The Controversial ‘Esmeralda’

Busy, busy, busy! Things have been buzzing lately, and I have all kinds of fun stuff to blog in the next few weeks, including a beautiful wedding in Pt. Reyes, some behind the scenes photos, and a headshot special for next month I’ll be announcing soon.

Meanwhile, we’ve had a bit of summer breaking through the fog. Last weekend we hopped on the ferry and headed to Angel Island – I’ve lived in the bay area for 14 years and am embarrassed to admit I’d never been there before! On the way out towards the island we spotted this beautiful white tall ship docked at Pier 27.

The ship belongs to the Chilean navy and was in town for only one weekend. There’s a bit of controversy along with the visit – according to Amnesty International, this ship was used as a detention center by the Pinochet-era Chilean Government, with reports of torture and human rights violations. The Chronicle weighed in on the topic, pointing out that while the ship has a dark history, it is currently used as a training ship and carries a crew of 350 people, including women, whom only recently have been allowed to join naval service in Chile.


KQED news reported on the story as well.

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