The day the Resistance died

Santo Domingo.- Thecountry´s vanguard political ideas suffered a stunning blow 44 years ago today onJanuary 12, 1972, when in a ferocious firefight against hundreds of troops andpolice, four "Commandos of the Resistance" including its leader,Amaury German Aristy and Virgilio Perdomo, Bienvenido Leal Prandy (La Chuta)and Ulises Cerón Polanco died for the cause of liberty.

Their remains would beturning in their graves today, as pseudo communists became capitalists and theextreme right is as strong as ever.

Aristy´s progressive viewof Dominican society posed a threat to the regime headed by president JoaquinBalaguer, and to US interests. He had a clear view of the needs of the peoplestill valid today, denouncing all the thefts of the country´s riches, thebackwardness of public services, the insatiable land barons, among otherinjustices.

"Yesterday’sevents are the very riveting lessons which have become harsher for years, for theyoung revolutionaries of Latin America. The struggle for the liberation of ourcountry require the use of appropriate methods," said former presidentJuan Bosch about the loss of the four young men.

The confrontationresulted from information obtained by the security agencies that the Commandosof the Resistance were the political-military base for the armed expeditionfrom Cuba headed by colonel Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó.

To justify the huntattack the Police blamed the four and Plinio Matos Moquete, Harry Jiménez,among others for the heist of The Royal Bank of Canada on November 8, 1969, unleashinga manhunt after declaring the six as “fugitives.”