http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/torturevic_951.mp3
A former political prisoner and torture victim is trying to create a society where torture centers no longer exist. KSMU's Kristian Kriner reports.
In a room full of Missouri State Students, Pedro Matta, a victim of torture in Chile, shared his experiences during the Public Affairs Conference.
Matta was a law student in Chile in 1975 when he imprisoned for organizing political support against the Chilean dictator.
He was in prison for 14 months and was tortured in the Villa Grimaldi torture Center.
The torture he described included prisoners being gagged and electrocuted.
Matta was exiled to America and didn't return to Chile until 1991.
Now, he's involved in reconstructing the hidden history of Chile and investigating the torture centers in his native country.
"This talk has the purpose to share with you some of these experiences and to share with you the helpfulness and learning from the error coming from these crimes, we can certainly get the spirit, the strength, the decision and the commitment to struggle for a better society," Matta said.
Matta says he hopes people will learn from his experiences and work toward a better society.
For KSMU News, I'm Kristian Kriner.