It is always rewarding for a teacher to see his or her students have achieved their goals. This is the case of my English Composition I summer 2019 class at The Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, UASD (Autonomous University in Santo Domingo) in the Dominican Republic. After writing the Subway Heroes and Heroines proposal, each student chose a historical character, whose name was given to a particular metro station. Later, they outlined the three-paragraph body of their essays. One paragraph at a time, they brought as much information as they could to class and we followed the writing process, starting with quick writing in order to generate ideas for the paragraphs. After they had finished with the body, I guided them to write introductions and conclusions to their papers. Once they typed them, we got into the revising and editing stage. I hope you like these pieces that depict the reasons why those men and women were honored by naming metro stations after them. Is there any of the characters that call your attention? Which? why? Had you heard or read about them? If you have any other comment, do not hesitate to post them.
Pedro Francisco Bonó Metro Station
By Cándida Olguín Corporán
The metro of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic has a station named Pedro Francisco Bonó, which is located on the corner of Núñez De Cáceres avenue and Duarte Highway. That metro station is important because it is located in a strategic place, the connection of two of the main city streets. Buses and cars routes transit by these metro station streets, so it permits people to reach their destinations more easily. Also, people can get it with a very affordable price. Pedro Francisco Bonó station contributes to a better transportation system in Santo Domingo.
Pedro Francisco Bonó, the name that metro station was given belongs to a notable hero of the Dominican Republic, who had an eminent life. His early years were important to determine the hero he would become. First, Pedro Francisco Bonó was born in Santiago city on October 18th, 1828. His parents were Jose Bonó, an Italian merchant, and Eugenia Port. Pedro Francisco Bonó lived in Puerto Plata from his childhood to his youth. His intellectual formation was responsibility of his grandmother, Ms. Eugenia De Port, a native of Brittany. She belonged to one of the richest families from the settlers, so she raised Pedro Francisco Bonó in the French discipline. His rationalist education allowed him to see the life of the Dominican Republic with the eyes of a sociologist and also gave him a great sense of patriotism. For that reason, he inclined his interests and thoughts to the Dominican history and how he could contribute with it.
As a person with a great educational background and interest for the development of his country, Pedro Francisco Bonó started working for it. He had different occupations in his life. From his youth he held several positions in his hometown, such as prosecutor in 1851, deputy in the congress in 1854, Attorney General at the Major Court of Justice in1855 and senator in the next year. Then, he started to serve as a public lawyer until 1857. Right away, he was deputy to the congress in Moca until 1858, the same year that he left the country when Pedro Santana returned to the presidency. When he came in the restoration government in 1863, he held the position of Minister of Justice and Public Instruction in the government of José María Cabral in1867. In the six-year government of Buenaventura Baez, he had to accept the mayoralty of San Francisco de Macorís. Then, in 1876, as soon as he returned from a trip to Europe, he was agricultural inspector in La Vega with no payment. Pedro Francisco Bonó also did humanitarian labor with Francisco Xavier Billini (Father Billini), and practical medicine in vaccination campaigns. Finally, another aspect of Pedro Francisco Bonó’s occupations is that he was the first Dominican sociologist and a prominent writer the country.
Nowadays, the result of Pedro Francisco Bonó trajectory is shown through his contributions. Such contributions constitute a relevant element to Dominican society and history. As a the first Dominican sociologist, he did the pioneering research Apuntes Sobre Las Clases Sociales (Notes On The Dominican Social Classes). That research is about the Dominican Republic social life. He also wrote the successful book El Montero (The Montero), published in Correo de Ultramar (Overseas Mail) newspaper in 1856. It is a traditionalist novel about the Dominican culture and customs. As a politician, he collected the experience he got in the different aspects in the writing Apuntes Para Los Cuatro Ministerios De La República ( Notes For The Four Ministries Of The Republic). Others of his literary works are Congreso Extraparlamentario (Extra-parliamentary Congress), published in 1895, Epistolario (Epistolary), Ensayos Sociohistóricos (Social-historic Essays) and Actuación Pública (Public performance). Moreover, he proposed social reforms to improve the evils of that time. Therefore, he set the army licensing, creating The Civic Guard, and also, the establishment of a national education system. In addition, he was one of the men who most contributed to the creation of the first Dominican constitution. With his contributions, he gave The Dominican Republic an important component for its history and culture. Nowadays, Pedro Francisco Bonó is considered one of the greatest thinkers and defenders of The Dominican Republic.
In conclusion, Pedro Francisco Bonó beginnings were influenced by his Breton grandmother education. Therefore, he became a magnificent writer, politician and sociologist of the Dominican Republic. With his writing, thoughts and fights, he contributed to the Dominican culture and history. The best of the Metro Station that was named after him is its location, facility to get to it, and the comfort and good service it offers and of course.
Freddy Beras Goico Metro Station
By Charlies Y. Casilla Tibrey
Freddy Beras Goico Metro Station is important because of its location. It is located on the corner of John Fitzgerald Kennedy Avenue and Lope de Vega Avenue in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Undoubtedly, this metro station is also important because it is located on a very crowded avenue with many traffic jams, so users are able to avoid them by using it. Equally important, there are many businesses surrounding this metro station. Moreover, this metro station’s location makes user’s lives easier. Freddy Beras Goico metro station makes it easy when it comes to avoiding traffic jams. The best of Freddy Beras Goico metro station is its proximity to local businesses in the city.
No doubt, naming a metro station after Freddy Beras Goico is a great deal. The first years of this outstanding character were difficult. He was born in 1940, in the municipal district of Santa Lucia, El Seibo. He stood out of all his siblings due to his bright brain. He studied Letters and Philosophy in High School. Then, he graduated as a lawyer at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD). He had to leave the country with his family because of their differences with the current dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. Then, they returned to their land after Trujillo’s death.
Beyond that, Freddy Beras Goico career was hectic. His first years as a professional were in a position in the newly founded TV channel Rahintel as a camera operator. He was the founder of several TV programs that were considered majestic. Freddy contributed to Dominican television for almost 50 years. He started the programs “La Hora del Moro”, Tres por Tres”, “El Show de la Noticia “, El Show del Mediodía”, and so on. His flagship was El Gordo de la Semana, from 1973 to 2003.
Moreover, Freddy Beras Goico illness and death were a real hardship to his family. Frustratingly, Freddy, who also suffered from diabetes since the end of 2006, began to lose weight, which drew much attention. In 2007, he was diagnosed with cancer in the common bile duct, which affected four lymph nodes, and later, in 2008, it would go to the pancreas. Since then, Freddy began an incessant struggle coming and going from Santo Domingo to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, United States where he underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. On November 2nd, 2010, he rushed to the Diagnostic Advance Medicine and Telemedicine Center due to hypoglycemia. He died on November 18th, 2010 in Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
To sum up, Freddy Beras Goico first years were tumultuous. He was a real hustler. Freddy Beras Goico illness and death were hard to deal with for his family and fans. Yet, the best of the metro station named after him is its proximity to a centric area full of businesses and stores.
Trina de Moya Metro Station
By Génesis Sarai Rodríguez Medina
Trina de Moya Metro Station is located in Los Mina, Santo Domingo, on the corner of San Vicente de Paul Avenue and Trina de Moya Street. Many people use it every day to get to their destinations. Its location makes it easy to get to Los Mina’s Hospital and San Vicente de Paul’s church. That station is really useful and well located. It is also always clean and the staff is really friendly. This station was named after a very interesting woman who was a poet known for a very active social life and for helping others.
First, Trina de Moya’s childhood was pretty normal. Since she was a child, she showed her passion for writing. She was born in La Vega, Dominican Republic on January 14th, 1863. Her full name was Maria de Los Angeles Trinidad de Moya Pérez. Her parents were Roman Martin de Moya and Antonia Mauricia Perez. She was a very quiet and polite kid. She went to school in La Vega and was distinguished in literature. She was educated by her mom at home. Also, her father was very strict about her education. She learned how to write from her mom and since she started writing, she could not stop. In 1915, she received a prize in Juegos Florales, La Vega, Dominican Republic because of her composition Patria y la Mujer Dominicana. She also won the first place on a Virgen de la Altagracia’s Day contest in 1922 with Soneto a Maria.
After Trina de Moya grew up, she became a very important Dominican woman. She was the country’s first lady for being Horacio Vasquez’s wife. Horacio Vasquez, the president of the Dominican Republic between 1924 and 1930. She was a very sociable, empathetic and caring woman known for a very active social life. She was the founder of Moca and Santiago’s ladies’ clubs in 1904. She was also a calid person with her relatives. In addition, she was a poet. She wrote many poems about love, culture, and the countryside life. Her most recognized work was the Mother’s Mymn, written to honor live and dead caring mothers. She and her husband had no children; but their many other relatives were full of love. She helped many people who lived in poverty while she was the First Lady, and her labor continued after she left the position in 1930.
Nowadays, Trina de Moya is best known for being the composer of the Dominican Mother’s Hymn; her name was chosen out of a twenty-six women list to name metro stations. All metro stations from line 2B have Dominican women’s names. She is the author of poems like El Campo and El Estudio and books like Añoranzas and Patria y Hogar. The station with her name is right before Megacentro, near Los Mina Maternity Hospital. Trina de Moya Metro Station is really clean and transited. A lot of people use it every day as a way of transportation. Villa Trina is a town in Espaillat, Dominican Republic that was named after her as a recognition. She died in Puerto Rico, on February 25th, 1941 because of throat cancer.
In conclusion, Trina de Moya was a Dominican woman who always showed her passion for writing. She was the country’s First Lady and very distinguished writer; moreover, she was always there to help the ones in need. Her important life helped her deserve a metro station to be named after her. That metro station is very useful since a lot of people take the train there to get to their destinations.
Pedro Mir Metro Station
By Geryzol López De La Rosa
Pedro Mir Metro Station is part of the Santo Domingo Metro System which is located on the corner of Abraham Lincoln Avenue and John F. Kennedy Avenue, Dominican Republic. This metro station is important because thousands of Dominicans can commute from one place to another speedily and avoid city traffic for only 20 pesos. Furthermore, it is important for Dominican people not only because it provides them an easy transportation but also because it is named after one of the most important Dominican writers. Besides, it is one of the most visited stations as it is close to some popular stores such as Ágora Mall, Ikea, and Galería 360 Mall. Also, La Dirección Nacional de Aduanas (The National Directorate of Customs) is near the metro station; moreover, it connects two important avenues. Thus, it is very practical and convenient.
It is important to know about Pedro Mir´s trajectory since this metro station is named after him. First, Pedro Mir´s early life was the root of his poetic vocation. He was born on June 13th, 1913, in San Pedro de Macorís. His father was a Cuban mechanical engineer, who migrated from Cuba to the Dominican Republic in the early years of the 20th century to be hired as a Chief of Engineers. A few years later, his father married a Puerto Rican girl and they had their first child whom they named Pedro Julio Mir. When he was four years old, his mother passed away; therefore, her death impressed upon him a sense of loss that would be the basis of his poetic vocation. In the early years of 1930s, he started writing and publishing his poems in Dominican newspapers, as well as showing them to his friends. One of his friends, without asking for his consent, sent some verses to Juan Bosh who was a prominent Dominican writer at that time. He said Mir had talent, but he should turn his eyes to his country. Besides, he should write about social issues. When Mir heard what Bosch had said, he decided to write his first social poems and send them to Bosch who published them in his column in Listín Diario newspaper. Bosch announced him as the social poet Dominican people had been long waiting for.
Second, Pedro Mir´s exile was important in the creation of his poetic path. Since he started to write about social issues, which were against the dictatorship of Trujillo, his life was in danger. He decided to leave the country and fled to Cuba in 1947. Besides, he joined Juan Bosch and Tulio H. Arvelo in the organization of the Cayo Confite expedition, which sought to end the dictatorship. Thus, he stayed out of the country for 15 years and returned in 1962, a few months after Trujillo’s assassination. During his time in exile, he visited different countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, and Rumania. However, he spent most of the time in Cuba where he wrote one of his most well-known poems which is Hay un País en el Mundo (There is a Country in the World). This poem was written with feelings of nostalgia since Pedro Mir was missing his land. He wrote about all the injustice that were happening in the Dominican Republic due to the bad distribution of the land was affecting farmers. During his time in exile, he also wrote Contracanto a Walt Whitman (canto a nosotros mismos) (Countersong to Walt Whitman (song to ourselves)), which was one of his most accomplished works. He returned to the Dominican Republic when Juan Bosch was democratically elected as president.
Third, Pedro Mir most important legacy was his literary works and achievements. Returning to his country after being in exile, he was appointed professor of aesthetics at Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo). Also, he devoted himself to historical and artistic research, essays and literary journalism. In 1974, he won the National History Award for his essay Las Raíces Dominicanas de la Doctrina Monroe (The Dominican Roots of Monroe Doctrine) and also won the Annual Poetry Award for his extensive poem Hurracán Neruda (Neruda Hurricane) in 1975. One of his most important achievements was being declared the National Poet by the Dominican Congress in 1984. In addition, he won a National Literature Award in 1993. He contributed to Dominican literature by writing poems, essays, short stories and a novel. Some examples of his remarkable literary work are Seis Momentos de Esperanza (Six Moments of Hope), Amén de las Mariposas (Amen of Butterflies), Viaje a la Muchedumbre (Trip to the Crowd), Primeros Versos (First Verses), Tres Leyendas de Colores (Three Legends of Colors), Historia del Hambre (History of Hunger), Apertura a la Estética (Opening to Aesthetics), Las Dos Patrias de Santo Domingo (The Two Homeland of Santo Domingo), Buen Viaje Pancho Valentín (Good Trip Pancho Valentín), La Gran Hazaña de Límber y Después Otoño (The Great Feat of Límber and After Autumn), and Cuando Amaban las Tierras Comuneras (When They Loved the Communal Land). Since he was an excellent professor, the library of Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo was inaugurated under his name to honor him on November 9th, 2005. Pedro Mir was one of the most important writers in the Dominican Republic and he will always be remembered for his excellent work.
In summary, the basis of Pedro Mir’s literary vocation is in his childhood. Besides, Juan Bosch urged him to write about social problems. Being away from his land became his source of inspiration. His literary works and achievements constitute his legacy. Providing a better quality of life to Dominicans is the best about the metro station named after the Dominican National Poet.
Mamá Tingó Metro
Station
By Laura Herra
Mamá Tingó is the name of the last station of the
Metro to the east of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It is located near
Charles de Gaulle Avenue, in Villa Mella. First of all, this metro station is
important because it was named after a figure of perseverance. This station
reminds us as well that ordinary people, like this woman, can accomplish
extraordinary things if they keep their eyes on the goal. This metro station
also gives Mamá Tingó part of the recognition she deserves. On the other
hand, the infrastructure of this metro station is a little bit rustic, but in
some way it represents Mamá Tingo’s circumstances: an illiterate woman who had
a hard childhood, fought against an oppressive government for her land, and
died tragically leaving a great legacy to her people.
As said
before, Mamá Tingó went through a lot of difficult situations while she was
growing up. Florinda Soriano Muñoz, better known as Mamá Tingó, was born on
November 8th, 1913. She was born to a poor family of farmworkers,
and as the oldest child among her siblings, she was charged with a lot of
responsibilities. Her father was absent during her childhood, and her mother
died when she was only five years old. Nini, her grandmother, took care of her
and her siblings. Since she did not have enough economical resources to pay for
their education, and there were not too many schools around their neighborhood,
they had to work in the streets, selling coal.
Same as Mamá
Tingó childhood, the 70s were very difficult times for her and for the other farmers
in Hato Viejo, Yamasá. First of all, they had lived there all their lives. Their
families, homes, and everything they knew was there. Second of all, they had worked
those lands for half a century. All of a sudden, they were about to lose it
all. The ruler of the country in those difficult times was Joaquin Balaguer,
who wanted to remove the farmers and take control of their lands. President Balaguer
started a plan to take control of the lands by changing the constitution with
an agrarian reform. This reform just brought benefits to Balaguer and his
landowner friends. After the reform, one of them, Pablo Diaz Hernandez, claimed
the land as his. He tried to use violence to remove the farmers from their territory;
he intimidated them by going to their houses with bulldozers and armed men.
However, Mamá Tingo, a member of
Federación de Ligas Agrarias Cristianas (Federation of Christian Agrarian
Leagues), defended her rights and fought
against her oppressor not letting him intimidate her
or her people. She even made up a phrase which goes like this: “The lands are
for those who work on them.” Although she didn’t have enough economical
resources to pay for a lawyer, she took Diaz Hernandez to court, but he never
showed up to the trial. One day, she was in her backyard, and someone told her
that her pigs had been set loose. When she went to gather them, Diaz Hernandez
showed up and shot her twice. Although Mamá Tingó tried to fight back with a
machete, the gunshots to her head and chest killed her. She was 62 years old.
She died fighting courageously but after her murder, the situation of the
farmers in Hato Viejo, got worse; some of the farmers lost their lives fighting
against injustice and the ones who wanted to oppress the poor.
After
her death, Mama Tingó has been highly recognized in Hato Viejo and in some
other places in the Dominican Republic because of her contribution and legacy.
She was recognized as a defender of the poor an as an activist, who helped over
300 farmers to keep their lands. This incredible woman is considered a figure
of perseverance, because despite her limitations, without enough economical
resources and being illiterate, she overpassed difficult situations, and fought
against the oppressive government of Joaquin Balaguer. In fact, the two most
important things of her legacy were her perseverance and her resilience. This
legacy is celebrated every year in Hato Viejo, with a tribute in her honor. But
she is not just recognized by her people in Hato Viejo. She was also recognized by different people and
institutions in different areas. For instance, Johnny
Ventura, a well-known Dominican singer-songwriter, wrote a song exalting her
courage and determination, and the song, which carries her name, was a hit in
the 70s. Another example of the recognition that she was given, is that the SIN
News Group (Grupo SIN) made a documentary showing her trajectory in 2017. Mamá
Tingo has also been recognized by the government, which named some public schools
around the country with her name.
In conclusion,
Mama Tingó had a hard childhood, being an orphan child and having to work at a
very young age. Then, She and her people had to face very difficult times fighting
against an oppressive government for their lands in Hato Viejo. She left a
great legacy of perseverance and resilience to Dominican people. The best part
of Mama Tingo Metro Station is that during the trip, people can see a beautiful
landscape, which reminds them of Mamá Tingó, a brave rural woman.
Mirabal Sisters Metro Station
By Maoli Rodriguez
Mirabal Sisters’ Metro Station is one of 30 stations that exist in the capital city in the Dominican Republic. It is located on Mirador Norte Avenue, Villa Mella neiborhood, Santo Domingo. First of all, Mirabal Sisters metro station is important because it is located in a strategic area. Secondly, it is more secure to travel by metro than by public buses or public cars. Besides, another of the most important reasons is people can get to their homes and jobs faster for a very low price. This metro station is different from the others because it is not located underground. It is full of images and texts about three important women from the Dominican Republic inside and outside. The Mirabal Sisters, fought against the tyranny of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo.
The life of the first of the three heroines, Aida Patria Mirabal Reyes, was very changing. She was born on February 27th, 1924 in Ojo de Agua, Salcedo, Dominican Republic. Patria was the oldest of four sisters. She always dreamed of becoming a nun, until she met Pedro Gonzalez and married him. She continued being a religious person. At that time, two of her three sisters were fighting against the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, the biggest tyranny Dominican Republic had known. Patria decided to stay apart of that situation even though her oldest son, Pedro Gonzales Mirabal, was involved, too. One day, she thought the church should be part of the fight, and do something against the regime. Patria is quoted as saying “We cannot allow our children to grow up in this corrupt and tyrannical regime. We have to fight against it, and I am willing to give up everything, even my life if necessary.” She, some friends, her two sisters and their husbands formed a group called Movimiento Catorce de Junio (June Fourteenth Movement). It was named after the date of a massacre Patria knew about. In the same way, Minerva and Maria Teresa and those people which opposed Trujillo’s regime, distributed pamphlets about many people Trujillo´s people had killed, and got materials for bombs and guns to use when they eventually openly revolted.
The second of the three heroines, Maria Argentina Minerva Mirabal Reyes, better known as Minerva Mirabal, was a valuable character to Dominican people. She was born on March 13th, 1906. Minerva was the third of four sisters. She was extraordinary because of her intelligence. At the age of five, Minerva knew how to read and write correctly. At the age of seven, she recited verses from the French classics such as Victor Hugo. She was sent with her oldest sister, Patria Mirabal, to Inmaculada Concepcion private school in la Vega, to carry out their studies. Minerva is the one that initially got involved with the underground movement to overthrow Trujillo’s government. While she was away at school, she found that she had friends whose families had been tortured by Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s men. Due to this, her eyes were opened. Minerva was always a bit of rebel and hated when someone or something was wronged. The Mirabals first clash with Trujillo was in a party, to which they were invited. The dictator was in love with Minerva. When she refused him, the family abruptly left the party. This infuriated Trujillo, so he had the father, Don Enrique Mirabal, arrested in the Fortaleza Osama and interrogated by Trujillo’s men. This constant fear and stress led to Don Enrique’s death on December 14th, 1953. At that time, Minerva had started her studies in the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (Autonomous University in Santo Domingo). She was an excellent student but it was hard for Minerva because of Trujillo. In 1954, Minerva met Manuel Aurelio Tavares Justo, commonly known as Manolo, who also was a law student. One year later, they got married and had two children, Minou and Manuel Enrique Tavares Mirabal. When things were too much to bear any longer, she decided that enough was enough. They created the 14J movement having Minerva’s husband, Manolo Tavares, as as its president.
The third of the three heroines is Antonia Maria Teresa Mirabal Reyes, better known as Mari Tere or Matte. She was born on October 15th, 1936. Maria Teresa was the youngest daughter of Enrique Mirabal Fernandez and Mercedes Reyes Camilo. She was an outstanding student who, in 1954, graduated from high school in mathematics. The same year, she entered Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (Autonomous University in Santo Domingo), to obtain the bachelors degree of agricultural topography. On February 14th, 1958, at the age of 24, Maria Teresa married Leandro Guzman. On year later, on February 7th, 1959, her only child was born, Jacqueline Guzman Mirabal. Despite she was so young, she was a constantly fighting against Rafael Leonidas Trujillo tyranny with Minerva and Patria, her older sisters. Her indignation was so big, that she decided to be one of the women, who in January of 1959, conspired in the residence of Guido Alessandro, her political nephew, to form the group against the dictatorship, which later on, would be the insurgent movement of June 14th. The youngest of the Mirabal sisters was imprisoned for the first time on January 20th, 1960, in the military fortress of Salcedo, but the she was released the same day. The next day, she was arrested again; this time, to take her to La Cuarente (The Forty) prison, in Santo Domingo, and to la Victoria (The Victory), from which she was released on February 7th, the same year. For a little over a month, on March 18th, Maria Teresa was arrested again, despite she was suffering bronchitis. Along with her sister, Minerva, and other companions, she was sentenced to five years in prison, but she appealed and the sentence was reduced to three years in prison.
On November 25th, 1960, Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa and their driver, Rufino de la Cruz, were visiting Maria Teresa and Minerva’s husbands, who were imprisoned in a Puerto Plata jail. On their way home, they were stopped by Trujillo’s henchmen. The sisters and de la Cruz were separated, strangled and clubbed to death. Their bodies were put in their jeep, and it run off the mountain, in attempt to make their deaths look like and accident. In 1999, in the sisters’ honor, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25th November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
In summary, the three heroines, Patria Mirabal, who was a religious housewife, tried to stay apart of the situation the Dominican Republic was living, but she changed her thoughts and was against the regime of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. Minerva Mirabal who was a learned and outstanding person, the one who initially got involved against Trujillo, alongside with her husband, Manolo Tavares and many friends, created some clandestine groups. Maria Teresa, who was only 23 years old, when she started getting involved in this underground movement, did not care if she lost her life. She just wanted to see a free Dominican Republic. The best of the Mirabal Sisters’ Metro Station is that its name honors these heroines, and it is accessible to any person.
Gregorio Luperón Metro Station
By Rosanna Rodriguez
General Gregorio Luperón is a metro station located on Leoncio Manzueta Street, Cerros de Buena Vista, Santo Domingo Norte, Dominican Republic. This metro station is important because it is safe for people to be transported to different parts of the city at a lower price and in a faster way. Therefore, Gregorio Luperón Metro Station is a good investment that the Government made because it allows people to be transported in an easier way.
Since this metro station is named Gregorio Luperón, it is important to offer some details of this Dominican hero’s life. First of all, Gregorio Luperón’s childhood was the trigger to develop all his potential. He was born on September 8th, 1839. His parents were Pedro Castellano, a White middle-class man, and Nicolasa Luperón, an inmigrant from the British Isles. He attended William Towler School. Since he was a child, he became interested in his education; therefore, he struggled to stand out there. As a child, he showed a strong character and abilities to do any job in the best possible way. Even though his father was a middle-class man, he had to work when he was a child because he never declared him and was not in his life. He had to drop out of school and start working to collaborate with his family economy. His first job was in a farm in Jamao. In this property, there was a library where he started a self-taught formation. In his childhood, Gregorio Luperón showed psychological traits that allowed him to become one of the protagonists of the Dominican Republic historical process.
At a young age, Gregorio Luperón decided to be a military man. He achieved one of his main goals in his performance as a military man. Before knowing what his goal was, Gregorio Luperón started his life as a military man when he was eighteen years old. He was appointed auxiliary commander of the Rincón Cantonal Port in 1857, where he manifested his energetic and disciplined character. He was twenty-one years old when the annexation to Spain took place on March 18th, 1861. Gregorio Luperón was one of the opponents to this ignominy directed by Pedro Santana, for which he was forced to leave to his first exile in Cabo Haitiano, Mexico, New York, and Jamaica. He took advantage of his time in exile to organize his ideas of how he would achieve the goal he so desired. He returned entering through Monte Cristi to join the Sabaneta Uprising on February 5th, 1839, getting proclaimed Brigadier General because of his magnetism, capacity, and military sagacity. Gregorio Luperón was also appointed Chief of Operations in Santo Domingo by the Provisional Government. He clandestinely fomented the rebellion that would support the proclamation of the second independence on August 16th, 1863. His participation in the Restoration War occurred when he took command of the troops that attacked the Spanish soldiers that were being commanded by Pedro Santana. Gregorio Luperón and his troops obtained the victory, and this is the moment when he achieved one of his main goals, which was the restoration of the Dominican Republic. Gregorio Luperón was highlighted as the main military figure in the Restoration War due to his heroic attitude and his military feats.
As soon as Gregorio Luperón led the War of Restoration, he took over as the president of the country. He was an effective president. After Gregorio Luperón assumed the presidency of the Dominican Republic, he reorganized the administration of the State according to the liberal principles that the leaders of the Blue Party had been defending since1857. He decreed the suspension of the payment of the public debt that overwhelmed the Government and created several associations of merchants called Credit Boards to offer loans with a lower interest rate than the Credit Board from Santo Domingo charged. It granted loans to the Government at a monthly rate of twenty-eight percent. With the loans that President Gregorio luperón charged at ten percent a month, the Government reorganized the public administration of the National Army. The government of Gregorio Luperón was provisional. It lasted fourteen months and was a government full of peace, freedom, and progress.
To sum up, Gregorio Luperón had a fruitful childhood, was a victorious military man, and was one of the best presidents in the Dominican Republic. The most important thing about the metro station with his name is the service it offers to the passengers with the ease of being transported in a faster and cheaper way.
MÁXIMO GÓMEZ METRO STATION
By Gerald I. William M.
There is a metro station named Máximo Gómez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
This station is located on Máximo Gómez Avenue, across from Iglesia de Dios
Centro de Adoración Brisas del Isabela, and nearby La Isabela river. The
importance of this station is that it manages to transport people who live far
away from the city to the national district where the main offices are located.
Also, it is important because it is close to the Control Center of all the
stations, and the unforgettable Isabela River. Máximo Gómez metro station is
gorgeous due to its incomparable crystal structure.
It
is indispensable to refer to the early life of the hero this metro station was
named after. It was a life any child would have asked for. Máximo Gómez was
born in Baní, Peravia in 1836. He was the ninth of ten children. His mother was
Florencia Guerrero Hernández and his father, José Gómez. He had seven sisters,
and two brothers. He was raised at Sasota Street, close to a beautiful tamarind
tree, a gorgeous flamboyant and its red flowers; however, Sasota Street was
named after Gómez a couple of years later. Gómez was baptized at Nuestra Señora
de Regla church by his godfather and Priest Andres Ronson who was the leader of
that Catholic church. He attended catechesis class, in which his teacher was
his godfather. He did not enjoy Christianity that much; nonetheless, he never
refused to go to church because of his mother. The reason why he did it was she
was so passionate and engaged with God. In other words, he did not want to
disappoint her. When he was four years old, his teacher asked him and the class
to fix the back yard of their house, he began making a little plantation. That
surprised him. His father, some years later, had a similar request. After that,
Jóse Gómez had to leave on a trip. Then, when he returned, he asked Máximo
about the assignment he had given him. So, Gómez with a lot of enthusiasm
brought his father to the backyard. To his surprised, his father was astonished
by the beauty of the little garden he had made. In addition, his father gave
him a little horse. In 1842, there was an issue about his birth registration
due to negligence of the authority of the church who did not reserve those
papers in a safe place. Those registration papers got lost because the church
where they were saved had caught fire.
Besides that, another point to consider about Máximo Gómez is his life as a
soldier. He was a former soldier who had belonged in three different armies. He
served in the cavalry in the Spanish Army in the Dominican Republic and Major
General and main leader of the Cuban Army. El Generalissimo Máximo Gómez spent
eleven years in the Dominican Army, in which he fought his first war, La
Batalla de Santomé (Santomé Battle) against the Haitians troops. It was held in
Sabana de Santomé on December 22nd, 1855. Nowadays, it is a city named San Juan.
This war occurred when Haitians troops got into the country in order to take
the entire island. Faustine Soulouque was the leader of the Haitian Army. He
was leading 12,000 soldiers, but it was not an impediment because Jose Maria
Cabral, with just 4,500 soldiers, was able to beat them, and help the country
to remind independent. The second army he had belonged in was the Spanish one,
in which he spent four years. In the Spanish Army, Gómez was promoted to a
cavalry. He joined this army in 1861 with the nationalists of the Dominican
Republic spoiling Soulouque’s plans. This war was named the Dominican
Restoration War and occurred seventeen years after the war of independence in
1844. The last army he belonged in was the Cuban Army, in which he spent twenty
years. Gómez obtained the position of Major General as result of his experience
on the previous armies he had belonged in. Moreover, he left the Spaniards due
to the lack of respect they had shown him. El Generalissimo stopped serving as
a soldier on that country because of his devotional love towards Cuba. The
Major General formed part of the Ten- Year War, the Cuban Independence War.
Despite his success in the mentioned armies, there was a situation with a
special group, which caused the end of Máximo Gomez’s life, which was
devastating. To start with, the congress of Cuba had proposed him the
opportunity to be the president of Cuba, but he refused. The reason why he did
it was his interest was not to be the main leader of the Cuban Congress, but
serving and helping Cubans to proclaim their independence. After that, The
United States of America suggested him to get a loan or a donation of three
million dollars to improve economical conditions of the soldiers who had fought
in the revolution. Therefore, he wrote a letter saying that, “My desire for
this country is that population manage to live their freedom without any debt.
My desire is that every citizen gets the chance to live in this country as they
please”. So, that was the reason he
accepted the donation from them instead of a loan. When the assemblymen
acknowledged what Gómez had done, they asked a commission to dethrone him from
the Libertador Army. The assemblymen were supposed to get a great amount of
money from the U.S.A. bank as a loan in order to get their own credit as a
country. They designated Calixto Garcia as the Major General of Libertador Army
and sent him to America to approve the loan. The Generalísimo Gomez did not
deserve to be treated the way the representatives of Cuba did. However, when
the citizens acknowledged the situation of Gómez and the assemblymen, they
started a walkout in the streets for three days. The demonstrators made a
slogan, which said, “Abajo Los Asambleistas y viva Gómez (down with The
Assemblyment and Hooray for Gómez)”. Later, on April 2nd, he wrote a letter to
his wife, Bernarda Toro, saying to her, “I have accomplished what I wanted for
Cuba, which was their freedom and sovereignty”. Then he started greeting all
the people hand by hand in different neighborhoods, a gesture that led him to a
disease called septicemia. When he was diagnosed with this disease, he went to
“La Habana Hospital.” The paramedic practiced him two surgeries. After that, he
decided to move to La Habana where he died in June, 1905. He died in poverty in
his lovely residence.
As
a final point, the Major General of Cuba lived an amazing childhood. He grew up
in an big family and his ongoing affairs with Christianity. He belonged in
three different armies during his career as a soldier. he made a great contributing
to Cuba. He died in poverty at his lovely home at La Habana. The best of the
metro station that bears his name is the bright illumination provided by the
sun.
Santo Domingo 2019
