank you to my tour guide Pedro Matta, for having the courage to share your story with me. 

Besos y Abrazos,

Rina