Juan Pablo Duarte

Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez ( born January 26, 1813 in Santo Domingo, Hispaniola, † July 15, 1876 in Caracas, Venezuela ) was a freedom fighter in the Spanish colony of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic later. He came from middle-class circles in Santo Domingo; 1827-32 he studied law and philosophy in the U.S. and in Spain.

Juan Pablo Duarte founded in 1832 together with Ramon Mella and Francisco Sánchez to force independence from Spain, the organization La Trinitaria, which had the goal after his return to Santo Domingo. Duarte spent in subsequent years when the Spanish part of the country was temporarily occupied by the neighboring country of Haiti, some time in exile; after the victory of dominican - Spanish troops against the occupiers in 1844, he returned to Santo Domingo. He declined the presidency offered to him; Instead, he advocated for free elections. However, it was a coup led by General Pedro Santana, who sent Duarte again into exile. The Dominican Republic was then again in 1861 affiliated Spain.

1864, when the Dominican shook off the Spanish rule definitively, Duarte could once again enter his home country for a short time; however, he was again chased by the new commander José Antonio Salcedo, with its policy Duarte did not conform to exile. He eventually died in Venezuela to have ever seen without the Dominican Republic again.

In 1884 his remains were brought to Santo Domingo. Posthumously awarded the title Duarte " Padre de la Patria " ( Father of the Nation ). He is revered today as the most important national hero of the country. Not only countless streets in all the cities of the country and the main north -south highway ( Autopista Duarte ) were named after him, but also the highest mountain in the country in the Cordillera Central, the Pico Duarte.

The solution of Duarte was: " Vivir sin patria es lo mismo que vivir sin honor" ( "Life without a country is a life without honor "); He also coined ( allegedly) the slogan of the Dominican Republic: " Dios, Patria y Libertad " ("God, Fatherland and Freedom ").