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Uruguay prison diary preserved by Unesco | Uruguay prison diary preserved by Unesco |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The UN's cultural organisation, Unesco, has formally adopted an extraordinary account of prison life in a Uruguayan jail under military rule. | The UN's cultural organisation, Unesco, has formally adopted an extraordinary account of prison life in a Uruguayan jail under military rule. |
Written on tiny cigarette papers, it is a diary written by a left-wing guerrilla, Jorge Tiscornia. | Written on tiny cigarette papers, it is a diary written by a left-wing guerrilla, Jorge Tiscornia. |
He hid the diary for nearly 13 years in the 1970s and 80s in his wooden prison clogs until he was released. | He hid the diary for nearly 13 years in the 1970s and 80s in his wooden prison clogs until he was released. |
It's been added to Unesco's Memory of the World programme, which rescues historic objects from destruction. | It's been added to Unesco's Memory of the World programme, which rescues historic objects from destruction. |
In a statement, Unesco said it was "a living memory of long isolation, revealing the strength of perseverance". | In a statement, Unesco said it was "a living memory of long isolation, revealing the strength of perseverance". |
"When you're in a prison cell with no natural light, you don't know what time it is, and after a few days pass you start to lose your sense of what day it is," Mr Tiscornia told AFP news agency. | "When you're in a prison cell with no natural light, you don't know what time it is, and after a few days pass you start to lose your sense of what day it is," Mr Tiscornia told AFP news agency. |
He started to write the diary which included reflections on prison life and stories of daily events. | He started to write the diary which included reflections on prison life and stories of daily events. |
"I think it was an attempt to conquer the day-to-day and at the same time not forget what was happening . Those notes were my guide, an anchor for my memory," he said. | "I think it was an attempt to conquer the day-to-day and at the same time not forget what was happening . Those notes were my guide, an anchor for my memory," he said. |
Wrapped in nylon | Wrapped in nylon |
As the issues Mr Tiscornia was exploring in the diary became more sensitive, he decided to hide the journal. | As the issues Mr Tiscornia was exploring in the diary became more sensitive, he decided to hide the journal. |
He made himself a pair of wooden clogs, splitting them open and hollowing out a space to keep his writings, folded and wrapped in nylon. | He made himself a pair of wooden clogs, splitting them open and hollowing out a space to keep his writings, folded and wrapped in nylon. |
"I used to shower in them." he said. | "I used to shower in them." he said. |
The journal reached public attention years after he was released in 1985 when another ex-political prisoner made a documentary film about the diary. | The journal reached public attention years after he was released in 1985 when another ex-political prisoner made a documentary film about the diary. |
It was donated to the archive of the Uruguayan Presidency's Human Rights Secretariat For the Recent Past and then given UNESCO's protection and recognition. |
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