Unpublished facts about Juan Pablo Duarte: Did he have a girlfriend? Was he charismatic or shy?

Dominicans know Juan Pablo Duarte as the main architect of national independence, but his personal life, talents, and charisma reveal lesser-explored facets that enrich his historical figure.

According to data provided by historian Iván Gatón and the Duarte Institute, Duarte was a political strategist and fervent defender of sovereignty, as well as a cultured, romantic, and visionary man.

A heartthrob of his time

Far from the solemn image that predominates in his legacy, Duarte was considered an attractive and charismatic man worthy of attention in the social circles of the time. Iván Gatón said, “Duarte was what today’s young people would say: a “popi.” Duarte was the rich, white guy with the money, he played the guitar, he spoke English, he was an actor.”

The historian also highlighted that Duarte had an affair with María Antonieta Bobadilla, Tomás Bobadilla’s niece, although this relationship ended, which may have affected the relationship between the two men.

However, the Duarte Institute documents that Duarte’s “longest and most intense love” was Prudencia Lluberes, known as “La Nona”. His relationship with her profoundly marked his life, to the point that they both exchanged promises of eternal love. Duarte gave him a ring as a symbol of commitment before being exiled to Germany. Prudencia never saw him again and died unmarried, waiting for his return.

A humanist with progressive thinking

Duarte stood out not only for his role in independence but also for his deep humanism and advanced thinking. His education encompassed disciplines such as philosophy, history, economics, politics, and the military. He was also fluent in six languages: Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, German, and Latin.

His charisma made him a natural leader among the young people of the time, who followed him not only for his ideals but also for his personality: “For you to have a group of boys behind you, you have to have charisma. Duarte was a man who played guitar in the nineteenth century, a man who had resources, and then he traveled, and when he went there in Europe, the man drinks from all that knowledge and then shares it here,” Gatón detailed.

In addition, the hero was passionate about music, played instruments such as the guitar, piano, and flute, and created cultural societies such as La Dramático and La Filantrópica, which sought to promote critical thinking and patriotism.

Christianity as the basis of its ideals

Duarte’s Christian faith was essential to his vision of the Republic. This is reflected in the oath of La Trinitaria, where she invokes the Holy Trinity, and in the values inscribed on the national flag: God, Homeland, and Freedom. For Duarte, these principles not only represented spirituality but also inclusion and commitment to a project of a free and just nation.

Diplomatic and nationalist facets

Gatón reveals that, among Duarte’s lesser-known documents, a letter addressed to British agent Teodoro Stanley Heneken stands out. In it, Duarte reaffirmed the sovereign right of the Dominican people over the peninsula and bay of Samaná. In it, Duarte made clear his nationalist spirit and willingness to establish trade and friendship relations with other nations, always under the terms of equality and mutual respect.

In his words:

“Dear Sir, We acknowledge receipt of your note dated the 8th of this month, the contents of which show us the protest that you make in the name of the British Government against the occupation of the Peninsula and Bay of Samaná by any foreign force. We believe that a protest of such a nature is inadmissible, since the said Peninsula and Bay correspond to our territory and the Dominican people, as free and sovereign, have the entire disposal of what is theirs.

“However, after the reform effected in the body of this Junta, we believe that we can assure you that the Government of Her Majesty Britannica will have no need to worry about a foreign occupation of the said Peninsula of Samaná, since the whole people being opposed to any foreign intervention in our policy, it seems to us that the reasons for their protest must consequently be dispelled. We are very sorry that we do not have the honour of addressing ourselves at present to a recognized agent, and we hope that you will be kind enough to express to the Government of Her Majesty Britannica the sincere desire we have to enter into reciprocal relations of commerce and friendship which may in the future be yielded and provide sources of utility to both peoples.”

This letter was provided to the newspaper Hoy by historian Iván Gatón.