Whose Memories Are These? The Archive of Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The "Centro de Información para la Memoria Colectiva y los Derechos Humanos" began operating in April 2004 and made the documentation of the Comisión de la Verdad available to the interested public. This Information Center — its organization, content, and functions — is the subject of this article. Its importance need not be emphasized: it is a repository that helps us reconstruct, partially no doubt, not only "what happened" during the years of political violence, but also, insofar as it gathers testimonies from victims and witnesses, to understand the multiple and often contradictory memories and interpretations of those events. The documentation it contains will also be of great use to those interested in reconstructing the complex and controversial work carried out by the CVR and the process of producing its Final Report.