The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic

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through the drafting of responses to current problems, as well as to highlight how important it is for democ-

racies around the world to have independent think tanks.

On February 13, 2019, the first official meeting in decades between the president of Italy and the presi-

dent of the Dominican Republic occurred. In Rome, at the Quirinale, the official residence of the Italian Head

of State, President Danilo Medina was received by President Sergio Mattarella, who organized an official

luncheon in his honor. This visit signaled the highest level of dialogue between the two countries and served

to strengthen perspectives of mutual interest. During the visit, President Medina announced plans for the

celebratory year of culture commemorating half a millennium since the arrival of the First Resident Bishop in

Santo Domingo, the Italian Alessandro Geraldini. For this purpose, an Honor Committee was organized and

to which President Danilo Medina appointed the first lady Cándida Montilla de Medina; other members of

the committee included Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado, Minister of Culture Eduardo Selman,

the Minister of MESCYT (Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology) Alejandrina Germán, the

acting Ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Italy and subsequent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

for bilateral relations Alba María Cabral, as well as the Dominican Episcopate Conference, the president of

CONEP (National Council of Private Companies) Pedro Brache, the president of AIRD (Association of In-

dustries of the Dominican Republic) Celso Juan Marranzini, and the Rectors of PUCMM (Pontificia Univer-

sidad Católica Madre y Maestra) Alfredo de la Cruz Baldera and the Catholic University of Santo Domingo,

SER Jesus Castro Marte. I was privileged to take part in the Honor Committee and to promote the initiatives

of this cultural year, which featured high-level events to not only commemorate Alessandro Geraldini, first

resident Bishop of Santo Domingo and builder of the first cathedral of the Americas, but also to demonstrate

“the close ties of friendship between Italy and the Dominican Republic,” as President Danilo Medina com-

municated to me in a letter

dated September 26, 2019, to support and congratulate the organization of said

commemorative events.

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. PART TWO. DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN THE PRESENT: 2017-2020

Opposite page:

While the new Italian

Embassy is being

built, the offices of

the diplomatic and

consular chancellery

have been housed in

the Equinox building,

which also houses the

German and Dutch

Embassies, whose flags

are displayed alongside

the Italian and

European flags,thus

creating, in the same

building, a kind of

European house in

Santo Domingo.

An event promoting

the “Made in Italy”

initiative held at the

residence of the Italian

Ambassador. From

left: Amelia Vicini,

Rosanna Rivera,

Rosalia Caro, Maria

Amalia Leon, Rosi

de Bonarelli, Gloria

de Selman, and

Jenny Polanco. Santo

Domingo, 2019.