Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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Documentary heritage
on the resistance and
struggle for human rights
in the Dominican Republic,
1930–1961
Inscribed 2009
What is it
An archive of documents, publications, photographs,
films, newspaper files, letters, testimonies and official
records of the state terrorism of the Trujillo regime.
Why was it inscribed
The collection contains records of the atrocities of the
regime and evidence of the Dominican resistance
movement and struggles for democracy, freedom
and respect for human rights.
Where is it
Memorial Museum of Dominican Resistance,
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
From 1930 to 1961, the Dominican Republic endured one
of the most oppressive regimes in Latin American: the
Rafael L. Trujillo dictatorship. Thousands of Dominicans
and foreigners were imprisoned, tortured and killed in
a systematic culture of oppression. Trujillo personally
ordered the genocide of more than 10,000 Haitian
residents of the Dominican Republic. His government
extended its policy of State terrorism beyond national
borders, conducting assassinations overseas.
The archives contain documents, publications,
photographs, films, newspaper files, letters, records
of organizations of exiles, records of imprisonments,
photographs of torture, testimonies of extrajudicial firing
squads, autopsy reports on remains exhumed from mass
graves, testimonies of military and civilian witnesses as
well as registries of mass graves and burial sites.
The files also include descriptions published in
the national press after the end of the tyranny, with
statements from victims who had been tortured or
unlawfully imprisoned, with photos of prisoners and
people who had disappeared or been murdered.
Many of these items attest to the complicity of the
communications media, which was totally controlled by
the regime and gave distorted accounts of many crimes.
Together they constitute irrefutable evidence of a system
of mass repression, unlawful arrests, torture, political
and racial extermination, gender discrimination and
the forced disappearance of persons. The archives also bear
witness to the actions of resistance, the struggle for truth,
justice and respect for human rights during this period
of contemporary history.
Making this body of documents accessible and informing
younger generations about what happened restores a
personal and collective right, fosters a policy of historic
memory over a conspiracy of silence and oblivion,
raises the conscience of young people and strengthens
knowledge of Dominican national history.
In short, this heritage constitutes a valuable educational
tool and is a legacy for the formation of new generations
and for building a culture of peace based on tolerance,
non-discrimination and respect for human rights. It also
represents an important contribution for the region and
the world for creating greater consciousness concerning
crimes against humanity and the right to truth and justice.
In the Dominican Republic, State and civil society have
collaborated to build a democratic system and to recover
and protect historic memory. The documentary heritage
and oral history of that period is a source of universal value
for the construction of genuinely democratic societies.
Recognition of this heritage will strengthen the resolve
to prevent such crimes against humanity from ever
occurring again.
Documentary heritage on the resistance and struggle for human rights in the Dominican Republic, 1930–1961 457