Melinka concentration camp survivors to present theatrical memory project

The theatrical production ‘Testimonios de Melinka. Un ejercicio de memoria’ is scheduled to be performed at the Sala Negra Juan Barattini Carvelli on September 9. Directed by Lía Toro, an academic at the Universidad de Valparaíso (UV) School of Theatre, the project is a collaboration with the Amigos de Melinka group, which focuses on human rights education.

The play features survivors Carlos Genovese, Miguel Montecinos, and Patricio Rojas, who were detained at the Melinka Puchuncaví concentration camp between 1974 and 1976. During their captivity, the survivors used music and theatre as forms of resistance through ‘Viernes Culturales’ (Cultural Fridays). The performance aims to recreate these historical conversations through theatrical elements to pass these experiences on to younger generations and serve as a reminder of the past.