President Luis Abinader declared a day of national mourning and national hero burial on 8 January 2025 to honor the passing of Miguel Ángel Bissié Romero, the last surviving member of the group that assassinated dictator Rafael Trujillo, Diario Libre reports.
Bissie Romero died on Saturday, 4 January 2025 at the age of 90. The cause of death has not yet been released.
Under Presidential Decree No. 1-25, the Ministry of Defense was instructed to provide full military honors for Bissie Romero. Additionally, the Dominican flag should fly at half-staff on all military bases and public buildings throughout the country on the designated day, 8 January.
Bissié Romero played a pivotal role in the overthrow of the Trujillo regime, participating in the dictator’s assassination on May 30, 1961. His death marks the end of an era for the Dominican Republic, as he was the last living link to one of the nation’s most significant historical events.
Born in Navarra, Spain, Bissie Romero came to the Dominican Republic to teach at the Salesian Technical School, now known as the Salesian Technical Institute. Deeply moved by the oppression faced by the people, he quickly became involved in the struggle for their freedom, Diario Libre explains. Through his friendship with Antonio de la Maza, a political activist and member of the Resistance movement, he was drawn into the fight against the Trujillo dictatorship.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
8 January 2025