Review of The Blindfold's Eyes

Sister Dianna Ortiz’ memoir The Blindfold's Eyes: My Journey from Torture to Truth is unsettling and powerful. Sister Ortiz, an Ursuline nun, from the US was abducted, raped, and tortured in Guatemala by paramilitary forces in November 1989. She survived and this is her story. This book is her promise that those who did not survive the torture would never be forgotten and it serves as a testament to those who fought the oppression. She spent the rest of her life in a campaign to reveal the truth about US involvement in the widespread torture by the Guatemalan government and to heal her own wounds. Her efforts ultimately led to the Clinton administration shutting down the long-running CIA program in Guatemala. She became a tireless advocate and activist to end human rights abuses by governments across the world. For those of you who have had my Latin American politics class this provides disturbing insights into US support for and complicity with repressive governments, such as Guatemala in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.