CUCHILLO DE PALO

It was winter. My father called us urgently. My uncle Rodolfo’s naked body had been found on the floor. When I asked what my uncle died of they told me: “of sadness”. That answer contradicted all my memories of his life, and so I went to Paraguay to search for traces of his life. Rodolfo was different: He wore flashy clothes, listened to Elvis and danced at every birthday party. I discovered that Rodolfo was included in one of the “108 lists”, and was arrested and tortured. Even today in Paraguay when someone calls you “108” they mean “hooker, faggot”. For more than one generation, the time the dictatorship lasted, men who came under suspicion of being homosexual or against the regime were the favourite target of collaborators. When he was released, my uncle hid in his corner until his wounds healed. Rodolfo’s story reveals a part of the hidden and silenced history of my country. (Renate Costa)

In the presence of Renate Costa.