In the framework of the Madrid Book Fair, the Embassy of the Dominican Republic held an emotional tribute to the Mirabal sisters, universal references of freedom and resistance.
The attendees enjoyed a moving dramatized reading of excerpts from The Behavior of Butterflies, by Jimena Coppolino, directed by the renowned Dominican actress, director, and producer Laura Gómez.
The staging, held at the Cultural Center Casa de Vacas in Retiro Park, allowed a closer look, through literature and theater, at the human and political history of Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa Mirabal.
One of the most special moments of the day was the recital by the writer and ambassador Andrés L. Mateo, whose reading of his poems moved the audience and added an intimate and reflective dimension to the meeting.
The activity also featured the valuable participation of some of the writer members of ACUDEBI (Cultural and Development Cooperation Association Library Dominican Republic), a non-profit cultural entity based in Madrid, made up of writers, intellectuals, artists, and other professionals, dedicated to promoting Dominican literature, art, and culture among the diaspora residing in Spain.
The event was conducted by the minister counselor and head of the Cultural Section of the diplomatic mission, Aralís Rodríguez.
The Mirabal sisters, also known as Las Mirabal or Las Mariposas, were three Dominican sisters who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo. Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa Mirabal were murdered on November 25, 1960.
Of the murdered sisters, Minerva was the one who had a more active role in politics, being a founder of the Revolutionary Movement of June 14 along with her husband Manolo Tavárez Justo. María Teresa also got involved in the Movement. The eldest sister, Patria, did not have the same level of political activity as her other sisters, but she supported them; she even lent her house to store weapons and tools for the insurgents. A fourth sister, Bélgica Adela “Dedé” Mirabal, did not have an active role in the activities against the dictator.
Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa are considered heroines of the homeland for the Dominican Republic. Their remains rest in a mausoleum that was declared an extension of the National Pantheon, and is located in the Casa Museo Hermanas Mirabal, the last residence of the sisters. In their honor, every November 25 is commemorated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
