Elsa Valle says she aborted due to abuse in prison

Elsa Valle Montenegro, the university student who was released from the La Esperanza women’s prison, where she was in prison accused of several crimes for participating in the student protests, revealed that she suffered a miscarriage and said that it was because of the mistreatment she suffered while she was in detention.

The young woman, aged 19, told El Nuevo Diario yesterday that she went to visit her gynecologist, who submitted her to an ultrasound, whereby she discovered that she had a severe vaginal infection due to a miscarriage.

She was three months pregnant.

“The truth is that my gynecologist scared me when he told me I had to be prepared for everything. I still had the hope that I was pregnant, but the doctor explained the results of the ultrasound,” said the young girl.

Valle attributes the loss of her pregnancy to the mistreatment she received during her capture, when police officers threw her into the patrol car and sent her to El Chipote cells, where, according to reports from her family and herself, she was subjected to physical and psychological abuse.

After a judicial process to which she was subjected, she was transferred to the La Esperanza women’s prison, where according to her story, mistreatment of all kinds continued.

Among other things she said that she was forced to perform squats while naked, they did not have hygienic conditions in the cell and bathroom, and there was a lot of contamination.

In addition, she reported that she was not given adequate medical attention or medications when needed.

“The mistreatment did not end once they sent me to La Esperanza prison there,” she continued.

She said that everything (the miscarriage) could have been avoided if from the beginning she had received medical attention, in addition to the day after she regained her freedom, she had to go to the orthopedist because he left a problem in her left foot and put a splint and a boot, which she will have to use for at least one month.

The gynecologist prescribed rest, however, she is now fighting for the freedom of her father, Carlos Valle, who received visits yesterday and Dona Rebeca Montenegro (her mother) told him that he is happy from the first day he learned of her freedom, but that is thin, due to the stress that he lives in the Modelo prison.