The Caracas Helicoid, originally intended as a symbol of modernity and progress, has become the darkest symbol of oppression in Venezuela. This building, with its unique brutalist architecture, summarizes decades of political and social conflict and became a detention and torture center under the government of Nicolás Maduro. Testimony from former prisoners and human rights organizations reveals a grim reality behind the spiral walls: a reality where torture, human rights violations and enforced silence prevail.
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How is the helicoid?
El Helicoide is located in Caracas and covers an area of 101,940 square meters. Its spiral design was a futuristic vision by architects Jorge Romero Gutiérrez, Pedro Neuberger and Dirk Bornhorst in 1955 and was originally intended as a shopping center. However, its function changed drastically in 1984, when it became the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) and the scene of countless stories of arbitrary detentions and human rights violations.
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Why is Nicolás Maduro's government using the helicoid?
The government of Nicolás Maduro uses the helicoids as a tool of political repression and social control. By silencing dissidents and activists through fear and torture, the regime seeks to maintain its power and suppress any form of opposition or protest. The arbitrary arrests and deplorable detention conditions in Helicoide reflect the erosion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Venezuela.
Testimonies from former Helicoid prisoners
In a report by journalist Carolina Amoroso in TN Argentina, former prisoners report experiences of terror in which violence, fear and hopelessness are the order of the day. Their stories and those of others who have crossed El Helicoide illustrate the urgency of international intervention to stop human rights abuses and release political prisoners.
- Víctor Navarro: “They threw me to the ground, they put a shotgun to my head, they hit me against the wall. They took me in and told me to say my name and document number. I say: Víctor Navarro. 25,510,806, which is what they called me later in Helicoids because they try to objectify you when they torture you.”
- Dylan Canache arrested at age 16: ““This is the closest you can get to hell.”.
- Diannet Blanco: “I was a victim of torture just because I took part in this protest process. It is annoying for the regime to do good and do humanitarian work.My right to defend rights is being criminalized“.
- Antony Vegas: “When I get to the Helicoid, they put me in a room. An insulting, damaging prosecutor told me how much they had paid me, where the leader of the paramilitary gang was, that the Colombian mafia had hired me and how much they had paid me. I didn't know what I was hearing. He tells me to tell him the truth because if not, they would search for my family, including my daughter, and take them to a shelter. Then he says, “It's not what you think, that we're going to protect her. We're going to take her to rape.” That broke me. At that moment I lost control of myself and raping my daughter literally came to mind.”
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What tortures are practiced in the Helicoid?
According to a large number of prisoners who passed through the Helicoid, these are some of the punishments inflicted at this place:
- Asphyxiation and electric shock: The prisoners report that they were suffocated with insecticide-soaked plastic bags and electrocuted on sensitive parts of their bodies.
- Physical and psychological violence: Stories include beatings, threats of violence against family members and mock executions.
- Inhumane prison conditions: Overcrowding, lack of access to natural light, water and adequate medical care are the norm, not the exception.
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How and when was the helicoid made?
El Helicoide was conceived in 1955 as part of an ambitious modernization project in Caracas. Its original purpose was to create a shopping center and it was flattered by artists such as Pablo Neruda and Salvador Dalí, who even wanted to exhibit their works there. However, construction was stopped in 1961 due to financial and political difficulties, leaving the structure unfinished. It was only in 1984 that it was given a new purpose as the headquarters of the then Intelligence and Prevention Service, marking the beginning of its dark legacy as a political prison.