La Cima del Cerro ‘Coyotepe’ (2017)

This work is an exploration of my country’s, Nicaragua, history, rituals and transgenerational trauma. In thinking about rituals, I’m not only thinking of ceremonies, rites and actions, but political behaviors that form part of normal protocols and social customs. From 1933 till 1979, Nicaragua was ruled under the Somoza Dynasty Dictatorship. The Dictatorship was backed by the United States Government and enforced by Nicaragua’s National Guard. Many who opposed the government were tortured and killed. 

El Coyetepe, is a fortress located on top of a hill in Masaya, Nicaragua. Many political prisoners were held captive inside the fortress. El Coyetepe is approximately a 5-minute car ride from my house in Nicaragua. It is a place that shows the influence of power and control. Within the walls, it holds the memory of those who were tortured and killed. In that sense, a ritual is the act of social customs that has embedded my country. The fear, anxiety, and trauma that are captive within our bodies are part of the ritual. Through, El Coyetepe, the  ritual has political and historical connotations, which affects the behavior of the people of Nicaragua`.