Marcha del Cibao
Sunday, July 14, 2019, marked the day when thousands congregated in front of El Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración, marching to Avenida Las Carreras and Avenida Hermanas Mirabal. The Monumento honors the efforts of those who fought during the War of the Restoration (1863-1865) wherein Dominicans took control of their nation from Spain, which had previously been annexed by General Pedro Santana in 1861. Las Hermanas Mirabal were three sisters who valiantly challenged and fought against the 31-year dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina (1930-1961). Murdered on November 25, 1960, the death of the sisters served as one catalyst that led to the eventual ajusticiamiento of Trujillo on May 30, 1961.
Part of the Marcha Verde Movement, this protest on July 14, 2019, was in response to constitutional reform, political corruption, and impunity. Like nations across Latin America, the Dominican Constitution has been modified multiple times. At the time of the protests, President Danilo Medina looked to ratify the Constitution to make himself eligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term. His predecessor, Leonel Fernández, spearheaded the enactment of the republic’s 2010 Constitution, making it one of the world’s most conservative constitutions, thus receding human rights in the Dominican Republic. During summer 2019, Puerto Rico Governor Rick Roselló resigned from his post amid protests in Puerto Rico. Similarly, due to the mobilization in the Dominican Republic and the Marcha del Cibao in Santiago, President Medina opted not to change the Dominican Constitution.
Credit: Nelson Santana
Check out the article “Marcha del Cibao Stops Danilo Medina's Presidential Bid” at: https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2019/7/18/marcha-del-cibao-pueblo-dominicano-sale-a-la-calle-en-santiago-fzegs to learn more about this mobilization movement and for access to the complete photo gallery and video interviews.
Further Reading:
“Cobertura internacional #MarchaVerde.” ESENDOM, 19 Jul. 2017, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2017/7/19/cobertura-internacional-span-stylecolorgreenmarchaverdespan
“El Día Verde se apodera de las calles en R.D.” ESENDOM, 1 Nov. 2017, https://esendom.com/notis/2017/11/1/span-stylecolorgreenel-da-verde-span-se-apodera-de-las-calles-en-rd?rq=marcha%20verde
“El fallido intento de escape de Yanalán visto por Altagracia Salazar.” ESENDOM, 25 Jun. 2021, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2021/6/25/frq0rvzplhvbu9gko2apabzpig6wva
ESENDOM and Lorena Espinoza Peña. “Imágenes de la Marcha del Millón en República Dominicana.” ESENDOM, 13 Aug. 2018, https://esendom.com/notis/2018/8/12/imagenes-de-la-marcha-del-milln-en-repblica-dominicana
Espinal, Emmanuel.“El Torito incita a otros artistas a expresar solidaridad en contra de la corrupción.” ESENDOM, 12 Aug. 2019, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2019/8/12/el-torito-incita-a-otros-artistas-a-expresar-solidaridad-en-contra-de-la-corrupcin
Espinal, Emmanuel. “Poeta Callejero pita por su país, rechaza abuso policial en «Por qué me ahogo». ESENDOM, 20 Aug. 2019, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2019/8/20/poeta-callejero-le-da-voz-a-rechazo-de-prcticas-policiales-en-por-que-me-ahogo
“Este video detalla la financiación ilegal de la campaña electoral de Danilo Medina por parte de Odebrecht.” ESENDOM, 25 Sep. 2017, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2017/9/25/video-detalla-la-financiacin-ilegal-de-la-campaa-electoral-de-danilo-medina-por-parte-de-odebrecht
“La periodista Sara Pérez acuña una nueva palabra: ciberbotella.” ESENDOM, 31 Jan. 2018, https://esendom.com/notis/2018/1/30/la-periodista-sara-prez-acua-una-nueva-palabra-ciberbotella?rq=marcha%20verde
“Odebrecht Scandal in the Dominican Republic Refuses to go Away.” ESENDOM, 13 Jun. 2018 https://esendom.com/notis/2018/6/13/odebrecht-scandal-in-the-dominican-republic-refuses-to-go-away
“Por fin, Estados Unidos reconoce lo que los dominicanos han estado diciendo: Félix Bautista es un corrupto.” ESENDOM, 14 Jun. 2018, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2018/6/14/por-fin-estados-unidos-reconoce-lo-que-los-dominicanos-han-estado-diciendo-flix-bautista-es-un-corrupto
Rodríguez, Amaury and Nelson Santana. (2018, August 16). “Dominican Republic: A Media Blackout Gets a Black Eye from Marcha Verde & Dominican Day Parade.” ESENDOM, 16 Aug. 2018, https://esendom.com/notis/2018/8/16/dominican-republic-a-government-media-blackout-gets-a-black-eye-from-marcha-verde-dominican-day-parade-coverage?rq=media%20blackout
Santana, Nelson. “¡Jartos! El pueblo dominicano se lanza a las calles.” ESENDOM, 19 Feb. 2020, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2020/2/19/jartos-el-pueblo-dominicano-se-lanza-a-las-calles
Santana, Nelson. “#Justice for Ney; An Unresolved Crime. ESENDOM, 29 Oct. 2018, https://esendom.com/cultura/2018/10/29/justice-for-ney-an-unsolved-crime
Santana, Nelson. “#Justicia para Ney; su crimen todavía está impune.” ESENDOM, 23 Oct. 2018, https://esendom.com/cultura/2018/10/22/ney
Santana, Nelson. “Bachatero Raulín Rodríguez Subverts the Law & Jails Enemies; Steals Lands.” ESENDOM, 10 Sep. 2018, https://esendom.com/notis/2018/9/10/bachatero-rauln-rodrguez-subverts-the-law-jails-enemies-steals-lands
Santana, Nelson. “Danilo Medina recluta tres estrellas: Alofoke, Bolívar Valera, y Aquiles Correa.” ESENDOM, 9 Jul. 2019, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2019/7/8/alofoke-bolvar-y-correa-tres-gatos-del-pld-que-anhelan-la-teta
Santana, Nelson. “Marcha del Cibao: pueblo dominicano sale a la calle en Santiago.” ESENDOM, 25 Jul. 2019, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2019/7/18/marcha-del-cibao-pueblo-dominicano-sale-a-la-calle-en-santiago
Santana, Nelson. “Marcha del Cibao Stops Danilo Medina’s Presidential Bid.” ESENDOM, 18 Sep. 2019, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2019/7/18/marcha-del-cibao-pueblo-dominicano-sale-a-la-calle-en-santiago-fzegs
Santana, Nelson. “Marcha Verde: Washington Heights se viste de verde y le dice no a la impunidad.” ESENDOM, 17 Jul. 2017, https://esendom.com/cultura/2017/7/17/esendom-washington-heights-se-viste-de-verde-y-le-dice-no-a-la-impunidad
Santana, Nelson. “Washington Heights Joins Dominican Republic in Solidarity against Impunity While Covered in Green. ESENDOM, 26 Jul. 2017, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2017/7/25/washington-heights-joins-dominican-republic-in-impunity-solidarity-covered-in-green
“U.S. Finally Acknowledges What Dominicans Have Been Saying: Félix Bautista is Corrupt.” ESENDOM, 13 Jun. 2018, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2018/6/13/us-finally-acknowledge-what-dominicans-have-been-saying-flix-bautista-is-corrupt
“Yanalán nos enseñó que aprendió que el burro se pone alante de la carretilla.” ESENDOM, 9 Jul. 2021, https://esendom.com/new-blog-2/2021/7/8/yanaln-nos-ense-que-aprendi-que-el-burro-se-pone-alante-de-la-carretilla