MIREX presents book on Cocolo contributions to Dominican identity

Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) has released a new book titled “Contributions of the Cocolos to the Dominican National Identity,” which explores the profound cultural, social, economic, intellectual, and athletic impact of Cocolo immigrants from across the Caribbean on the Dominican Republic.

The publication features scholarly contributions from prominent historians and researchers, including Frank Moya Pons, José del Castillo, Orlando Inoa, Reina Rosario, Patrick Bryan, Rafael Jarvis, José Guerrero, Jorge L. Giovannetti-Torres, Humberto García Muñiz, Julio César Mota Acosta, Enrique Cabrera, and Avelino Stanley, compiled into eleven comprehensive chapters. The book was officially presented by Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez, with a prologue by Deputy Minister of Multilateral Foreign Policy, Rubén Silié.

The launch event gathered notable Caribbean leaders, such as Rodney Williams, Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda; Natalio Wheatley, Prime Minister of the British Virgin Islands; and Denzil Lewellyn Douglas, Foreign Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, along with representatives from Grenada, St. Maarten, and other regional delegations.

Minister Álvarez emphasized that President Luis Abinader’s foreign policy agenda has prioritized strengthening ties with Caribbean nations, particularly those in CARICOM. He highlighted the recent inauguration of the Cocolos Monument in San Pedro de Macorís and the release of this book as part of a broader strategy to deepen cultural and historical bonds with Caribbean neighbors.