SANTO DOMINGO. — Two months have passed since the tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 230 people after the collapse of the roof of the Jet Set nightclub, and the country is still shaken by the human stories that emerge from the disaster. One of the most moving is that of José Luis Galán, twin brother of Luis José Galán, known in the media as The Sentinel of Truth.
On the night of April 7th, the twins were sharing their traditional game of dominoes at a cousin’s house. José Luis remembers with emotion that it was he who played the last tile with his brother:
“I had the privilege of playing his last game of dominoes on this earth. That was a grace from God for me. We said goodbye around 11:15 at night. I never imagined that it would be the last time I would see him alive.”
That morning, Luis José decided, without prior notice, to go by the Jet Set to share with some friends. His twin only found out the next day, when he went to his brother’s apartment and didn’t find his vehicle.
“When I didn’t see the car in the parking lot, I lost my strength. I ran to the Jet Set and saw it there, in the gas station parking lot. The car was open… that’s when everything fell apart for the family.”
José Luis confesses that if the roles had been reversed, they both probably would have died:
“If I had been under those rubble, my brother wouldn’t have been able to bear it. We would have had two wakes at home.”
The tragedy of the Jet Set not only took his twin, but also touched other families with similar stories. According to the account, at least three pairs of twins lost one of their own that night, although none were accompanied by their brother or sister at the time of the collapse.
Despite the pain, José Luis has opted for forgiveness and faith. He had a phone conversation with Antonio Espaillat, the owner of the establishment, to whom he said he had no intention of suing.
“We are not interested in any lawsuit. What God allows on this earth has a purpose. We are praying for him, for his family, and for my brother’s soul.”
“Every day someone tells me they saw me, that my brother is alive. That kills me, because it’s not that I mind being mistaken for him, but it revives the pain of having lost him.” José Luis Galán asks for nothing more than divine justice. While many clamor for legal answers, he clings to faith and the memory of his twin, the “Centinela”, whose voice is no longer heard, but whose legacy remains.
