Above: a ceremony marking the groundbreaking (Photo: CIG)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The Consulate General in the Dominican Republic has begun construction in Aruba on the Plaza Juan Pablo Duarte, honouring one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic.
The groundbreaking event was held as part of the Dominican Republic’s 168th anniversary of independence.
Joseline Rosario de Rosa, the Dominican Consul General, said the event had a “special significance” because of the more than 4,000 Dominican nationals who live in Aruba.
“Wherever we are, let us keep and remember the memory of Juan Pablo Duarte, Matias Ramon Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, the three founders of the Republic,” she said.
The Plaza had been undertaken in partnership with the Aruban authorities, according to the Consul General.
At its centre is a bronze bust of Duarte designed by Dominican artist Manuel Toribio.
Aruban Prime Minister Mike Eman highlighted the ties of “brotherhood and harmony” between Aruba and the Dominican Republic.
The Caribbean’s highest mountain, Pico Duarte, is named in honoor of Duarte.