DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Ecologists, marine biologists, and groups created to protect the Dominican coral reefs were all quite content when a five-meter-tall statue of the Taino figure Atabey was placed on the floor of the ocean in Sosua Bay. The statue, made of reinforced pH-neutral concrete serves as an artificial reef, and the starting point for hundreds of new corals, as well as a marine sanctuary. There were no religious ceremonies carried out when it was placed on the sea bottom, and the symbology was purely a reflection of the ancient respect that the Taino Indians had for their environment.

The growing coral reefs protect the coastline and attract other marine life, which, in turn makes Sosua more attractive as a tourist destination.

In spite of this, two religious figures, a priest and a pastor have petitioned the local city council for its removal as a pagan image, and the...