Written by Celeste OlalquiagaThe huge futuristic spiral known as El Helicoide has a reputation as the country's worst torture center. El Helicoide is a microcosm of the contradictions written into Venezuela's modern history. El Helicoide was built in the 1950s. El Helicoide is surrounded by shantytowns, locally known as barrios, namely those of San Agustín del Sur. Once hailed as the would-be icon of Venezuela's fast paced modernity, El Helicoide's downward spiral sadly represents the collapse of a national dream built on untenable social divisions.

Source: CNN February 10, 2019 10:30 UTC