Original article: Chilena Nieves Ayress exigió el fin de la doctrina Monroe ante el Congreso de EEUU
By Andrés Figueroa Cornejo
Amid the chaotic global order shaped by Trump’s presidency—characterized by coups, widespread human rights abuses, political and military extortion, systematic blockades, and the relentless tyranny of a military-industrial complex that uses advanced AI technology—the essence of human dignity is striving to reclaim its space.
On February 10, 2026, the progressive wing of the American Democratic Party invited Chilean activist Nieves Ayress Moreno to share her testimony of suffering and resilience before the U.S. Congress, advocating for the abolition of the Monroe Doctrine.
Nieves, a former member of Bolivia’s National Liberation Army founded by Ernesto Guevara following the Cuban Revolution in the late 1960s, embodies the struggle of women everywhere, and stands out as a distinguished voice. For many years, she has dedicated herself to grassroots organization and activism in the Bronx, New York, alongside the legendary Chilean revolutionary Victor Toro, known as «Melinka.»
Why is Nieves Ayress speaking at the U.S. Congress, recounting the hell she faced under the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA) during the early days of Pinochet’s civil-military dictatorship? The supremacist argument underpinning the Trump administration is the Monroe Doctrine—this imperial and capitalist ideology has repeatedly been wielded by the primary enemy of humanity to violate the self-determination of the peoples and states of Latin America and the Caribbean, according to Pentagon interests.
On that Tuesday, February 10, Nieves addressed Congress in Washington, D.C.: «What I am about to share is what I lived through, and thousands of Chileans, foreigners, and others experienced as well. I was kidnapped along with my father Carlos and my younger brother Tato by the intelligence services of DINA under Pinochet, who orchestrated a coup backed by the United States against the democratically elected government of President Salvador Allende.»
«In the context of Operation Condor, which received full support from the U.S. government, I was kidnapped, disappeared, and tortured by Argentinians, Uruguayans, Paraguayans, Brazilians, Chileans, and others who spoke English and German.»
She also recounted, «They stripped me and covered my eyes. They applied electric shocks throughout my body and on my most sensitive areas. I was raped countless times. They subjected me to the ‘Pao de Arara’, a Brazilian torture technique. They used ‘telephones’ that ruptured my eardrums. I was forced to have sexual contact with my father and my brother while they were tied up. This was done by an Argentine. «
«I was submerged in barrels filled with water and excrement, referred to as ‘submarinos’. I endured mutilation with Gillette blades and was doused with alcohol and electricity on my wounds. They cut open my abdomen with a corvo, a knife used by the military. They sliced my ears and shaved my head. This was all done at London 38, a secret torture center.»
«Later, I was transferred to Tejas Verdes, another secret torture school. They subjected me to mock executions. New sexual violations occurred. They masturbated and placed their semen on my head and face. They forced me to perform oral sex. I was sexually assaulted by trained dogs. I survived ‘the butterfly torture’: I was spread-eagled, and live rats infected with viruses were inserted into my vagina, causing toxoplasmosis. They administered pentothal, and burned me with wax and cigarettes.»
But the beasts were never satisfied. Nieves remembered, «As a result of the rapes, I became pregnant. I miscarried after three or four months due to the very tortures I endured. They inserted Coca-Cola glass bottles into my vagina, claiming it was meant for me to comprehend ‘the empire’. These tortures were carried out by the military led by Manuel Contreras, the head of DINA, the intelligence services.»
«All of these atrocities were learned at the School of the Americas, right here in the United States. I hold accountable the Nixon and Kissinger administrations for aiding the Chilean military dictatorship with weapons, funding, and training. This is part of the Monroe Doctrine that every U.S. president has applied. We call for the annulment of the Monroe Doctrine. We are all Americans. Only the people can save the people.»
Imagine the silence thundering in the pitch-black night. Envision Nieves’ strength to articulate horror. Consider that survivor, a few words encapsulating the pain of all past and present oppressed.
Andrés Figueroa Cornejo
