The Blindfold's Eyes: My Journey from Torture to Truth

Sister Dianna Ortiz presents a compelling retelling of her experience with the brutality of the military regime in Guatemala. Her story is disturbing on a multitude of fronts. Ortiz's purpose in writing the book seems to be twofold: to exorcise the demons that linger around her and to expose the complicity of the US government in the military (and hence political) affairs of the government of Guatemala - especially as it pertains to the brutal methods of torturous warfare perpetuated on the citizens and noncitizens of the country.Ortiz is successful in exposing how the United States is intricately tied up in this macabre dance of social/political machinations in that country. She, and others working with her on similar cases, have been instrumental in obtaining the declassification of CIA and US embassy communications - communications that even though heavily censored, point directly to US involvement in that country.What is also disturbing about Ortiz's work is that it leaves questions unanswered, too. It becomes apparent that Ortiz is laying out her case in print as she has been unsuccessful in obtaining direct confessions from the US government that relate to her own personal experience. This constant attempt to justify actions and expose certain individuals becomes almost vendetta like in nature towards the end of her account although it is hard to be critical of that point given the tremendous psychological and physical warfare that has been perpetuated against her. Her strategy is probably a wise one as it is an attempt to force personal responsibility on individuals rather than let the government escape with a general nod at its own collective and ambiguously defined guilt.The previously published accounts of eyewitnesses and theunearthing of mass graves are testimony to the brutality that existed and still exists within the country. Ortiz's story broadens that spectrum of testimony by bringing the reader right into an actual instance of torture that includes graphic and deeply disturbing details that will linger with you for a long time after the book has been read. In the end, the US government still has not answered the methaphorical and actual question: Who IS Alejandro?

The story of what this Sister went through is not one that most people know about. She suffered and survived her repeated sexual assaults and torture. She came out alive and devoted her life to helping other torture survivors. I was so sorry to hear of her death. I thank her for her courage and bravery.

I met Diana as this book was being written, and was already volunteering at the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA, where her co-author, Pat Davis, was on staff (and was my friend) as this book was being written. I developed a friendship with both of them that I will always cherish. If I'm not mistaken, one thing the book doesn't discuss was the torture of having to relive this unspeakable nightmare to produce the book. The book reveals much of Dianna's and unbelievable courage, but some aspects of her suffering were simply too painful to put down on paper. More than anything, this book reveals how sinister and cynical U.S. government employees have been in working directly with death squads and torturers in Guatemala, and also how they failed to strip Diana of her humanity (although they came close to causing her to lose her sanity by inflicting such barbarity upon her), which they tried to do even after she survived physical torture in Guatemala. As the child of a Holocaust survivor, I can tell you that what Diana went through is even more gruesome than many Holocaust death camp stories. Her story should prod us into acting, because it was hardly an isolated incident: 200,000 innocent people have been murdered in Guatemala by U.S. government-trained and supported death squads and the U.S.-supported Guatemalan military. The United States will do anything to protect these people, because our highest level government officials over the past 50 years have assisted them, and should be held accountable for it.

This book by and about Dianna Ortiz, and her struggle for healing and justice is a mosaic of one woman's courage and resilience against a crushing backdrop of shameful torture of thousands of innocents in Guatemala. Her torture was motivated, not only by the sadistic cruelty of a few monsters, but also was part of a deliberately chosen pattern of social and political repression by the governments of Guatemala, abetted by representatives of the United States Government.The genius of the book is the way the author allows the reader into her life, and the workings of her mind as she struggles to overcome the truama of her ordeal. She gives us priviledged information about herself and the effects fo her torture on her family, friends, and her religious community. The testimony of a torture survivor and the recovery of her human dignity is a story worth reading for its own sake.Dianna Ortiz's book, The Blindfold's Eyes offers more.Her story transcends her personal experience and serves as a window into the historical dimension of our foreign policy in Guatemala. In the light of Sister Ortiz's story, decent Americans will come to question how much human incense, (literally), are we willing to burn at the altar of National Security ?This book made me angry. It made me cry. It also left me with a lot of questions. In the end this book gave me permission to hold on to a fragile hope for a world seemingly able to devise the most heinous methods to terrorize the spirit of the human person.

Sister Diane was from Our home town. Very horrible and sad thing that happened to her. She was a very brave woman who brought attention to the atrocities in Guatemala. So many people living in fear. Let us Pray 🙏

It hard to imagine how a sensitive, physically delicate woman like Sister Dianne could have survived what she did. Not just the torture and rape, and what followed immediately afterwards; but the long years seeking information and some measure of justice. – I realise that for years I thought the US Department of State or military, or even the CIA, had not fully understood or controlled the demons unleashed in Guatemala. But reading about the lies and obfuscation, the deliberate attempt to traduce Sister Dianne’s testimony – long after the REMHI report – disabused me of that.The book is a testimony also to the saving power of love. Not only the love Sister Dianne received from friends, family, community – flawed as that sometimes was. But the love for other people who had been deeply wounded: in prison with her, her loyalty to a woman tortured with her, and later to the children of prisoners, for other victim-survivors, for her grieving family and friends, that helped draw her out into a full and generative life again. It was strange to read a book where there are so many movements towards and away from darkness, and to realise that as she says: torture is branded on the survivor; but a new layer can grow on a life, a layer of love.I am glad to have followed up by reading a interview with Sister Dianne online. She is no longer focused as much on torture, and I think that is good. It is good to think that on many days, she experiences laughter and fun; these are a reclamation of life. It has made me more committed again, to do my part in prevention and recovery of this shocking aberration on humanity.

This book is a true testament to the power of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit's divine intervention working right all over the world, despite evil and false beliefs held particularly by police who adopt despair for themselves and resort to torture still. It is God's gift to promote life to the world - in this instance given through Sr. Dianna, to inspire and encourage everyone who has ever suffered and survived any cruel injury as inhumane disrespect and mistreatment, for possessing faith and hope to trust entirely in the love of the one and only Triune God. I am grateful to Sr. Dianna, but all the more to God, that I can possess this book as I live yet saved also from Torture suffered in Canada where it spread from the USA based-Taser International, Inc., since this book was published - on and into ignorant police who haven't read it in Canada. I too can speak out against any satanic deceitful police forces that attempt to deny Him all the Glory and Honour and Praise He deserves from everyone. What more can I say now as you can view videos of Christians still being persecuted and tortured and executed as easily as you can view this book review? The only word missing from Canada's constitution is "TRIUNE" to specify that Person who is God, whose rule of law Canada's government, like every Nation on earth should be founded on - is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the Holy Catholic Church - not merely some errant and false prophet whose futile desire ever was or became or yet attempts to pretend it can ever succeed in destroying true faith. Hope is not founded on death, it is founded on Love, which never fails and is miraculous, because God is LOVE.