Parque para la Preservación de la Memoria Histórica de Calama, Human rights memorial in Calama, Chile

The Parque para la Preservación de la Memoria Histórica de Calama is a concrete memorial 13 km southeast of Calama, designed by Rodrigo Letelier Saavedra. It has 26 pillars for the 26 people shot by the Caravana de la Muerte and 8 inner columns for the detained-disappeared of the area. Its measurements follow the Fibonacci series and the golden ratio, from the burial pit to the stairways, walls and column diameters. A wooden semicircle and a large iron cross donated by Codelco workers complete the site.

The memorial opened in 2004, following the 1990 discovery of remains belonging to 26 political prisoners who were executed at this location during the regime's rule. This finding became crucial in documenting and acknowledging crimes committed during the dictatorship.

The memorial is a meeting place for commemorative activities honouring executed political prisoners, organised by groups of families of the executed and detained-disappeared of Calama. A large iron cross was contributed by workers of the copper company Codelco Chile in memory of colleagues killed under Pinochet's dictatorship. The site stands where human remains were found in 1990.

Entry is free and the site is easy to navigate on foot during daylight hours, especially if you start from the main entrance and follow the marked paths. Guided tours are offered regularly and provide deeper context about the individual victims and their stories.

The pillars and staircases follow mathematical proportions based on harmonic ratios, giving the memorial a subtle structural depth. This architectural choice links the site with principles of aesthetic harmony and geometric order.