The Mirabal Sisters: The women who defied a dictator
The Mirabal Sisters are a significant trio whose lives – and untimely deaths – were hugely influential in the fight against violence towards women. The three sisters stood their ground and refused to give in to the oppressive regime in their home country of the Dominican Republic. They ultimately lost their lives for their cause, as they were assassinated in 1960.
Join us here at Crime+Investigation as we examine the story of the Mirabal sisters and how they became a symbol of change for gender based violence.
Who were the Mirabal sisters?
The four Mirabal sisters were part of the Mirabal family living in the Cibao region in the Dominican Republic. They were a comfortable, middle-class family, as their parents owned land in the area. However, when dictator Rafael Trujillo came to power in 1930, the family almost lost their wealth.
Only three of the Mirabal sisters were political activists, though the fourth sister had a significant role when it came to keeping her sisters' memories alive.
Patria Mercedes Mirabal Reyes
Patria was the eldest sister and was a very religious woman. She had initially wanted to become a nun. She married a farmer who also became a dissident to the regime. They had three children, and Patria was dedicated to making a better life for them so they would not have to grow up in tyranny.
Bélgica Adela Mirabal Reyes (Dedé)
Dedé was the second-born sister. She was not involved in her family's activism, instead working in her father's family business and staying at home as a homemaker. She was instrumental in keeping the memory of her sisters alive, as well as maintaining their family affairs. When their father died, it was Dedé who managed the finances. When her sisters were killed, Dedé raised their children. In the early 90s, she opened the Mirabal Sisters Museum and the Mirabal Sisters Foundation.
María Argentina Minerva Mirabal Reyes (Minerva)
Minerva was the most outspoken sister, but she was also the first to become a target of Trujillo’s regime. At a party that she had been forced to attend, Trujillo made sexual advances towards her. She rejected him, and he made her and family’s lives difficult because of it. Minerva attended the University of Santo Domingo to study law. She was the first female graduate from law school in the Dominican Republic and was top of her class. However, Trujillo’s bitterness over Minerva’s rejections festered, and he stripped her of the honours she earned. He also refused to grant her a license to practice law. Minerva would go on to become the most radical activist amongst her sisters.
Antonia María Teresa Mirabal Reyes (María Teresa)
María Teresa was the youngest Mirabal sister. She was incredibly intelligent, attending the same university that Minerva did and studying mathematics. María Teresa looked up to Minerva and was influenced by her. Her passion for Minerva’s political views and desire to see the collapse of the Dominican Republic’s regime led her to become an activist.
The Fourteenth of June Movement
Minerva was the first to get involved in activism against the regime. Patria followed after seeing a massacre firsthand while on a religious retreat. María Teresa was inspired by Minerva, who had taught her younger sister about her ideology.
The sisters and their husbands were key players in the Movement of the Fourteenth of June, named for the massacre that Patria witnessed. The movement was intended to honour the rebels who died trying to destroy the tyrannical regime.
The sisters and most of their family handed out pamphlets related to those who had died. Their activism grew significantly, and they eventually became the leaders of an underground movement against Trujillo. The sisters went by the name Las Mariposas translating to The Butterflies.
The murder of the Mirabal Sisters
The husbands of the sisters were imprisoned after their secret movement had been found. María Teresa and Minerva were also briefly imprisoned twice, but were released, though they all dealt with harassment and threats from Trujillo’s people constantly.
The sisters were visiting the imprisoned husbands of María Teresa and Minerva on 25th November 1960. On the way home, they were pulled over by henchmen of Trujillo. All three sisters and their driver, Rufino de la Cruz, were strangled and beaten to death. Their bodies were put back into their car and driven off a cliff to make it look like an accident. The cover-up was never believed.
The legacy of Mirabal Sisters
The murder caused massive outrage. Trujillo was assassinated only six months after, and many believe it was partly due to his decision to kill the sisters. All three women became martyrs and symbols of resistance, democracy and feminism.
Dedé’s efforts to commemorate her siblings were successful. In 1999, 25th November became the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly. The day was named in honour of the sisters. The Mirabal sisters continue to be important figureheads for women’s rights and today, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
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