Who were Las Mariposas, and why were they murdered? - Lisa Krause

Translator: Alessandro Baster Reviewer: Pilar Ciriquian Esguerra

From 1930 to 1961, thousands of people

Del 1930 al 1961, milers de persones

were imprisoned, tortured, and murdered

van ser empresonades, torturades i assassinades

under Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.

sota la dictadura de Rafael Trujillo a la República Dominicana.

Three sisters would go on to lead an underground revolution.

Tres germanes van conduir una revolució subterrània.

But while their courage inspired many, it threatened the man in power,

El seu coratge va inspirar a molts i va amenaçar l’home en poder

and their lives would come to a tragic early end.

i va posar fi a les seves vides ràpidament i tràgicament.

Trujillo rose through the military ranks during the United States’ occupation

Trujillo va pujar entre els rangs militars durant l’ocupació estatunidenca

of the Dominican Republic.

de la República Dominicana.

He assumed power in 1930 through a coup and rigged election

Va assumir el poder el 1930 a través d’un cop d’estat i eleccions manipulades

and created a system that enriched himself and his allies.

i va crear un sistema que el va enriquir a ell mateix i els seus aliats.

Trujillo’s family alone controlled three-fifths

La família de Trujillo controlava les tres cinquenes parts

of the country’s gross domestic product,

del producte interior brut del país,

including monopolies over salt, beef, and newspapers.

inclosos els monopolis de sal, carn de bou i diaris.

He renamed the country's capital after himself

Va reanomenar la capital del país en honor seu

and expected his portrait to be displayed in every household.

i el seu retrat havia de ser exhibit a totes les llars.

And he committed atrocities, including the massacre of thousands of Haitians.

Va cometre atrocitats, inclosa la massacre de milers d’haitians.

All the while, a secret police force maintained his power

Una força de policia secreta mantenia el seu poder

by targeting opponents at home and abroad.

i suprimia els oponents a casa i a l’estranger.

The Mirabal sisters grew up in a middle class family in the countryside.

Les germanes Mirabal van créixer en una família de classe mitjana al camp.

Their parents sent the four sisters—

Els seus pares van enviar les 4 germanes

Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and María Teresa—

Patria, Dedé, Minerva i María Teresa

to one of the country’s best boarding schools.

a un dels millors internats del país.

There, Minerva met a classmate whose relative was killed on Trujillo's orders.

Minerva va conèixer un noi a qui li havien assassinat un familiar en nom de Trujillo

She began seeking out strong voices of opposition

i va començar a buscar veus fortes de l’oposició

and discussing issues of oppression and justice with her sisters.

i a discutir sobre opressió i justícia amb les seves germanes.

While Dedé stayed out of politics,

Mentre Dedé es queda fora de la política,

Minerva, Patria, and María Teresa became invested in changing their country.

Minerva, Patria i María Teresa s’encarreguen de canviar el país.

However, the Mirabal family’s safe standing soon collapsed.

La seguretat de la família Mirabal va, però, col·lapsar aviat.

In 1949, they were invited to one of Trujillo’s parties,

El 1949, van ser invitades a una de les festes de Trujillo,

which served as his personal hunting grounds for young women.

que servien com terreny de caça personal a les dones.

Declining the invitation was not an option.

Declinar la invitació no era una opció.

Despite Minerva’s attempts to avoid him at the reception,

Malgrat els intents de Minerva d’evitar-lo a la recepció,

she eventually danced with Trujillo but rejected his advances.

al final va dansar amb Trujillo, però va rebutjar les seves adulacions.

The Mirabal family left the party early,

Els Mirabal van abandonar la festa aviat,

which was seldom done and considered disrespectful to the dictator.

cosa que ningú havia mai fet i que el dictador va considerar irrespectuosa.

Their father, Enrique, was imprisoned and family property was confiscated.

El seu pare, Enrique, va ser empresonat i la propietat familiar confiscada.

Minerva graduated with highest honors

Minerva es va graduar amb honors

as one of the first women in the country to receive a law degree.

i va ser la primera dona del país a rebre una llicenciatura en dret.

But she was denied state authorization to practice—

Però li va ser negada l’autorització estatal per a practicar,

a process Trujillo oversaw.

un procediment controlat per Trujillo.

While studying, Minerva met Manolo Tavárez Justo.

Mentre estudiava, Minerva va conèixer Manolo Tavárez Justo.

He shared her political convictions and the two married in 1955.

Compartien la mateixa visió política i es van casar el 1955.

They watched as armed revolutions launched throughout Latin America.

Les revolucions armades recorrien tota Amèrica Llatina.

After Trujillo crushed an attempt to overthrow him in 1959,

Després que Trujillo va aconseguir no ser enderrocat el 1959,

they began to prepare a revolution of their own.

van preparar una revolució pel seu propi compte.

The Mirabal sisters and their husbands formed the June 14th movement

Les germanes Mirabal i els seus esposos van formar el moviment del 14 de juny

along with many others from the middle class.

junts a molts altres de la classe mitjana.

Codenamed Las Mariposas, or the Butterflies,

Amb el nom en clau de las Mariposas, o les Papallones,

the three sisters organized and attended clandestine meetings

les tres germanes van organitzar i assistir a reunions clandestines

and distributed pamphlets detailing Trujillo’s violations.

i van distribuir pamflets sobre les violacions de Trujillo.

In January of 1960,

El gener de 1960,

they called representatives together from all over the country

van invitar representants de tot el país

to establish the movement’s structure and prepare an uprising.

per a establir l’estructura del moviment i preparar una insurrecció.

But it was not to be.

Però no va ser així.

Trujillo had spies everywhere.

Trujillo tenia espies per tot arreu.

Soon, many revolutionaries, including Minerva and María Teresa, were arrested.

Molts revolucionaris, incloses Minerva i María Teresa, van ser arrestats aviat.

During this time, Patria found creative ways of transmitting information

Durant aquesta època, Patria va trobar alguna manera de transmetre informacions

to and from imprisoned rebels.

als i dels rebels empresonats.

Fearful of losing the support of the U.S. and the Church,

Temerós de perdre el suport dels Estats Units i de l’Església,

which had recently begun to criticize him,

que havien començat a criticar-lo,

Trujillo released the sisters while leaving their husbands imprisoned.

Trujillo va alliberar les germanes, mentre els esposos van quedar empresonats.

But they continued to threaten his regime’s stability— and his ego.

Van continuar amenaçant l’estabilitat del règim i el seu ego.

On November 25th,

El 25 de novembre,

as the three sisters were returning from visiting two of their imprisoned husbands,

mentre les tres germanes retornaven de la presó on estaven dos dels esposos,

Trujillo’s men stopped their car.

els homes de Trujillo van aturar el seu cotxe.

The sisters, along with their driver, Rufino de la Cruz,

Les germanes, junt amb el seu conductor Rufino de la Cruz,

were asphyxiated and beaten to death.

van ser asfixiats i colpejats fins a la mort.

The men rolled the Jeep off a hill to frame the murder as a car accident.

Els homes de Trujillo van empènyer el jeep avall d’un turó per a simular un accident.

Patria was 36, Minerva was 33, and María Teresa was 25.

Patria tenia 36 anys, Minerva 33 i María Teresa 25.

But Trujillo's plan to silence the Mirabal sisters

El pla de Trujillo d’eliminar les germanes Mirabal

and stabilize his regime backfired.

i d’estabilitzar el seu règim va fracassar.

Much of the public wasn’t fooled by the flimsy coverup.

La majoria del públic no es va deixar enganyar per aquesta dissimulació.

The international community condemned the assassination.

La comunitat internacional va condemnar l’assassinat.

And the U.S. closed its Dominican embassy

Els Estats Units van tancar l’ambaixada dominicana

and secretly invested in the anti-Trujillo movement.

i van invertir secretament en el moviment anti-Trujillo.

Months later, former members of the Dominican military

Mesos després, antics membres de l’exèrcit dominicà

killed the dictator, bringing his violent, 31-year reign to an end.

van matar el dictador, i van posar fi als 31 anys del seu regnat violent.

Thanks to their family, especially their surviving sister, Dedé,

Gràcies a la seva família i especialment a la seva germana sobreviscuda Dedé,

the legacy of the Mirabal sisters would surpass the clutches of Trujillo’s tyranny

el llegat de les germanes Mirabel ha superat les urpes de Trujillo

even long after their deaths.

fins al dia d’avui.

Today, the Mirabal sisters are national heroes

Avui dia, les germanes Mirabal són heroïnes nacionals.

with monuments and honors commemorating their struggle.

Nombrosos monuments i estàtues recorden la seva lluita.

In 1999, the United Nations declared November 25th,

El 1999, les Nacions Unides van declarar el 25 de novembre,

the anniversary of their deaths,

dia de l’aniversari de la seva mort,

the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Dia Internacional per a l’Eliminació de la Violència contra les Dones.

Their courageous fight for justice has inspired generations.

La seva lluita coratjosa per la justícia ha inspirat generacions enteres.