Patriotic Commission to pursue legal action over altered National Anthem

The Permanent Commission of Patriotic Anniversaries has announced it will move forward with legal proceedings against those responsible for altering the lyrics of the Dominican National Anthem. The decision follows the circulation by an LGBT collective of a version they called the “Dominican Lesbian National Anthem”, which replaced the original verses written by Emilio Prud’Homme.

Commission president Juan Pablo Uribe yesterday rejected the public apology issued by Yoseli Castillo Fuertes, who claimed authorship of the altered text. Uribe described the act as “a vulgar, repulsive, and illegal affront,” constituting a criminal offense under Law 210-19, which governs the use of national symbols.

In a formal statement, Uribe said the institution “does not believe in the excuses or the remorse of those involved in this blatant outrage.”

He stressed that national symbols must be respected, honored, and upheld as part of the ideological, moral, spiritual, civic, historical, and identity-based framework of the Dominican Republic.

“No cultural, global, or anti-national strategy will ever prevail against our sacred motto: God, Fatherland, and Liberty!” he declared.

Uribe emphasized that the seriousness of the offense demands both social and moral condemnation. He also cited Article 39 of Law 210-19, which imposes penalties of one to three months in prison and fines ranging from five to twenty times the public-sector minimum wage for such violations.

“Using the music of the National Anthem to carry distorted, confusing lyrics contrary to the epic spirit of Dominican identity is an execrable recklessness that the law punishes,” he added.

Castillo Fuertes, who says she resides outside the country, posted a statement on social media offering an apology and claiming she was unaware of the law governing national symbols. She maintained that her text was intended as a “poem” highlighting the experiences of the LGBTIQ+ community within the context of Dominican identity.