Duartiano Institute rejects disrespect videos of “dembow” to patriotic symbols

Santo Domingo.- Wilson Gómez Ramírez, the president of the Duartiano Institute, has strongly condemned the alteration of the National Anthem by exponents of the musical genre “dembow” through Instagram, Tik Tok, and other social media accounts. Gómez Ramírez stated that the young people who are disseminating video images in which Juan Pablo Duarte, the father of the nation and founder of the Republic, is insulted and offended are making inappropriate use of the networks.

Gómez Ramírez has formally empowered the attorney general magistrate of the Republic, Mirian Germán, to investigate and bring those responsible to justice. According to law number 127-01, the Duartiano Institute must preserve the good name of Duarte for the civic and moral edification of the Dominican people. Any person who violates the respectability, honor, and good name of the father of the Nation and founder of the Republic incurs in violation of the legal provision and is subject to imprisonment and a fine.

Article 37 of law number 210-19, on Patriotic Symbols, specifies that it constitutes an outrage against the National Anthem to change its lyrics and musical time, to dance while it is being performed, as well as to turn it into a danceable piece of music. Persons who commit insults against the correct use of national symbols will be punished with one to three months in prison and a fine of five to twenty minimum wages of the public sector, according to article 39 of the aforementioned law.

The Duartiano Institute hopes that the Public Ministry will investigate these cases to prevent these shameful acts from repeating themselves, and to achieve the necessary deterrent and intimidating effects.