Deformutilation: Cementerio Del Sur, Caracas

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Cementerio Del Sur, Caracas

The Cementerio del Sur only remained in operation for four years, closing definitively in 1871. A yellow fever epidemic swept through Buenos Aires that year & killed an estimated 14,000 people—10% of the city’s population—in the span of a few months. The Cementerio del Sur could not accomodate such a large number of burials & prompted the opening of a much larger cemetery to the west. Although not receiving new burials, the Cementerio del Sur continued to remain open so family members could visit their deceased loved ones. But the city government failed to maintain the site. In 1889 a monument which can still be seen today was erected to commemorate those who had died during the yellow fever epidemic. In the 1890s, the entrance gate was removed when as area was reassigned to become a public park.

Because the Cemetery was left abandoned history repeats itself year after year, when the faithful come to the cemetery to visit their loved ones every November 2, Day of the Dead. There are desecrated graves, mounting trash piles, leaks, and the feeling of insecurity in the cemetery. There have also been reports of vandals stealing not only tombstones but human remains.