UASD Dean proposes that new province be named after Orlando Martínez

Santo Domingo. – The dean of the Faculty of Humanities of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), Gerardo Roa Ogando, proposed that the new province that is planned to be created from the municipality of Las Matas de Farfán be named Orlando Martínez, instead of Santa Lucía Province, as has been suggested. The academic explained that, although Saint Lucia is the revered patron saint of the people of Matanzas and a symbol of faith for the community, the name of a province should have a civic and national character. In that sense, he highlighted that Orlando Martínez, a journalist murdered in 1975 for his defense of freedom of expression, constitutes a historical reference of democratic resistance, personal self-improvement, and commitment to the truth.

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Roa Ogando highlighted that Las Matas de Farfán is recognized as one of the municipalities that has contributed the most professionals to the Dominican Republic in different areas of knowledge, from medicine and law to education, science, and communication. “In that tradition of effort and training, Orlando Martínez stands out as the highest exponent, as he transcended the borders of his hometown to become a moral heritage of the nation”, he affirmed. The dean emphasized that naming the new territory as Orlando Martínez Province would not only be an act of historical justice, but also a decision with high pedagogical value. “Every time the name of the province is mentioned, the importance of democracy, freedom and justice as fundamental values of Dominican society will be remembered,” he said.