The City Council of Santo Domingo Este (ASDE), in coordination with the Amaury Germán Aristy Foundation, yesterday commemorated the 49th anniversary of the fall of the group Els Palmeros, which occurred on January 12, 1972 at kilometer 14 of the avenue The Americas.
It was described as one of the bloodiest events during the so-called 12 years of government of former President Joaquin Balaguer.
The event, held at the monument erected in honor of Los Palmeros, in the same place of the events, began with the intonation of the National Anthem, followed by a minute of silence in memory of José Laburán López and Maria Paula Acevedo (Chichita), widow of Colonel Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó.
“These young people fought for a fairer society, for the existence of a society where everyone had well-being, freedom and progress, and that is why, today we remind them, today we pay tribute to them that such magnanimous and pure souls deserve “, stated the mayor of SDE, Manuel Jiménez.
Jiménez took the opportunity to perform the song “No surrender”, accompanied by the ASDE choir and a theatrical composition starring artists from the Directorate of Culture, directed by theater director Ruth Emeterio.
Jiménez indicated that the foundation will continue to work to keep alive the memory of the Palmeros, because the monument built on this site collects the murders and disappearances of young people during the period 1966-1978.
A floral offering was also placed at the site, by the Permanent Commission of Homeland Ephemeris, chaired by Joan Pau Uribe.
A little history
Every January 12, Heroic Resistance Day is celebrated in the country, commemorating the confrontation of the four young people against hundreds of police and military in 1972.
It all started when members of the intelligence service located Amaury Germán Aristy, leader of the Palmeros; to Virgili Perdomo Pérez, Ulysses Cerón Polanco and Welcome Leal Prandy (La Tira), in a cave at kilometer 14 and a half of the freeway the Americas, where they were surrounded.
In the early hours of the morning, the authorities increased the siege and the confrontation between the revolutionaries and troops of the Army, the Police, the Aviation and the Navy began, giving rise to what has been considered one of the most unequal fighting of the last twentieth century in the country.
The youths were attacked with rifles, 105mm cannons, bazookas, mortars, helicopters and an American-flagged plane.
The official forces were led by Generals Neit Nivar Seijas and Ramon Emilio Jiménez Jr., chiefs of the Police and Armed Forces, in this period.