Helicoide de Caracas (Roca Tarpeya) (Caracas)

Venezuela / Distrito Capital / Caracas
 university, police station, concentration camp
Designed by Architect Jorge Romero, it was meant to be a Shopping Center. It was abandoned because of political reasons, and left unfinished and vacant for decades. Several proposals were made for its use after completion, including a heliport (late 60s), headquarters for the Ministry of the Environment (early 90s), and a community center (late 90s). Eventually it became the headquarters for the DISIP (internal intelligence agency / political police), which has long had a reputation for abuse and human-rights violations.
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Coordinates:   10°29'21"N   66°54'35"W

Comments

  • Dude, DISIP is just a state intelligence agency, and just like every intelligence agency in the world, it is full of radical right wing policemen and thus they commit crimes and human right violations. At least the DISIP doesn't interfere in foreign affairs, like the imperialist countries' intelligence agencies do.
  • It's really irritating when people like this David (commenting above) speak out of their asses without any clue of what they are talking about. The DISIP (now called SEBIN) is under the absolute command of the Venezuelan government, which is of a leftist -not right wing- ideology. And, yes, it is well known for continued human rights abuses as well as interfering with other countries affairs, such as Syria (supporting Assad!), Colombia (supporting FARC!), Ecuador, Nicaragua, etc and helping undermine and attack dissenters against oppressive regimes. Sheesh! Anyway, governments of both of the left and right are just as liable to commit crimes, d'oh!
  • Infortunately, the person above didn't give his name, so I'll have to call him "Idiot". Well, it's good to know the whole story. DISIP was founded by venezuelan militars dictators in the lates 1950s. Since than, it's work was allways right-winged (talkin about DISIP, not SEBIN, whitch we will se later). From its foundation to its end, in 2009/2010, it was used to chase government opositors. They even had a "Death Group" (I can't translate it to english, in portuguese: "Esquadrão da morte"), that killed people in the streets on secrets and ilegal operations. It was helped by CIA, MI5 (British), the Mossad (Israel) and the Bundesnachrichtendienst (German). In the 1990s, it chased Hugo Chavez. The DISIP (not SEBIN) was never under Chavez control. DISIP helped the coup in 2002 AGAINST Chavez. In 2004, after internacional denounces, Chavez started to try to dissolve the DISIP. In 2010, it get's to an end, giving place to the SEBIN, now under Chavez control. However, there is NOTHING that proves that SEBIN supports Assad, this is a BIG LIE. The Human Rights Watchs World Report 2001, says that the venezuelan constitution (led by Chavez) includes one of the most advanced human rights laws in the world. So, it's really ittitating when people like this Idiot (commenting above) speak out of their asses without any clue of what they are talking about.
  • Leo comes across as an ideological lefty from abroad who thinks he knows Venezuela better than us Venezuelans. Does anyone really believe that Chavez (president 1999-2013), a leftist authoritarian president intolerant of any dissent and with complete direct control over the entire state apparatus would allow Venezuela's premier intelligence/counterintelligence agency (DISIP-now SEBIN) to be controlled by right wing anti-loyalist? Absolutely not! In fact in 2004 DISP even stopped a Colombian paramilitary group intent on murdering Chavez. The truth is than soon after assuming the presidency in '99, Chavez began purging the DISIP along with all other government agencies. So yes, DISIP was under Chavez' control, but to be fair it did have some anti-Chavez remnants in its personnel. Leo said DISP went after government opposers until its end in '09: So a (supposedly) right wing agency of a leftist government went after anti-Chavez citizens? That's idiocity, in fact, after the coup d'etat against Chavez in 2002, the DISIP went on a vicious rampage against Venezuela's opposition. Leo says DISIP went after Chavez in the 90's. Yes it did after Chavez led a failed coup d'etat against Venezuela's democratically elected government (nice omission Leo). And of course the SEBIN, like other government agencies provide help to the Chavez-Maduro government in its open support (ideological and material) of the Assad regime in Syria. To think otherwise is disingenuous. History: DISIP was established in 1969 under democratically elected president Rafael Caldera. It replaced DIGEPOL, established in 1959 during Venezuela's transition to democracy, AFTER kicking dictator Marcos Perez Jiménez out of power. DIGEPOL replaced Direccion de Seguridad Nacional (dissolved in 1958), which was set up by the military dictatorship. In the 60's (DIGEPOL) and 70's (DISIP) were indeed used against communist guerrillas and sympathizers, including guerrillas sent from Cuba by Castro to destroy Venezuela's democracy and access its oil riches. And like all intelligence agencies in the world, it had and has relationships with those of other countries. The DISIP was replaced by SEBIN in 2009. It is true that DISIP (and DIGEPOL) had a history of repression, abuse, death squads, torture, murder, etc. Before Chavez's presidency they went after leftist. But during Chavez (and now Maduro's) regime the DISIP, and now SABIN, go after those who oppose the Chavez-Maduro regime (no matter if they are leftist, centrist or rightist) in an equally, if not more, brutal way prosecuting the freedom seeking people of Venezuela. And finally, since Leo brought up the Human Rights Watch organization, I invite everybody to go visit their web page on Venezuela (google it) and find out for themselves about the criminally abusive and oppressive Chavez-Maduro regime's crimes (terrible!). Sure, Venezuela's constitution looks good on paper, but the brutal reality of my country couldn't contradict it more. In all sincerity, Leo is the only and idiot here, a useful idiot of the first degree. It's good to know the TRUE story.
  • At the very end I meant to write: Leo is the only and TRUE idiot here, a useful idiot of the first degree. It's good to know the TRUE story. My hope is that Leo and others who think like him stop drinking the ideological kool-aid when they see oppressive regimes (whether of the left, right or other) through rose colored glasses, willing to bend the truth in an attempt make the savagery palatable to themselves and others. Wrong is wrong regardless of ideology.
  • So the group that chases anti-communist government opposition groups is itself a right wing entity??? just think about what you are saying, if that were the case, the Venezuelan government set up a government entity made up of right wing actors to find and "bring to justice" right wing agitators. Well with Maduro expecting price controls to bring in foreign investment and the DISIP looking for itself, I can't figure out what Venezuela's biggest problem is, a totally inept economist running the economy or a right wing security apparatus that can't find any right wingers.
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This article was last modified 18 years ago