Local January 26, 2025 | 10:09 am

Today marks the 212th anniversary of the birth of Juan Pablo Duarte

Santo Domingo.- Today marks the birth of Juan Pablo Duarte, father of the country, who devised the Dominican independence of the Republic of Haiti.

The illustrious Duarte was born on January 26, 1813. He was the son of the Spanish merchant Juan José Duarte and Manuela Díez, daughter of a Spanish father and a Dominican mother. His birth took place during the Silly Spain period.

To strengthen his struggle against Haitian domination, which had been established in Dominican territory for 22 years, Duarte allocated a large part of his assets to sponsor Dominican independence. This caused him and his family to lose their goods and economic resources from the maritime trade that his father created.

Likewise, the patrician formed the secret society La Trinitaria to spread his independence ideas to the population and attract more sympathizers and followers of the cause.

By 1843, once the war of independence against Haitian domination began, Juan Pablo led the insurgents. After the rebellion failed, he went into exile in Venezuela.

The work of Duarte, and the other Fathers of the Nation (Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Ramón Matías Mella), had as its summit the formation of the Dominican Republic, as a free nation independent of any foreign country. It was precisely on February 27, 1844, with the proclamation of Dominican independence.

Among Duarte’s famous phrases: “Let us work for and for the country, which is to work for our children and ourselves,” “God must grant me enough strength not to descend to the grave without leaving my country free, independent and triumphant” and “To live without a country is the same as to live without honor.”

He died on July 15, 1876, in Venezuela, far from his homeland and in conditions of poverty.

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