So...it has been almost two weeks since I have posted so I have a lot of catching up to do! Firstly, the past four times I spent at COANIL were spent working in the garden, making magnets, filing papers, and painting the art studio walls. My group and I basically do all of the odd jobs that do not seem to be in anyone's category...I've really enjoyed working there though! My group is donating flowers among other things to add to the garden so that everyone can relax there in the summer. We're making really good progress though.
For the fourth of July, all of the students from my group went to the California Cantina where we ordered some much desired hamburgers. To be honest, mine was a little mediocre, but it was still really exciting to be eating some fatty and unhealthy American food.
Here is the only image I have from that night! I'm with my very good friend Sara!
Next, we went to Villa Grimaldi. Villa Grimaldi was one of the various locations where people were detained and tortured during Pinochet's dictatorship. These camps were located within the city and were deceptively concealed as parks. I'll explain more about this with the following pictures.
The plaque above is located at the original entrance to Villa Grimaldi. It reads, "Old Entrance. Here the prisoners began their journey. This door will remain closed forever." Below is a picture of the old entrance.
This tile sculpture extends out of the entrance.
The
plaque above says, "Corvi Houses, Cells of 1x1 meters, Place of
isolation, Blindfolded and Chained Hands and Feet." A Corvi house is
shown below.
In
these cells, oftentimes as many as five men were kept in a single cell.
The men were not given food or water and had no choice but to urinate
and defecate where they stood. It was not uncommon for prisoners to
spend multiple days in these cells without being released.
This plaque reads, "Patio of the Birches: Place of torture and detainment of prisoners. In this seat, prisoners could experience solidarity, loyalty, and camaraderie."
The plaque is referring the stone seat above. This was the only place in the whole camp where the prisoners were allowed to walk, talk, and get some fresh air.
Prisoners were hung in these trees. They were not killed, but were made to hang there for hours while being beaten by the camp guards. If a young soldier gave a prisoner water or food without permission, they were whipped into unconsciousness before all of the other guards to serve as a lesson for helping the political prisoners. Compassion was very dangerous for anyone working at this camp.
This plaque says, "Plaza of Roses. The prisoners could perceive the scent of roses."
In the Plaza of Roses, all of the known female prisoners have been given a plaque in the garden. This garden was created to honor the women who were subjected to despicable forms of torture such as being made to fornicate with animals, being prodded in their genitalia by numerous objects, and being forced to fornicate with their family members such as their fathers, brothers, and sons.
Here is another view of the Plaza of Roses.
This plaque reads, "Place of the Tower. Place of Solitude, Torture, and Extermination."
This is the tower where prisoners were sent to die. It should also be noted that when the prisoners were ill or hurt, the doctors and nurses were instructed to heal them only to the extent that they would continue to live and nothing beyond that.
This plaque reads, "Photography Laboratory of the Dina. And part of the printing for the falsification of documents, patents, logos, etc."
This plaque says, "Pool: Place of Intimidation"
The higher-ups in the camp were allowed to relax at this pool where they
had a complete view of the entire camp. They would invite their
children and wives to swim in the pool as well. The kids and wives were
kept ignorant about the purpose of the camp.
This memorial, which contains all of the names of those who were tortured here, says, "Oblivion is full of Memory." This is referring to the attempt of Pinochet's government to erase the evidence of the thousands of people who were tortured and killed during his regime.
This is another memorial featuring the names of those who were detained at Villa Grimaldi. One of those who was tortured and killed here was Michelle Bachelet's father. Michelle Bachelet and her mother were also tortured here. (Michelle Bachelet was the first female Chilean president.)
This structure was added to Villa Grimaldi when it was opened up to the public. Inside, there are artifacts proving the existence of the prisoners who were kept here. When the dictatorship ended, the military scrambled to get rid of the evidence that this place had ever existed. To do this, the bodies of the prisoners had their chests opened up and weights were placed inside. The bodies were then taken out to sea and thrown into the ocean. The most significant item in the box building is the button of one of the prisoners that was found on the ocean floor.
So that is the virtual tour of Villa Grimaldi. The park was made beautiful, but it was still definitely very eerie because of all that had happened there.
Next, to brighten things up, I show you a piece of COANIL!
This is the entrance to Flor de Arte where the students are engaged in numerous crafts such as paper machet, painting, drawing, and sewing.
Here's an example of some of the artwork that the students had just finished!
We went to Ruka Mapuche this past Saturday. Their story is very similar to that of the Native Americans in the United States. Currently, they have been allotted a small plot of land on which to make a living. Additionally, there is discrimination against them in the work place which has made maintaining their culture particularly difficult.While we were there, we tried mate, sopapillas, and a delicious banana treat.
Here is the only picture I have of Ruka Mapuche!
Finally, we visited the General Cemetery which is basically like their version of the Arlington Cemetery. This cemetery houses two million bodies and has some interesting customs that I will explain with the pictures.
This cemetery is very class oriented. Firstly, there are three ways you can be buried. The richest families have a mausoleum constructed in which the whole family is buried. Those are the big buildings in this picture. The second option is to purchase a family tomb in which the family members are buried on top of each other. An example of this is the raised tomb on the left of this picture. The third and cheapest option is to be buried by yourself. An example of this is shown below. In the case of that particular wall, the cemetery always needs space so if the family is unwilling to pay their dead member's "rent," then the body is relocated to a mass grave after a certain portion of time.
Above is an angel statue that I liked. Below is a grave dedicated to those who disappeared during Pinochet's dictatorship. Nunca + means Never again, meaning that the people of Chile refuse to endure another dictatorship.
Above is the tomb of Salvador Allende.
Students and people in general pray at the sight above. Oftentimes, they will ask for help passing a test or make some other request. When their wish is granted, they leave flowers and notes thanking Jesus for answering their prayers.
The story behind this tomb is that the woman who is buried here was going to be married, but died before she could be wed. As the story goes, the mother had her daughter preserved and continued to brush her hair everyday in the tomb. Apparently, a ghost in a white dress frequents the cemetery and many tax drivers swear that they've seen here. People troubled with love or who want children visit her tomb to ask for assistance. When their wishes are granted, they leave her flowers, notes, and even diapers to thank her for her help.
This is another poorer region of the cemetery. The living frequently leave gifts for the dead.
The recovered bodies of those who went missing during Pinochet's rule were buried here. Most are still unknown as they were transferred from numerous mass graves that were found. Because their identities haven't been recovered, their crosses have not been painted white like those above.
This is in a region of the cemetery where children are buried. Parents frequently leave them toys and balloons. It is not uncommon for parents to bring toys to their child's grave for their birthday or for Christmas.
These are examples of the children's tombs.
So, that is about all that has been going on in the past two weeks. I've been pretty busy with homework because they've actually given us quite a bit of work to do. Next weekend, I am planning on going to Pucon, which is further south in Chile. I hope that you are all doing well and I cannot wait to be home. I miss you all very much!
