Surveyor and political activist, the Mirabal Sisters were assassinated in the Era of Trujillo. What happened to them? How did they die? Let us learn everything about them in this article.
The Mirabal sisters, also known as Las Hermanas Mirabal, were three sisters who opposed Rafael Trujillo’s (El Jefe) dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. They were known as Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa.
Furthermore, they were involved in covert operations against his regime.
On November 25, 1960, the three sisters were assassinated. The Mirabal sisters became “symbols of both popular and feminist resistance” as a result of the assassinations.
The United Nations General Assembly declared November 25th as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in their honor in 1999.
It’s International Day for the Elimination of all forms of Violence Against Women & Girls, the 1st of 16 Days of Action to End VAWG & 59 years since the Mirabal sisters were assassinated. Take a moment today to think of all sisters lost to #VAWG, then take action #IDEVAW #16Days pic.twitter.com/aBgBS1MtCl
— Rape Crisis England & Wales (@RapeCrisisEandW) November 25, 2019
What Happened To Mirabal Sisters? Death Cause And Assassination
The Mirabal sisters died as a result of assassination by the Trujillo regime.
On November 25, 1960, Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa, and their driver, Rufino de la Cruz, paid a visit to the jailed husbands of Maria Teresa and Minerva.
Although Patria’s husband was not imprisoned, she accompanied him for moral support. They were stopped by Trujillo’s thugs on their way home.
The sisters and de la Cruz were separated, strangled, and clubbed to death. The bodies were then gathered and loaded into their Jeep, which was subsequently driven off a mountain road to make their deaths appear to be an accident.
On February 1, 2014, the fourth sister, named, Adela “Dedé,” who did not participate in any political activities died of natural causes.
Today, the 60th anniversary of the assassination of the Mirabal sisters by dictator Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. Their fight for democracy recognized by the UN, designated the day as the Elimination of Violence Against Women each year. Honored to know their family. pic.twitter.com/ShGRY2MHmZ
— Ambassador James Wally Brewster (@WallyBrewster) November 25, 2020
How Are The Three Mirabal Sisters Different?
The three Mirabal sisters were different from each other in many aspects, however, they all were revolutionaries.
Patria Mercedes Mirabal Reyes aka Patria was the Mirabal family’s oldest daughter and a wonderful influence to both of her younger sisters. If necessary, she was willing to give up everything, including her life.
Maria Argentina Minerva Mirabal Reyes nicknamed Minerva, was the third daughter to accompany Patria to the Colegio Inmaculada Concepción when she was 12 years old. She was the most outspoken and radical of the Mirabal sisters, and she was detained and mistreated several times on Trujillo’s orders.
Finally, Antonia Maria Teresa Mirabal Reyes, also known as Maria Teresa, was heavily influenced by her older sister Minerva’s ideas and became active in clandestine actions against Trujillo’s administration.
Who Were The Mirabal Sisters?
The Dominican Republic was a dystopian nightmare in the middle of the twentieth century, ruled by the ruthless dictator Rafael Trujillo, who ruled the island from 1930 to 1960.
Trujillo was able to crush his opponents and grab power by winning a rigged presidential election using intimidation and violence. This period became known as the “Era of Trujillo,” which was also considered the bloodiest in the Americas.
This horrible time would culminate in a powerful revolt against Trujillo, culminating in the martyrdom of three revolutionary women, the Mirable Sisters, whose deaths shocked a whole nation.