The Dominican government honored with the Medal of Merit eight Dominican women for their life contributions to culture and Dominican values. Vice President Jaime David Fernández gave the awards at the National Palace. These went to: Esthervina Matos, 85 years, with four doctorates, and the first woman to become professor of law; Atala Cabral de Poladura, 70 years old, first Dominican woman journalist, and renown museum researcher; Margarita Vallejo de Paredes, 80 years, educator, journalist and researcher; Maria Matilda Luz Peña de Infante, 85, first Dominican woman to serve as a judge; Altagracia del Orbe, 82, politician, fought against Trujillo and mother of the 14 de Junio heroes movement against Trujillo; and Luz Carolina Mainardi, 90 years, anti-Trujillo activist.
