S'I'ATI Cr T t L U ---'1-- 1 Patricia Ann Erb ace 19 United States citizen fc cl duty as a human bcinn and u a Christion to communicate tn n itional anJ intemationnl orc 'U' izations wh 1 t l sau and experience d during rny abduction and imprisonment by the Arned Forces of Argentina in t le tdlitary headquarters of Campo de llayo Al a student at the University of rluenos A res l participated in a student org ntxation sponsored by t' H University uith dr li gntes rom the various classes in the University As a sociology ra3jor t participated along uith other· sociology atudent1 in field vork 1 i t 1e poverty chettos m ··· · September 13 1975 I w a dueted in Uue nos Aire s ohere l lived vith my parenta prote etant mission•rie l since l S l by s rnied ir e n in civili11n clothing I uaa blindfolded and conducted to a toQm that save the impression of being in a barn vhete there u re many men and omen Daye after uhen sec urity vas relaxed by official• and eubofficials l 1 Jas able to Sel raany persona blindfol d and clid ned to the floor as l Has SometimeJJ 11hen out hand uere freQ we could remove part ot our blindfolds enoush to eee ond talk in lch1 vo1ce t · The day after· Y al I duct ion l 11as conducted as 1 ere many others to rooms which w• called the tottuni house u niet'e men '1ri essed iu civilian clothing vould begin interrogations usin J tortun 1 rhen it uaii ne ccssary 01 in attempts to extract confession 'D1at torture took variow J forTQ S t beating uith clubs fist•• lticking imaersing in • 1ater or in fecal substance to eltooet the dro mtng point and applying 0 La Ptcana e lee tric nu1chinc that is to11ched to the more a n9itiw parts of the body like 11K uth eyes no e enrs vagina breast µ nis• feet · and handa To cauat a stroncur sensation they would tie ua tith rope to a ire bed which carried an electrica l current plUJ entanclcd virc betueen the finr ers and toas splaehing vater on to lU menc- ti1e pa in These til thode 'ter aimed at oht o1n1ng cant•ssion of our otro activities natr1C s and oddresse 1 1 1ich in oniie caafu1 did not exist Ol' iotna titnel'li used only as punishmant After theiui intcrrogntions ue 1ere conduct•d acain to the 11 hnrn'' where tile rest of the rrisonera 1ere being held and they by their turn uere conducted to the intcrrocation etcl Hhile the rest of us from our ·place heard their sc anU nn and houlinr They ' ould come back n ll Wlst unconacloW and moaninc in ereat pain Son¥ timcs doctors t1uo ld come and look after the wont injuries suc t as hrol en bones rih3 • bleeding l idneys • etc I am wry sorry I can' c remeratlcr tha names of all the prisoners who uere with rae ' hen 1 kneu about the possibility of being ·freed Uecauae of crtJ nationality I tried to memorize as many names as I could I nav them out in the Federal Prison of • · Devoto so that tl eir families who 'didn't kno11 of their whereabouts Hould b• aware of uhere they were Ar long the names I rett1e re __ Eduardo Raul ttel'b1lhaat El•n • arberi 1 Ana llaria Lan 1ilotto prticnant mingo 1e1 thia m 11 tied with large chains and tortured to extrc s Liliana'-Oe fli OT°ififta Eu enia Lo11t z a man who•• last t1 11me uas D'Anr elo and then' names lil· e Silvia Ilaria Ros• 4nd huit husband t ue l Juan Carlos Cr1sti ll3i OsmAr Lilai Tony Aueueto Pancho Graciela thoJ ll VBT• va-ry badly nourished and torturerJ · ic11 they com laincd 501 » with broken bone• and 11ound• ct lly ni ht our sleep as accompanied hy rats that r3n over and around our bo4 ie1 W• uere o lao at the mercy of beinc raped by the sub-officials I Hish to 1han my· concerns uit the international orr anizations thn United State 8 Congress and Amerlcm · Chur hes so that they 11111 ct on behalf of the m any Argentine persona vhoee lives are nffected At the same titre 1 c appeal to th Atel ntin• CoV6rnment to declara 1hich Arsentine an' l forcir n cit1ten9 Are heing held as priaoners for until now many impr1 toned people are considered lca J or 11tttsing - Pa tricid Erb For further information contact uelton FrN z Uashington Represent•tive llt nnoni tc Centtal Com lli ttee • 10' l lacyl11 nd Ave • NE• lashington DC ARGENTINA PROJECT S2 11 l4 U S Olll'l' OF STATE A m f1S rct p Grafeld Director Release Emse l Deny Exemp ion s _ _ _ _ --- c-----Oeclassify In Pan In Full Classify as_ Exwnd as_ Downgrade to_ Dale Declassify on Reason - pq • '' 8IF93 I • 50152 Ph S44-6S64 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu