Hola todos! It's a beautiful day in Argentina, although it is technically fall here. It has been very cold the last couple of days. The wind in Cordoba blows from the South so even a warm day can feel cold if there is wind. On Tuesday, the international students took a trip with our history professors to La Perla which is one of the concentration camps from the Guerra Sucia that I've been writing about recently. The 24 de Marzo is the day of remembrance for those who disappeared during the Guerra Sucia (dirty war) of Argentina from 1976-1983. During the dirty war, over 30,000 Argentinians disappeared. It was later found that many of them were held hostage in concentration camps during those years. La Perla is located a half an hour outside of the city in Cordoba and housed hundreds of these disappeared persons. While their families desperately searched for them, they were merely 30 minutes from home locked away in La Perla. It was very eerie being in the concentration camp. Although the inside has been re-done to house military personnel, the actual bunk rooms, torture rooms, and facilities where still there with photographs of what the rooms looked like during the war. Hundreds of hostages were held all in one room tied to bunk beds that where 3 bunks high. In the testimonials we have been reading in class written by people who survived, they were handcuffed to their beds, blindfolded day and night, and were not allowed to communicate. One thing that was unique to La Perla is that it allowed the hostages to shower occasionally and to sing on birthdays. The last two weeks of classes and activities have been devoted to learning about the Guerra Sucia, los desaparecidos, and the action of citizens following the war. It has been very eye opening and I have become passionate about it. On a lighter note, my host sister Gabriela had her baby last night! His name is Santiago. I haven't had a chance to meet him yet, but I look forward to it.
Chao,
Alex
Here is a link to my photos from La Perla.
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