Conference held on “Dominican women under Trujillo Authoritarianism”

Conference held on “Dominican women under Trujillo Authoritarianism”
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 10/26/2011

The Ministry of Culture, through the Literary Management Directorate and in coordination with the Ministry of Women, held the conference “Dominican women under Trujillo Authoritarianism”, lead by renowned researcher and advocate for women’s rights Carmen Durán.

The activity, which is part of the seventh stage of the Cultural Corridor, took place in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Women, attended by ministry staff and university students.

The activity, which is part of the seventh stage of the Cultural Corridor, took place in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Women, attended by ministry staff and university students.

At the table of honor were, Director of the Books and Reading Directorate Basilio Belliard, Vice-minister of Women Cristina Morós, and Carmen Durán.

In her talk, Ms. Durán emphasized that “this year we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the execution of the tyrant, which is why several academic and cultural institutions are trying to rescue the more recent and not-so-recent less painful history of the Dominican people. In this context, we especially underscore the participation of women as historical and social subjects who have built the Dominican nation alongside the men.”

“If we take a look back at the history of the Republic, you will see that it was marked by political authoritarianism and intolerance, with leading 19th century figures such as Pedro Santana, executor of the famous Article 210 of the Constitution of November 6, 1844, which legitimized the persecution and crimes against María Trinidad Sánchez. For this period we can also cite Buenaventura Báez and Ulises Heureaux. And in the 20th century we had the authoritarian figures of Ramón Cáceres and Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, such that the culture of authoritarianism has remained in those who have exercised power in Dominican society.”

Carmen Durán highlighted the leading role in the formation of the country that women such as Petronila Angélica Gómez, Evangelina Rodríguez, Salomé Ureña, Abigail Mejía, Ercilia Pepín, Rosa Smeter, Luisa Ozema Pellerano and others performed.

Finally, the educator noted that between 1924 and 1930, conditions were created for the imposition of an authoritarian regime, leaving Trujillo as a legacy of the military occupation of the United States, which began in 1930 with the violent assassination of Altagracia Almánzar, who was pregnant, and ended with the triple murder of the Mirabal Sisters.

Cristina Morós, Basilio Belliard and Carmen Durán.


The Public present.