EL GRAMAZO, CENTRAL MOUNTAIN RANGE. – In a day filled with indignation and dignity, dozens of families from the community of El Gramazo, between Padre las Casas and Constanza , descended last weekend towards the Río en Medio, in a march on foot, on horseback and on motorcycles , carrying signs, protest songs and a single determination: to demand from the government the attention that has been denied them for years.
The community members who participated in the peaceful protest want to draw the attention of President Luis Abinader because they say they feel forgotten by the officials that the State has assigned to address their needs for passable roads, access to health, decent schools, electricity and, above all, the construction of the bridge over the Grande River , vital to connect the community with the nearby municipalities.
The gathering took place at the site on the Rio Grande where the bridge should be. It's a mountainous, rural setting, surrounded by lush vegetation and smoothed stones smoothed by the crystal-clear water that meanders through, forming small streams and eddies. The landscape is rugged and vibrant, but the community members want people to see beyond its beauty, to see how their daily lives are affected by the lack of that bridge.
“We are tired of sending letters, going to offices, forming committees, calling everywhere. Nobody listens to us,” declared Glenys Delgado, a community leader who has been the voice of the more than twenty communities that make up this forgotten region of the mountains bordering Constanza, where the impassable roads have claimed lives.
Community members say they feel forgotten by the government. (Courtesy of César De la Cruz).
“The latest victims were a woman named Griselda and her eight-year-old daughter . They were in an accident due to the poor condition of the road, an accident that also left six other people injured. We had to juggle things for hours to get them out and take them to a hospital, carrying them on our shoulders. Many have died along the way,” lamented the young community leader.
Unfulfilled promises
Danilo Medina
's administration , heavy machinery had been allocated for ongoing road maintenance: a bulldozer, a backhoe, and a grader. “They were meant to keep the roads clear, especially when it rains. But under this administration, they disappeared without any explanation. It was like magic,” Delgado denounced.
The leader also reported that the El Gramazo school , inaugurated just five months ago after a long struggle of more than 10 years, is already experiencing flooding . “Is this how they intend to improve education?” she asked indignantly.
“ Mr. President, look at the mountains , look. We human beings . We raise the Dominican flag here too. You promised us support, and we haven't received it . You treat us like beggars, not like citizens. We demand the resumption of the suspended projects: the road to Constanza, electrification, the agroforestry project, the schools. Or were they just empty promises?”
The demand in El Gramazo isn't just for a bridge: it's for the possibility of living with dignity. “Without roads, without healthcare, without education, without electricity, without agricultural support, there is no future. This forgotten mountain range cries out for justice,” Delgado concluded as the community chanted songs of resistance on the riverbank.
