The Dominican Republic Celebrates Restoration

News

By: Jessica De Soto

On Friday, August 16, Dominicans came together in the Dominican Republic to celebrate the restoration of their independence.

Loud merengue and bachata music filled the streets while people expressed themselves with rhythmical movement as they drank the night away with Presidente beers and rum in their hands. Dominicans fashionably waved their flag as they repeated a systematic variation from side to side, along with the blaring music playing from the cars that blocked the streets near the boardwalk. The Dominican Republic was filled with joyful shouts followed by chants of “Día de la Restauración! (Restoration of Dominican Independence).

Restoration Day for the Dominicans,

“commemorates the commencement of the two-year-long war against the Spanish Colonial Army on August 16, 1863 that resulted in the Dominican Republic gaining its independence from Spain in 1865,"

based on Cap Cana News. Between 1863-1865 the traumatic, ongoing guerrilla war battle between the nationalists and Spain raked havoc amid the country, causing rebellious acts of violence that were distributed amongst the soldiers fighting to gain their independence from Spain’s colonization that lasted 17 years.

According to Casa de Campo Living, the Dominican Republic is known for having reclaimed its independence and declared its independence on three different occasions. On February 27, 1844 Juan Pablo Duarte, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Matías Ramón Mella from the Dominican Republic had lost power again. Therefore, Pedro Santana, the dictatorial president, decided to give all the power back to Spain because he couldn't handle his responsibilities. A few years later, Gregorio Luperón changed history as he stepped forward to fight the Spanish forces by raising the Dominican flag at the Cerro de Capotillo (the Capotillo Hill), which established a historic action that declared the official Restoration War on August 16, 1863. The war lasted until 1865, according to Casa de Campo Living.

The aftermath of the Restoration War left Dominican cities and agriculture distorted with no evidence of life. Although the war had left the Dominicans mute, there were rare possibilities to advance quickly for the country to get back on its feet. This new opportunity brought victory and a "new level of pride," which illustrated that the nationalists in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Spain could be defeated. The bravery that Luperón displayed that day resulted in Spanish forces fleeing from the Dominican Republic once and for all. The heroism that Luperón displayed is still admired by all Dominicans today.

Photo By: Jessica De Soto

#desotodigitalmedia #journalism #freedom #dominican #dominicanrepublic #poverty #streetkids #photojournalism