A LITTLE TASTE OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RECENT HISTORY

Hi everyone,

Once, I asked my English Composition Students what historical fact was commemorated that day. Nobody knew. I was astonished and kept on doing the same with the rest of my classes. I got almost the same answers. After that, I concluded that Dominican students needed to know more about Dominican recent history. From that day on, I decided to change the general topic of the writing project in my English Composition Class. As a consequence, I had my 2017 summer class find out and write about the history of the Dominican Republic from 1959 to 1978. Here are the results. I hope you enjoy these essays my students wrote. What calls your attention the most? Why does that call your attention?

CARACOLES BEACH EXPEDITION

By Ameli Sánchez

              Caracoles Beach Expedition was very important for Dominican society. Dominicans were suffering and their rights were being violated by Joaquin Balaguer regime. Therefore, the said expedition was created to put that government out of power.

Very important facts led to Caracoles Beach Expedition. The 1965 war broke out and was commanded by a military named Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó who was tired of the situation that was happening with all the governments that had ruled the country. Mr. Caamaño organized a small group with some men to face Balaguer’s military and defend Dominican rights such us religious freedom, right to housing, equality between natural children and the ones born under marriage, among others. When Balaguer discovered what Col. Caamaño wanted to do, he said through the radio as a news, “there’s no jail for Caamaño.” He said that because he wanted to get rid of him.

            After that, on February 2nd, 1973, nine men landed at Caracoles Beach, whose names were Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó, Ramón Euclides Holguín Marte, Hamlet Herman Pérez, Mario Nelson Galán Duran, Claudio Caamaño Grullon, Juan Ramón Payero Ulloa, Heberto Lalanes José, Alfredo Pérez Vargas and Toribio Peña Jaquez. In groups of three, two, and one, they headed to the south of the country. They created a Guerrilla front against Joaquin Balaguer’s government. Mr. Caamaño was criticized because he had already fought against a coup and again, he was in another fight. Baleaguer said. “I saw it by myself and Las Fuerzas Armadas (The Armed Forces) secretary of state, and the army chief went with me.’’ They had had the first bloody shock with a military gang and a Guerrilla group.   

Moreover, the results of Caracoles Beach expedition were surprising for Dominican society. Thirteen days after landing, on February sixteenth, the Armed Forces, commanded by General Enrique Pérez y Pérez and the brigadier, Juan René beauchamp Javier, saw the corpses of Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó and two of his partners in Nizaito neighborhood in San Jose de Ocoa city. After that, they showed the corpses to a small group of journalists that were transported by helicopter to the place where the lifeless bodies of Col. Caamaño and his partners, Heberto Lalanes Jose and Alfredo Perez Vargas were. However, the Armed Forces had reported that Mr. Caamaño had died in combat. Others informed that National Army troops persecuted him; he was shot, dismembered, and burned. After an intense persecution in the mountains of the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range), by the end of March, the Armed Forces announced the elimination of the guerrilla group, remaining Hamlet Herman Pérez, Claudio Caamaño Grullón, and Toribio Peña Jaquez as sole survivors. Time after that, they were country exiles. 

In conclusion, Dominican rights were defended by a group of brave men, commanded by Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó, who landed at caracoles beach. Unfortunately, the group of guerrilla was caught in the Central Mountain Range. With that expedition, those heroes taught Dominican people that they must not be afraid to defend their rights.

 

Santo Domingo 2017

The Mirabal Sisters

By Francheska Diaz Jimenez

    

The Mirabal sisters is the most important group of heroines in the Dominican Republic. They became not only a group of heroines but also a symbol for having contributed to eliminate a dictatorship by offering their blood. Thanks to the Mirabal sisters, people celebrate the day of non violence against women. There are movies, a museum, books, poems, and statues in their honor.

           The Mirabal Sisters’ childhood was very interesting. The first of them was Patria Mercedes who was born on February 27^th, 1924. The second was Belgica Adela who was born on March 1^st, 1925. The third was Maria Argentina Minerva who was born on March 12^th, 1926, and the fourth was Antonia Maria Teresa who was born on October 15^th, 1935. Ojo the Agua, Salcedo was the place where the Mirabal sisters spent part of their lives. Their parents were Doña Chea and Don Enrique who worried about their education. The Mirabal sisters began their studies in Ojo de Agua until fourth grade. In 1937, their parents decided to send two of them, Patria and Minerva, to La Vega to continue their studies. The only one who never attended school so much was Dede. She always showed interest for business. She worked as a homemaker and helped run the family business on agriculture and cattle. The Mirabal sisters stood out at the school. They were very brilliant and liked to read a lot. Patria, the oldest, got married at the age of 16. She finished school and together with her sisters. The Mirabal sisters’ childhood was an interesting experience because they went through good and bad moments. One of those moments was leaving school several times, but they returned to it again. They got where they wanted to get.

            The Mirabal sisters helped to stop a dictatorship. The Mirabal sisters were Dominican heroines who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. They gave up a privileged life to fight against mistreat of a powerful and corrupt dictator, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. The Mirabal sisters took up the struggle to bring down Trujillo’s regime. Those women willingly gave the best of them for the cause.  They followed their convictions with bravery and selflessness to fight for what they believed. Three of them Patria, Maria, and Minerva gave their lives. Dede did not participate, but she helped hiding the guns and other things. The Mirabal sisters were sure that Rafael Leonidas Trujillo would send the country to chaos. For that reason, they created the Movimiento 14 de Junio (14^th of June Movement). Some important persons who were in the group were Manolo Tavares who was Minerva’s husband, Leandro Guzmán, and others. The first sister who fought for overthrowing Trujillo’s dictatorship was Minerva. Next patria and Teresa joined her. Two of the Mirabal sisters, Minerva and Maria, Were raped, tortured, and humiliated. Even through they were victims of Trujillo’s orders, they continued with their plans until they they were assassinated on November 25^th, 1960. The Mirabal sisters will be remembered for the rest of Dominican Republic life.

            As a result, The Mirabal sisters became a symbol in the Dominican Republic. In honor to these brave women, each November 25^th, the Day of Nonviolence Against Women is commemorated. This day was established in the first Feminist Meeting in Latin America and the Caribbean in 1981. On behalf of the Mirabal sisters, there is a museum where people can appreciate their belongings: hair, clothes, pictures, collections, a typical kitchen with firewood, bed, and other things that can be cherished. Pedro Mir who is the Dominican national poet, wrote a poem entitled Amen de Mariposas (Amen of Butterflies) in which he expresses the tragedy of the Mirabal sisters. Also, there is a book about their lives, En Tiempo de las Mariposas (In the time of Butterflies) written by Julia Alvares. Based on that book, Mariano Barroso made a movie, En el tiempo de las Mariposas (In the Time of Butterflies).  All these show that the Mirabal sisters became a symbol of democracy in the Dominican Republic.

             In conclusion, The Mirabal sisters were four smart and cultured girls in their childhood. Three of these girls fought for what they believed: to overthrow Trujillo´s dictatorship. The Mirabal sisters became a symbol. Their legacy and memories will always be remembered. Their loyalty and courage for defending Dominican people from those who mistreat and offend the Dominican Republic make the Mirabal sisters very important Dominican heroines.

Santo Domingo 2017

TRUJILLO’S DEATH

By Hector Frías Fuentes

 Rafael Leonidas Trujullo’s Death is an important fact in Dominican history. It signaled the end of a dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. Right away, the people started executing their rights. As a result, democracy came back to Dominican Republic.

Trujillo’s Death was an aftermath of being without freedom in the Dominican Republic. The dictatorship was almost going down, and people decided to pull down Trujillo’s regime. First, people from Santo Domingo were tired of the dictator. In the meantime, Trujillo denied the rights of the people, so there was no freedom in the country. Since 1930, they wanted to stop the dictatorship. During his regime, Trujillo ordered to kill a lot of people who were against him. This made the sociopolitical situation terrible. As an illustration of this, people who were against him made many demonstrations in the capital city. Many people died because of that dictatorship.

     The dictator was killed during the night of May 30th, 1961. The dictator was being driven to San Cristobal at 9:45 p.m. by his driver, Zacarías. There was a complot waiting for them on November 6th Avenue. Seven men who were against him shot the car he was in. The dictator died immediately. There was a terrible situation in the capital city. There were many  demonstrations  in Santo Domingo. Moreover, the Service of Military Intelligence chased the ones who killed the dictator. First, they killed Lieutenant García Guerrero. Second, Trujillo’s son, Ramfis came back from Paris and took control of the situation. Next, on June 2nd, 1961, Ramfis killed the rest of the complot. Once the funeral of the dictator was over, Trujillo’s  family was forced to go out the country. Then, crowds in the streets pulled down Trujillos symbols. Trujillo’s Death finished a terrible dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. He spent 30 years controlling the country and his death started another stage in Dominican history.

                After Trujillos Death, the Dominican Republic became a country of freedom and public liberty. People can do whatever they want because of freedom. Second, different political parties were established in the country and ran for governing the country. Whenever any political party in office intended to perpetuate ruling the country, the other parties worked harder for their candidates. The main party was Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (Dominican Revolutionary Party) and its leader was Juan Bosch. Also, there was Union Civica Nacional (National Civic Union) whose leader was Viriato Fiallo. Last but not least was Movimiento 14 de Junio (June 14^th Movement) with Manolo Tavares Justo as its leader. On december 20th, 1962, the first democratic elections were celebrated. The country chose Juan Bosch as the president of the Dominican Republic. He was the first president after the dictatorship of 30 years.

                In summary, Dominican people were tired of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s dictartorship. The killing of the dictator changed Dominican society. As a result, the Dominican Republic established itself as democratic country.

Santo Domingo 2017

THE COUP D`ETAT AGAINST PRESIDENT JUAN BOSCH

By Jennifer N. Beato Mena

                How would the Dominican Republic be nowadays if President Juan Bosch had not been overthrown? Would the country be at the same level of development as a nation? Right after the Coup d`Etat led by the Colonel Elias Wessin y Wessin in the dawn of September 25^th, 1963, the Dominican Republic has not been the same. The political environment got contaminated in many ways. Nowadays, Juan Bosch is considered one of the most important politicians with values never seen in Dominican history.

            Before the coup d’état against President Juan Bosch, many significant and interesting facts happened. During his stay in exile, Juan Bosch had founded the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (Dominican Revolutionary Party), which stood out as the most active front against Rafael Leonidas Trujillo`s dictatorship outside of the Dominican Republic. It was created in 1939. After 23 years in exile, Juan Bosch decided to return to his lovely homeland right after Trujillo was assassinated on May 30^th, 1961. The first democratic elections in this country were on December 20^th, 1962, in which Juan Bosch and his mate, Armando Gonzalez Tamayo won over Viriato Fiallo. Once Juan Bosch got elected as the President of the Dominican Republic, he immediately launched a deep restructuring of the country and a new liberal constitution. This document granted the people freedoms they have never known. However, Bosch faced powerful enemies. His manner of speaking, direct and simple, were reasons enough to be accused by the church and by conservatives of being a communist.

             The Coup d`Etat was an event that changed the course of Dominican history. Unfortunately, on September 25<sup>th</sup>, 1963, the President Juan Bosch got arrested. After 7 months in office, Bosch was pulled down in a coup led by the Colonel Elias Wessin y Wessin. Juan Bosch`s honest  government was replaced by a three-men military government named the Triunvirato composed by Emilio De los Santos, Ramon Tapia, and Manuel Tavarez. As a result, Bosch went to exile in Puerto Rico. The church thought Bosch was trying to over secularize the country and industrialists did not like the new constitution. Juan Bosch`s government was one of the most honest and respectful governments in the history of the Dominican Republic. However, the church, the military, and industrialists’ interests were affected, so they conspired against him. Less than 2 years later, during the Triunvirato`s government, a big dissatisfaction was generated.  This provoked another military rebellion on April 24^th, 1965 that demanded Bosch`s restoration. This military rebellion was led by the Colonel Francisco Caamaño, who removed the 3 three-men`s government from the power on April 28^th, 1965. Additionally, the USA dispatched around 42,000 troops to the island in order to support the anti-Bosch forces. During the civil war in 1965, the Unite States was always trying to avoid that Juan Bosch take the command of the country again.

    Consequently, the Coup d`Etat against the President Juan Bosch was an event that, for better or worse, changed the Dominican Republic history. One month right after the coup led by Francisco Caamaño Deñó against the Triunvirato, a provisional government was formed and elections were held on July 1^st, 1966. This electoral process was totally conditioned by the United States Military intervention. Both Juan Bosch and Joaquin Balaguer were presidential candidates, who campaigned in different ways. For example, Bosch kept a campaign of fear because he was threatened with death if he went out to campaign. That was a big reason why Balaguer took full advantage of this situation and based his campaign on democracy. The United States clearly supported Balaguer. Thus the president of the USA at that time, John F. Kennedy, said that he preferred another bloody regime than a second communist regime in the hemisphere. Even though Bosch did everything possible to win the elections, Balaguer won with 775,885 votes, which is 57%.

            To sum up, without Juan Bosch, Dominicans would not have discovered democracy. With him, the Dominican Republic had the most developed, advanced and progressive Constitution, which was written in 1963. Fortunately, Dominicans should imitate his ways usually described as direct and simple. They are his best legacy, which is still useful for the future generations.

Santo Domingo  2017

  RENÉ DEL RISCO BERMÚDEZ

By Liset Castillo Contreras

         René Del Risco Bermúdez was one of the best writers the Dominican Republic has had. Through his writing, he fought for Dominican Democracy. He was part of 1965 war. This shows that he was not a simple writer who wrote good books. Nowadays, he is considered very important in Dominican Literature.

           René Del Risco was born in San Pedro de Macoris on May 9^th, 1937. His mother was America Bermudez and his father was Victor Del Risco Aponte. Rene’s grandfather was Federico Bermudez who was an important writer in the Dominican Republic. René came from a very good family. When he was 12 years old, he started to feel the passion for poetry. That is why, at his earliest years, he was author of many poems and songs.

           René Del Risco became an unmistakable literary legacy in the Dominican Republic. He was a poet, narrator, and publicist. He wrote his first book in 1954. It was named “Nenufares.” In 1955, he graduated from college and got a degree in Spanish. In 1969, he received a prize for his literature and his book “La Oportuninidad.” He also earned a prize for one of his most famous books, “Ahora que Vuelvo Ton.” His writing marked a great generation that admired his writing. Moreover, he helped on the first step of the democracy the Dominican Republic enjoys nowadays. René worked against a strong social inequality. In his book, “Ahora que Vuelvo Ton” he shares the story of a friend. It leads readers to think from the position of others, especially those who are dispossessed.

          In 2017, the Ministry of Culture dedicated the international book fair to René Del Risco Bermúdez, where his writing was exhibited. This gave people the opportunity to know about his contribution to the Dominican Republic. People can find more documents about his life in the exposition that his daughter makes every year. René Del Risco has a privileged place in the culture and politics of the Dominican Republic.

        To sum up, René Del Risco Bermúdez was immersed in writing since he was a child. That is why he wrote many good books. He is an important piece in the Dominican literature. For all this, he is a good model as a writer and person.

Santo Domingo, 2017

        JOSÉ FRANCISCO PEÑA GÓMEZ

By Rolando Antonio Solano Figuereo

                 Jose Francisco Peña Gomez was an interesting leader in the Dominican Republic. Once, he said, ´´ First, the people.´´ By this expression, he showed he worried about people, especially poor masses. He had a difficult childhood, but it didn’t keep him from becoming the person he wanted to be.

            Firstly, Jose Francisco Peña Gomez´ s childhood was very interesting. He was born in Valverde on March 6^th, 1937. His parents were Haitian. As an infant, he was orphaned when Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, a military dictator of the Dominican Republic, ordered a massacre in which more than 10,000 Haitians were killed in the border.  Therefore, a thousand fled across the border. His parents fled, too. Then, Jose Francisco Peña Gomez was adopted by a Dominican family. Moreover, he had two sets of parents and two sets of family. Both were loved by him. He rose from a childhood of extreme poverty; however, he desired to become a big and recognized person. For that reason, he studied hard and got an A several times. He was born in an era of conflict. Many people didn’t like him for he was black. However, he succeeded by studying hard.

            Secondly, Jose Francisco Peña Gomez was an interesting politician and also was a good spoke person. He became a big leader in the Dominican Republic. Since 1961, Jose Francisco Peña Gomez became a supporter of Juan Bosh. Then, he became the leader of the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (Dominican Revolutionary Party). Juan Bosh won the presidential elections of 1962 and became the first democratic president in 32 years, but his government was very short. It was stopped, ousted by military on September 25^th, 1963. Jose Francisco Peña Gomez tried to help Juan Bosh to return as a president, but it was not possible. He said things which gave honor to Juan Bosh many times on the radio. Then, he was three-time candidate for president of the Dominican Republic. Moreover, he was considered as one of the most prominent Dominican political figures of the 20^th century.

             Thirdly, Jose Francisco Peña Gomez was one of the most popular leaders in recent political history in the Dominican Republic. He gave an honesty example for everybody who knew about him. There are still some important places that were named after Jose Francisco Peña Gomez. The first one was Las Americas International Airport.´´ There is a statue near El Puente de La Diecisite (Seventeen Street) in his honor. Also, there is a subway station with his name. Some public schools have his name, too. Besides ´´First, the people,´´ he used to say  ´´Freedom or death.´´ In his life, people could see efficiency in all that he did. When he spoke, everyone could realize that he had eloquence in his speeches. Moreover, Jose Francisco Peña Gomez became a giant in the battle for democracy. Honesty was a main quality which identified him very well. Finally, a lot of people appreciate his simple way of living and also he fought for other people to have a better life.

             In conclusion, despite Jose Francisco Peña Gomez grew up in extreme poverty, his dream of becoming an important political character came true. He made a big effort for democracy in the Dominican Republic. He showed that to become a prominent person is difficult, but not impossible.    

Santo Domingo 2017           

     JUAN BOSCH

By Rosa  María Nina Aquino

            Juan Bosch was the first democratically elected president of the Dominican Republic after Rafael Leonidas Trujillo's death. He is considered the father of                    Literature in the Dominican Republic. He also was the founder of Dominican modern short story writing. Moreover he was the founder of Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (Dominican Revolutionary Party). Also, he was the creator and editor of the literary section of Listin Diario Newspaper. Juan Bosch was a prominent man who is considered the father of Dominican democracy.

          First of all, Juan Bosch childhood was very interesting. He was born on June 30^th, 1909, in a rural community named Rio Verde in la Vega. He lived in a nuclear family. His father was José Bosch, from Spain, and his mother was Angela Gaviño, from Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. He was baptized on December 24^th in the cathedral of la Vega by the Priest Florencio Lamarche. His godparents were Juana and Juan who also were his grandparents. His grandfather named him Juan in honor to himself. He finished elementary school in Rio Verde. One important person for him in his childhood was Father Fantino, in San Sebastian private school. After he finished elementary school, he was transferred to a normal school for men where he met his first friend, Samuel Mendoza. When he was a child, he used to play in Hernando de la Mota family’s yard with his friends. Another good friend of him was Silvestre Sanchez. After President Ramon Caceres death, he and his family moved to Cape Haitian in 1911, in search for new opportunities of life. In his childhood he had to confront hard work like his father. When his family returned from cape Haitian, they settled in la Vega again. He also lived with his grandfather who narrated him short stories; therefore, he acquired some abilities from that environment.

          Moreover, Juan Bosch did a lot of important things in his life. First of all, he became the first democratically elected president in the Dominican Republic after Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s death. He was the founder of the Dominican Revolutionary Party on 1938, and later, he founded the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana (Dominican Liberation party) in 1973. Furthermore, he was the founder of short story writing in the country. In 1937, Bosch and other important writers of that time formed a group known as La Cueva. He was the leader of the Dominican opposition in exile against the dictatorial regime of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo for over 25 years. After being elected president, on April 29^th, 1963, he promulgated a new liberal constitution; therefore, the new document granted the people the freedom they had never known. For example, he decreed several rights such as the rights of family, specific labour, pregnant women, farmers, and illegitimate children. He published a lot of interesting works as the essay, Indias, the novel, La Mañosa, and many short stories written in exile. He is one of the most prominent writers in the Dominican Republic.

         Finally, the things that Juan Bosch did for the Dominican Republic were so important that he is still being honored nowadays. In honor of him, the subway of Santo Domingo has one station with his name. Another example of the importance of Juan Bosch is the project of a city that will have his name. He also was a defender of democracy of the Dominican Republic. President Bosch is known as a writer, and he is also considered as a historian. Other important contributions that he made were his library and foundation. Besides, there are some landmarks in different parts of the country in honor of him. Finally, in the Dominican Republic, there are some streets with his name.

      In summary Juan Bosch did a lot of important things in favor of his country. The most important thing that he did for the future generations was that he contributed with the Dominican Republic democracy. Juan Bosch is known as an honest politician and a model to fallow because he never gave up.

San Cristobal 2017

        Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó

By Vimersy Sánchez Pérez                                                           

                     Who was Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó? Francisco Alberto was an important         man who lived to serve to the Dominican Republic. He was a military and Dominican hero that became the Constitutional President of the Dominican Republic during the War in April, 1965.  He also was the hero who restored Dominican Sovereignty. He fought to free the Dominican Republic. He and eight men made The Caracoles Beach Expedition. During the invasion of United States in 1965, he armed the people to defend the country, and followed the ideals of the President Juan Bosch.

           First of all, Francisco Alberto’s Childhood was the beginning of a hard heroic life. He was born on June 11^th, 1932, at Padre Billini Hospital, in Santo Domingo City. He was the third son of Lieutenant General Fausto Caamaño Medina and Enerolisa Deñó. He did first studies at Salesiano and Santo Tomás private schools, in the capital city. Most of his friends were from poor families to whom he gave away, among other things, his clothes and with whom he practiced swimming, baseball, volleyball, boxing, and other sports. He was sent to the Riverside Military Academy in the United States with his brothers and then to Colegio La Salle (La Salle Private School). Thanks to the influence of his strong military kinship, Francisco stood out with efficient and strived vocation of service to the Military Institution of his homeland.

        A very important fact is that Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó was the hero who restored the sovereignty of Dominican Republic. In 1964, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and held the headquarters of Radio Patrulla (Radio Patrol). That year, he joined the Group of Conspirators who, under the direction of Colonel Rafael Tomás Fernandez Dominguez sought to overthrow the regime of Reid Cabral and restore the Constitutional Order that had disappeared in September 1963. After the coup that ended the Government of President Juan Bosch, The armed forces were already clearly divided by two camps, the first was led by Colonel Elías Wesin y Wesin and the Constitutional troops were led by Colonel Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó. When the Constitutionalist revolt broke out on April 24^th, 1965, Caamaño took over the military leadership. Mr. Reid was arrested at Palacio Nacional and Molina Ureña became the head of the new interims Government. On May 3^rd, 1965, the Dominican Congress named the Colonel Caamaño Constitutional President of the Dominican Republic. The country had a new leader, and he soon showed talent for commanding the country. The United States invasion ended with the Reconciliation Act on September 3^rd, 1965. After suffering several attacks, Colonel Caamaño agreed to leave the country as Attached Military in the Dominican Embassy in London, England. He was there planning how to achieve the total liberation of the Dominican Republic. Then he came back to the island to complete his historical role. On February 3^rd, 1973, Colonel Caamaño, the most prominent figure of the Revolution of April 1965, accompanied by eight men, landed at Caracoles Beach on board of the " Black Jack’’ aiming to overthrow the government led by Joaquin Balaguer. The guerrilla group suffered several attacks and Colonel Caamaño was arrested and killed.

Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó was so important that nowadays, he is honored in different ways. For example, there is a station with his name in the first line of Santo Domingo Subway. On the westerm bank of Ozama River, the Avenida del Puerto(the Port Avenue) was renamed Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó Avenue to honor his memory. In a tribute on his behalf, Ramon Leonardo and his band Expresión Joven (Young Expression) composed and sang the song, Francisco Alberto, Caramba (Francisco Alberto, Darn!) a song that deals with the life of this Dominican prominent hero. In honor to his great struggle for Democracy, the name of Colón Avenue in Puerto Plata City was changed into President Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó. Besides, in Valle Nuevo Natural Park in Constanza, there is a modest monument dedicated to that great hero. There is also a plaque that indicates the place where he was assassinated by orders of President Joaquin Balaguer. It was also considered worthy of a post-mortem rise to the rank of General, but this consideration found immediate opposition. Francisco Alberto Caamaño has held the historic rank of Colonel, and as such, he takes his glory, regardless of the rank he has had.

           To sum up, Francisco Alberto Caamaño had a hard life since his childhood until his death. He helped to restore the Sovereignty of The Dominican Republic. He is very important to the Dominican Republic. For that reason, Dominican People remember and honor him.

Santo Domingo 2017

   PEDRO MIR

By Yoselín Martinez

            In life, nothing is easy to get, but it is not impossible. Pedro Mir was an example of this fact. He became an important writer because he was a brave man. He made a big effort to achieve his goals.

            Pedro Mir’s childhood was very important for his successfull life. He was born in San Francisco de Macorís on June 13^th, 1913. The early death of his mother impressed upon him a profound sense of loss. He would later consider this the root of his poetical vocation. His youth was spent in the refinery of sugar near his home town. His inspiration to becoming writer was the Dominican writer, Juan Bosch.

            Furthermore, what he did was interesting. He went to high school and finished it. Later, he got a degree in laws from the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo  (Autonomous University in Santo Domingo). Pedro worked a teaching inspector at a high school.  He also became a professor at Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD). He was a writer, lawyer, and poet. He started writing and publishing his poems in Dominican newspapers under his full name, Pedro Julio Mir. When he showed his poems to his friends, one of them took some to Juan Bosch. He sent his first social poem to Juan Bosch by himself. He got married and had a son named Pedro Julio. He moved to Cuba due to pressure from Trujilloʼs dictatorship. He was living precariously in Cuba. While living in Cuba, he wrote his first famous poem, Hay un País en el Mundo (There is Country in the World). He also wrote a poem in honor of Mirabal sisters, Amén de Mariposas (Amen of Butterflies). Also he wrote an essay entitled Las Raíces Dominicanas (Dominican Roots).

            Additionally, Pedro Mir is very important for future generations. For that reason, he deserved all the awards and honors he earned. His trajectory of living and many of his poems and essays made him an interesting intellectual. One of those things that made him very important was his most famous poem There is a Country in the World, which he wrote in 1949. It is a complaint against mistreats to peasants, exploited in the sugar mills and plantations. Many places around the country have been named after him such as the Ecologic Park, a high school, and a street at the entrance of Las Caobas neighborhood, all in San Pedro de Macorís. Furthermore, in Santo Domingo, a conference room in Cuesta Bookstore and the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo library have his name. Also, there is one of the metro subway stations dedicated to him near Abraham Lincoln Avenue. In 1999, the ministry of culture dedicated him the II International Book Fair in Santo Domingo. In 2013, for the celebration of his birth, San Pedro de Macorís City Hall held the IX Regional Fair in his honor. He was a brave Dominican man. The way he did all the things was a good lesson for the country. His courage made him an important person.

            In summary, Pedro Mir became famous after achieving his goals. He showed that if people have a dream, it is not hard to make it come true. They you just have to make a big effort as he did.

Bonao 2017

 

                                         

The Last of the Essays from my 2017-1 English Composition Class

Hi, everyone,

This is the last of the essays my English Composition I students wrote for their writing project. I hope you enjoy Sandy's piece. How do you like it?

My Yard

By Sandy Pichardo Bonilla

Nowadays, people are so focused on cell phones and social networks that they don’t stop to look around and see all the beautiful things nature has to offer them. My yard is a perfect example of those beautiful things. It is an interesting place to visit. It has a lot of diversity, which can take people out of their daily routine, and the stressful lives they are living. It can be the best place for people who want to see deferent things and enjoy all the beauty that God had created. There, you can have the chance to feel yourself, and see how different you are from others. People go there to see its magnificence and enjoy all this things it has to offer. My yard is one of the most beautiful ones.

First of all, in my yard there is a diversity of trees and grass. There, you can find a lot of cocoa trees with beautiful green leaves all around the house. Also you can see many orange trees, whose fruits are delicious and you can use them for eating or making juice. There are many palm trees and mango trees, wich are very tall and beautiful. You can see many other types of trees such as coffee, bananas, avocado, lemon, guava, sapodilla, and pear trees. All this variety of trees provides a great view to the house and a refreshing breeze that comes from them. There is grass, which is perfect to sit down to observe nature and feel the calm in your heart. If you visit my yard, you won’t want to get out of it due to its beauty and the diversity of trees and grass.

Besides the green area, my yard has a diversity of wild life. When you go to my yard, the first things you can see are some dogs, including two little ones, which spend the whole day playing on the grass and barking to everyone they see passing by. Also, you can observe many ducks taking baths in a little pool. They spend their days looking for earthworms in the mud, hunting insects, and eating all kinds of plants they find. There, you can see many hens with their little chickens walking all around the yard and removing the fallen leaves, looking for insects to feed their babies. Also, there are some roosters, which like to fight for the control of the henhouse. Besides, you can observe many lizards climbing trees, fighting with each other, and hunting insects to survive .You have the chance of watching how the spiders make their webs to catch all the insects that try to pass through them. There are many ant colonies. You can see them carrying food for the rainy days. Furthermore, you observe that they protect their colonies and that they are very organized. There are other animals such as turkeys, horses, cats, and so on. You can also see hundreds of birds flying everywhere and making beautiful sounds.

Although green area and wild life are important parts of my yard, the way it is decorated makes it one of the most beautiful ones. First, there is a path that guides you to the porch. This path was made with cement and blocks. Before entering the path, there is a wooden door. This door was made with sticks having a little space between them. It is painted in white and covered with zinc to protect it from the rain. There, you can see beautiful grass at both sides of the path, which makes it more beautiful. Second, it is surrounded by a line of little trees that were planted with the purpose of avoiding big animals to enter the yard to damage the grass. Third, the entire house is surrounded by a roadway. This roadway was made with cement to protect the basis of the house and provide it a better view. In this roadway, you can sit down to enjoy the fresh breeze and observe the trees and animals there. There is a garden in front of the house with a great diversity of flowers in deferent colors and sizes. This is the most beautiful thing you will see there. In this garden, you can see many animals that make it more lively and beautiful. For all these reasons, I consider my yard one of the most beautiful ones.

 The yard is what makes my house more beautiful and the place where I can get in touch with nature. The most amazing part in my yard is the green area, where I can sit down on the grass to see all the beautiful trees. Another beautiful part of my yard is the wild life which makes it livelier. Finally, the decoration is what makes it very different from others. The yard in my house is the perfect place to relax and be in touch with nature. If you want to get out of the daily routine, and forget about your problems, my yard is the perfect place for you.

San Francisco de Macorís 2017

ANOTHER PAIR OF ESSAYS WRITTEN BY MY COMPOSITION I STUDENTS DURING 2017-1

Hi, everyone,

I hope you all enjoy this pair of essays my English Composition I students wrote last semester.

Is there anything in Rebeca and Ruth's pieces that calls your attention? Please, leave a comment.

My Backyard 

By Rebeca Reyes Paulino

My backyard is my refugee. Firstly, because is the place in which I can spend time with my family and friends. It is a place that is far from the noisy and hot city. In my yard, people can be surrounded by the bounty of the earth, and at the same time, feel inner peace. In this special yard, everybody can leave the stress and worries of the daily life behind.

There is an interesting green area in my backyard. My yard is a blessing place for me. You can eat everything that is hanging out in each tree. When you arrive to my yard, the first thing you see is a big guava tree. That tree is enormous. The guavas leaves are green and big. It has many guavas all around the tree, which has a huge and brown trunk. Next to the guava tree, there is a red cherry tree. This plant is not as big as the guava tree, but it has a lot at of branches pointing up to the sky. This is plant is covered by many leaves. There are many red cherries on the tree. Another tree that makes my yard pretty is the tamarind tree. It is on the middle of the yard. Its branches are full of tiny leaves. It produces a sour and sweet fruit. All those trees are interesting and their fruits are delicious. All these plants and trees give us fruits, shadow, and keep people in harmony with nature.

The amount of animals in my yard varies in size and color. The first animals that I notice are butterflies flying over the cherry tree. Butterflies have a big and colorful body and they have big wings that they shake all the time along with the air. Its moves make them more beautiful. They are always surrounding flowers in search of food. Other animals in my yard are  lizards. They are very common in most yards, and they are frequently climbing all types of trees looking for insects for eating. They have different colors and sizes such as green, brown, and sometime they are multicolor. I can see groups of birds flying and singing around the guava tree. They are ussually all together going from one side to another in search of seeds. I see many flies in the air, and many mosquitoes as well. Something that has always called my attention is when those flies are flying forming a circle in the air for a long period of time.

All the interesting things that we can do in my backyard are incredible. For example, Last December, my family planned a big thanks-giving dinner in which many of our relatives came from different part of the country. Firstly, I decorated the yard with balloons hanging from the trees and rented a lot of chairs that we organized in many circles. My mother-in-law decided to make some food. She made a traditional Dominican dish. The neighbors brought sweets and cakes. Besides, as a tradition in the yard, we celebrate Easter. My grandmother makes a meeting with all the relatives and friends to pray for all the families and thank. She invites a preacher that spends an hour praying for the children all around the world. Winter is one of our favorite seasons because we get together, especially during a blackout. We prepare a big pot of tea made of ginger and cinnamon while my parents are talking about cripy stories in the middle of the night.

To conclude, my backyard is a place with a beautiful green area and a amazing landscape. People can get rid of negative leelings and be part of the great scenery just by swing all the different fruits around it. Also people can coexist with the amoung of animals of different species that are always moving from one side to another. On the other hand, people can realice many activities during the whole year. Im my opinion, people should spend less time working or doing unmeanningful things and dedicate more time sharing with their families in order to keep the family together for ever.     

San Francisco de Macorís 2017

San Fco. Macorís, Dominican Republic.

Thursday, May 18^th., 2017

MY APARTMENT

 By Ruth del Carmen Monegro

My apartment is a place in which you enjoy your free time. My apartment is a special place. A place that I can call home. It is a place where you can relax and feel free. It is a place to do all the things you need to. My apartment has those qualities. Those things make it my favorite place. I love to stay there with my baby, enjoying the view and the peace that you can experience in this place.  

         The decoration of my apartment is simple and elegant. My apartment has a modern and elegant style. It is featured with a subtle touch of elegance in black, white, and gray. The walls are painted a kind of colonial white. That light color makes the space the biggest and the cleanest. The door is a kind of aluminum brown. There is a dark brown furniture set and paints in dark colors, too. They make the living room a special combination. The bathroom is like the same, but in this case, the walls are covered with gray ceramic and have a white floor with Spanish ceramic. The shower curtains are in crystal with a big mirror in the middle. The decoration is connected with the special and modern style I want to express.

The living room of my apartment has the best view ever. The living room has a perfect view because it has a big window in the front. From there, you can see the park of my neighborhood. You can see and hear the birds on all the trees in the park. The view can carry you to another place. The living room has 30 meters square. The floor is white and gray granite. The walls are painted white. The window has some iron bars that cover it. They are black. There is a big beige curtain with gold embroidery. The door is brown and has another black iron door. At the entrance, there is a water proof black mat with a beige sign that reads welcome. In the hallway, there are three little tables with some plants on them. The living room is  kind of modern style. There is a dark brown furniture set and four rocking chairs next to it. The rocking chairs are next to the big window, which are made of fiberglass. There is a little table with some flowers on it. On the walls, there are two paintings. One of them is above the sofa. The other one is on the left side. It is about a cottage by a river. Those paintings have a black frame with a gold lace. I invite my family and friends to enjoy it. They feel comfortable and warm. Early in the morning, when the sun is rising, the rays of the sun touch and reflect on the wall and pass by the window. It is really great to take a cup of coffee in the morning, sitting on the rocking chairs.

The baby´s room is the most beautiful and cute room in my entire apartment. It is a little room, but it has a lot of cute things for my baby. It is 40x40 meters square. The walls are painted white. The floor is granite. The room is in the middle of my bedroom and the living room. It is in front of the bathroom. On the walls, I pasted some letters foraming my baby´s name. Her name is Maryori Rouse. The letters are pink and purple. There are some purple butterflies. There is a king of aluminum white door. The window is made of glass with black aluminum rim. The glass is transparent, so early in the morning, when the sun is coming out, the rays of the sun touch and pass through the glass, and reflect on the wall. For that reason, the room is really warm. There is a little cradle on the corner, next to the window. Also, there is a running chair near the cradle. The bed set is dark brown made with treated pine. There is a little closet drawer. There is a big closet with a mirror door on a corner of the room. The doors of the closet go from one side to another. It has the baby´s  things like clothes, shoes, and towels. There is an aluminum fan in the room. It has a bulb in the middle of it. The remote control is next to the door to the left side. It has five volumes going from slow to fast. There are some balloons arrangements, which are pink, green, yellow, purple, and blue with baby´s drawings. There are some beige curtains covering the window. The curtains are made of screen cloth.

My apartment is a beautiful place to stay. It has a modern and elegant decoration. Also, it has the best view I have never seen. The decoration is made with some special materials and details which make it an amazing place. The apartment looks like a big place. The baby´s room is the most beautiful and cute room in the whole apartment. They spend a lot of time build it. It was built to make my baby happy and comfortable. The whole apartment is a really beautiful place.

San Francisco de Macorís 2017

FIRST SEMESTER-2017 TWO MORE ENGLISH COMPOSITION I STUDENT ESSAYS

These are two more essays written by my English Composition I students. what do think of Ramón and Randielis's essays?

MY YARD

By Ramon Daniel Martinez Henriquez

      A very important place for families is their yard. If they live in a house, they have one most of the time. They can have gatherings there like parties, barbecues, birthdays parties, or just have fun with friends. Besides, families use the yard for keeping animals, having a garden, or even playing some sports like baseball, basketball, boxing, or any other. My yard is just a space where you can stay and enjoy yourself. It has some elements in it that I love which are the wildlife, the green area, and the boxing area.

       My yard green area is great to stay in. First, I can transport my mind to another world. To the left there is an amazing mango tree covering part of the yard. I love to see it. Next to it, there are some plantain trees. They are so green. To the left, there is a small guava tree. It is very strong. The grass and the passion fruit tree are in the middle of the yard. Another element that makes the beauty of my yard is the coconut tree behind the guava tree. The coconut tree is very high and strong. It gives a big shadow to the yard, making it a better place. Also to the left, next to the guava tree, there is another passion fruit covering the guava tree. An interesting thing that also makes it a nice place for staying in is that the yard and the house are in a quiet area. All of these elements like the trees, grass, and green plants just add a beautiful view from every corner of the yard. You can turn your mind off and enjoy the amazing yard of my house.

         Similar to the green area, the wildlife in my yard is amazing to see. First, it keeps my yard alive. When you go there, you will like it for sure. There are some animals there. There are a dog, a rabbit, and a hen. Those are not the only visible animals in my yard. There are different insects. For example, there are ants, ladybugs, butterflies, dragonflies, praying mantis, and mosquitoes. Sometimes, you can also see a mouse around the yard and it is funny when my neighbor's cat is chasing it. My favorite part is to see the birds and hear them sing. I enjoy listening to every single sound that they make. Another interesting part of it is to see how the wildlife is distributed in the whole yard, especially in front and behind the boxing area because it is so green and perfect for insects. Other insects that lives in my yard are spiders. The reason why my yard is so alive is because my father really loves wildlife and always takes care of it. He loves our dog, Dockie. It is a good dog. Sometimes it is hard to listen to a dog barking to the birds or to everything that moves the whole day. The wildlife in my yard is unique and fun to see. If you have the chance to stay in, you will probably love it.

       My favorite area in my yard is the boxing area. First, the boxing area was built by me. I really love boxing and exercises. I can go there and just do my boxing routine. The boxing area is in the right side of my yard in the garage. I have a black sandbag there. I love to hit it every day, usually at 4:00 pm. I also have some more equipment like a truck's wheel, four pairs of boxing gloves and a big radio with a list of techno and electronic music. I listen to it for motivating myself to get warm when I am starting my practice. The boxing area isn't beautiful or a very attractive place, but for me it has a big value. I don't care that the floor is just pavement or that it doesn't have any paint. I see it like the best place where I can be for traveling to a powerful and energetic place. I don't use to take people there. It is a private place, but my neighbor sometimes goes there. I love to sweat right there and give my best in every punch that I throw or when I am doing my shadow. I enjoy every part of it such as the way that I move and the beauty of the place. Definitely, I love it. For me it is a magical place, bigger than Disneyland or any other special place for children or adults. Being there makes me happy and energetic. That is the reason why my boxing area if my favorite place in my yard. If you love boxing just like me, for sure you will love the boxing area in my yard.

      A yard is very important to a family, and especially because is a place where to have a lot of memories and hopefully, a lot of fun. If you have a chance to have one, you should start looking for your favorite parts of it. Do just like I did. For me, those parts are the wildlife, the green area, and the boxing area. In my opinion, my yard is a place where I love to stay in, even more than inside my house.

Nagua 2017

MY YARD

By Randielis j. Vargas Mayi

The yard is the most glamorous and affective part in my house. The yard is the best place to stay in a quiet moment. It offers the peace that you need. The yard is the place where my family and I spend time together sharing every Sunday. Not only can my family have an unforgettable day in my yard, but also me. When I have some problems, the yard is the best place to go and breathe. The yard is the place in which I can enjoy nature, a green area, some wildlife, and the infrastructure that it contains. It is the best part to discover and disconnect myself from the rest of the world and appreciate this place without interruptions.

 First, there is an important place in my house. It is a green area, which is the most interesting thing in my house. You can have a marvelous day in this great place. Over there, you can breathe like nobody because you are in a natural place. If you are there, you feel like you have never felt before. It is as if you were flying and relaxed at the same time. This green area has different types of flowers located around the house. Some of the trees are mango, tuna, cherry, guava, oak, floating, apple, and orange. One awesome thing about the flowers is that they are growing a lot. They are prettier every day. When you are there, you can notice that the breeze moves the trees and the flowers from side to side and you feel as if that place is your secret home. There, you can thrush and describe everything that is happening to you in that moment. The breath and the trees together communicate the peace and the quiet that you need. For that reason, the green area in my yard is the best thing in my house.

Besides a green area there is another significant part. Animals are the most meaningful creatures that make the wildlife astounding in my yard. In my yard, there are animals like dogs, a cat, hens, chickens, a cow, birds, lizards, and insects. The dogs are yellow and black, and they are around the house. There are two big dogs and one little dog. The cat is white and black, and it has a lot hair in his body.  When the cat passes near you, your skin prickles right away. The birds are black, orange, pink, green, red, and white. They are always flying near the trees. The lizards are green and the area around the house and the trees all the time. The yard has some insect`s hives where you can notice that they are working all together for keeping and staying alive. There is a cow, and it is white and black, without horns. It is very heavy and big. The hens are black, gray, white, and orange. There are big and heavy with excellent feathers. Chickens are black, gray, red, orange, and white. The chickens are smaller than hens, but they are pretty, too. They eat corn, rice, bread, and beans. Animals transmit you the extraordinary peace that you want in some moments.

 Another incredible part in my yard is the infrastructures, which are dissevered by two places. One of this is a room to the left side of the yard, which is divided by two parts. It is a big room. It is like a house, and there are three rooms in it. These infrastructures are made of blocks, cement, rods, wood, and zinc. Near the bathroom and the restroom are four trees. They were made in 1978. They are not big, in the inside, they are pink and gray, and in the outside, they are only pink. The doors are black and pink. Inside the restroom, there are a wheel and two sacks. One has bottles and the other one has clothes in it. In the bathroom, we have a shelf on the wall in which I put the products that I use. In the right side of the yard, there is the biggest room. It is separated by three parts. On the back of these rooms, there are two burners. Next to them, there is a room for fire wood, and they are near of some trees. Inside of the rooms, there are sacks, diesel oil, a freezer, and products for the plantations. In the other two rooms, we have sacks, two tractors, plantains, bananas, wood, tables, and tractors utensils. In front of the rooms, there is a lamp and around it, there are nice plantations and trees. The most interesting thing about that is we can enjoy and get together as a family in this part of the yard.

In conclusion, the yard is a fantastic place in my house, in which I can have an exceptional access to nature. One fascinating part in my yard is a green area, in which I can enjoy the breeze and feel as if I were in another world. Besides the green area, there is another amazing part or my yard, some wildlife that make the yard an astonishing place. Finally, there is another big part in my yard, which is infrastructure. The yard is the most comfortable place for being free. If you are looking for a peaceful place to be relaxed, the yard in my house is the best one.

SAN FRANCISCO DE MACORÍS 2017