In Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship, I was a union leader in Valparaiso, the second largest city in the country. My position made me dangerous for the dictatorship and that was enough reason for me to be arrested and tortured. We had contact with several international organisations among the Norwegian Labour Workers Union who helped me to escape because I was in danger of being killed. In April 1988 I came to Norway as a refugee. I lived in several places in Norway. After two years my family joined me and we moved to a Norwegian town called Elverum in 1994. I was the first refugee to be elected to the city council, where I served for 3 periods, and I was a deputy county councillor for one period. Currently, I work with immigrant organisations. I am leader of Elverum Municipal Immigrants Advisory Board, and a board member of the national Immigrant Organisation (INLO).
