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Recent historical research studies report that the Spanish army frequently used chemical weapons during its colonial invasions of the Rif between 1921 and 1927. Such violence, and memories of it, have been incorporated and perpetuated by an oral tradition that remains very much alive today. Several accounts and testimonies link the allegedly high prevalence of different types of cancer in the region to the effects of those chemical gases. This article examines the embodiment of this colonial chemical violence, experienced as a chronic disease. In addition to elucidating the overlap between transgenerational transmission of memories of colonial violence and their lasting effects on physical and psychological health, the aim is also to examine the practices and discourses of individual and collective actors, in particular those of the victims and the associations that defend their cause of obtaining recognition, justice and reparation.