The work, designed by the architect and urban planner Marcos Barinas, includes several reinforced concrete walls with the concept of a breakwater, a symbol of all the difficulties faced by immigrants from the Antilles.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) inaugurated the Monument to Los Cocolos , a work that pays homage to the Dominican cultural identity and recognizes the work of these immigrants from the Antilles as an important contribution that helped to build the country's sugar industry at the end of the 19th century, especially in the region.
The event was attended by the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda, Rodney Williams; the Prime Minister of the British Virgin Islands, Natalio Wheatley; and the Chancellors E. Paul Chet Greene, of Antigua and Barbuda; and Denzil Lewellyn Douglas, of Saint Kitts and Nevis; as well as a delegation from Grenada.
Also participating in the activity were the president of the Economic and Social Council of Sint Maarten, Harlec Doran; the secretary general of the Economic and Social Council of Sint Maarten, Gerard Richardson; as well as the Puerto Rican historians and professors, Humberto García Muñiz and Jorge L. Giovannetti -Torres.
Construction
The construction of the Monument to the Cocolos was an initiative of the Dominican Government, coordinated by Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez, as part of the interest in strengthening ties with the Caribbean community through a bilateral and multilateral foreign policy of rapprochement, based on a coherent and sustained strategy, which seeks to establish relations of mutual trust, recognizing affinities through a patient, constructive dialogue and respect for the diversity characteristic of the region.
“We have promoted a foreign policy of rapprochement with the Caribbean, with a multilateral vocation, a constructive spirit, and full respect for our shared diversity. We have strengthened our diplomatic presence in the region and consolidated channels of dialogue and cooperation with our Caribbean brothers and sisters,” said Minister Álvarez during the inauguration ceremony on the Malecón of this province.
“Today we pay tribute to a community that has been a pillar of our national identity. Being Cocolo is not just an ethnic or historical reference: it is a Dominican way of being in the world, a symbol of our multicultural richness, a bond that unites us with the rest of the Caribbean and with other migrations that, throughout the centuries, have forged this pluralistic homeland,” said Foreign Minister Álvarez, highlighting that for this reason the Ministry of Foreign Affairs erected this Monument to the Cocolos in San Pedro de Macorís, the city that most warmly welcomed them.
The artwork, designed by architect and urban planner Marcos Barinas, includes several reinforced concrete walls conceived as breakwaters, symbolizing the hardships faced by immigrants from the Antilles. The polished surface simulates their contact with the sea. Four sections were placed on these walls, each bearing four specially oxidized steel plates inscribed with the text of the poem "The Immigrants" by Norberto James Rawlings, a poet from San Pedro de Macorís and a descendant of the Cocolos.
The event was also attended by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX), municipal authorities from San Pedro de Macorís, community leaders, historians, and members of the Cocola community, who recalled the importance of preserving the historical memory of this Afro-descendant group that, since the end of the 19th century, enriched the national identity with its traditions, values, and tireless work.
The event concluded with artistic presentations by Los Guloyas, traditional groups of the Cocolo Dance Theater of the Dominican Republic, which were recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), based in Paris, as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
About the Cocolos
For about 40 to 50 years, inhabitants from about 20 islands were brought to the Dominican Republic, including: Anguilla, Anegada, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Tortola, Dominica, Montserrat, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Croix, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Cocolos introduced lodges and mutual aid societies to the country, which formed a form of solidarity among workers and city dwellers. They also introduced religious institutions such as the Dominican Episcopal Church, the Apostolic Faith, the Moravian Church, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
A large group distinguished themselves as pre-university and university educators in San Pedro de Macorís, Santo Domingo, La Romana, Barahona, Puerto Plata, and other parts of the country. Among the best known are professors Alberto Byas, Celsa Albert Batista, and Egbert Morrison.
In the sports and music fields, figures such as Ricardo Carty, George Bell, and Violet Stephen stood out.
