Atabey, mother of waters before God

Sosua — In 1492, when the Spanish arrived, she was here. No one brought her. Atabey was the supreme goddess of creation, the moon, the ocean tides, the mother goddess, mistress of fresh waters, promoter of good childbirth, and protector of motherhood in Taino mythology.

Atabey was the mother of Yocahú , the supreme god of the Taíno, yucca, and the sea, which links her to the life and subsistence of the indigenous peoples. Fray Ramón Pané mentions her in his “Relationship of the Antiquities of the Indians,” which validates her existence.

Today, 533 years after the Spanish arrived, the Sosúa Council of Aldermen accepted a proposal by priest Johnny Espinal Castillo and pastor Sebero Cordero Capellán to remove Atabey from the bottom of the sea, as it is seen as an image of idolatry of false gods.

But the statue, submerged in March 2003 by Global Coralition and the Maguá Ecological Foundation, has allowed the planting of 700 corals and the creation of an artificial reef that protects the coast, reduces erosion, and attracts marine species.

Atabey is necessary. It has protected the waters and the coral reefs since before the arrival of the Spanish god dressed in death. Years ago, they wiped out the Taínos. Let us preserve their memory. And the coral reefs as well.