Antonio Portillo

Oral history interview with Antonio Portillo

Antonio Portillo was 28 years old when he fled Guatemala with his wife, Estella, and their four children. In this interview, Antonio recounts the horrific story of why they were forced to leave Guatemala from one day to the next and how they found sanctuary in Madison as “Rogelio and Maria Gonzalez.”

This recording was created on 01/22/2023 . You can view the original file and full metadata in our digital repository.

Photo of "Gonzalez" family on the grounds of St. Benedict's Monastery where they were in Sanctuary, 1984

Photo of Portillo family at retirement party for both Antonio and Estella, 2022

Photo of Rev. Arthur Lloyd and Laurie Lemel sitting behind four El Salvador refugees at St. Francis House, circa 1983