Venezuela Clashes Over El Helicoide Jail's Fate After Raid
Venezuela debates the future of El Helicoide, a former futuristic mall turned infamous torture prison in Caracas. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez proposes a sports complex, but ex-prisoners push for a memorial to preserve memory of abuses following Maduro's U.S. capture.
From Shopping Dream to House of Horrors
Built in the 1950s amid an oil boom, El Helicoide featured spiraling ramps for drive-in shopping. Construction stopped in 1960 after a dictatorship fell. Abandoned, it housed flood victims before becoming DISIP intelligence police headquarters in the 1980s. Under Maduro, tortures escalated with isolation and drugs like scopolamine.
Jesús Armas endured 14 months in a windowless cell under constant light. 'That makes you feel really anxious and paranoid,' he said. Javier Tarazona shared a tiny 'little tiger' cell, faced asphyxiation attempts and forced confessions. Thousands faced trumped-up charges there.
Post-Capture Proposals Spark Divide
A January U.S. raid in Caracas captured Maduro, leading to Armas's release. Rodríguez announced an amnesty benefiting hundreds and plans to close El Helicoide. Drone footage shows early sports complex work after community talks. Only bottom two levels served as prison.
Opposition leaders decry the plan as erasure of crimes. Armas advocates a museum: 'We should never forget.' Tarazona suggests a Robben Island-style center for non-repetition. Celeste Olalquiaga favors preserving cells for memory while repurposing the structure.
Amnesty Progress and Lingering Fears
Rodríguez's government freed prisoners under amnesty, but 600-800 remain per activists. El Helicoide symbolizes Maduro-era repression. Debates weigh healing against historical reckoning. U.N. reports note ongoing detentions post-capture.
Prisoners emerged after years in isolation. Tarazona recalled interrogations as key abuses. The site's seven levels offer space for dual use: memory and community benefit.
Implications for National Memory
The debate tests Venezuela's transition. Demolition risks forgetting; preservation educates. With amnesty ongoing, El Helicoide's fate shapes reconciliation. Experts urge inclusive consultations. As reforms advance, balancing progress and justice remains key to stability.