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GUEST: Patricia Isasa, torture survivor from Argentina

Luis Gerez, a trial witness in a human rights abuse case in Argentina recently went missing. The case stems from the 1966-73 military dictatorship in Argentina. Two days after he went missing, Gerez was found after having been abducted, badly beaten and burned with cigarettes. Argentine President Nestor Kirchner believes that the abduction was the work of former security agents. Luis Gerez has accused a former Chief of Police of torture during the dictatorship. Gerez is the second human rights trial witness to have gone missing in recent months. However, the other witness, whose testimony helped convict a former chief of police in the disappearance of six people, has not been seen since September 19th. Patricia Isasa, a torture survivor of the military junta that ruled Argentina from 1976-1983, has been a recent recipient of death threats following her campaign and investigations to bring her torturers to justice. By order of President Kirchner on September 25th, 2006, Patricia Isasa became Argentina’s first witness accepted into a witness protection program. She will return to Santa Fe, Argentina in the coming months to testify in her case. Last year, on the first of May, “El Cerco,” a documentary about Patricia’s story was televised in Argentina and viewed by three million people. We had interviewed Patricia last November and welcome her back to Uprising.

Patricia Isasa will be joined by Hector Aristizabal this Saturday January 6th at 7 pm at the Church in Ocean Park, 235 Hill Street, Santa Monica 90405. Uprising host Sonali Kolhatkar will MC the event. For more information, call 310-573-1901 or 310-838-8131.

Listen to Uprising’s November 2006 in-studio interview with Patricia: