The Ariza Cabral family reported yesterday the death of Don Jose Daniel Ariza Cabral, one of the pillars and examples of several generations for the Dominican society.
His remains will be exposed this Wednesday afternoon at the Blandino Funeral Home of Abraham Lincoln.
Ariza Cabral, was the father of the renowned lawyer Dr. Jose Rafael Ariza, who through his social networks announced the news of his death stating that «Neither the dictatorship, nor the torture, nor the persecutors of the communists, nor those who ended the life of Manolo and 18 other young people in Manacla, nor so many other battles could limit their passage through this land. Today the creator sent for him, rest in peace dad.
Ariza Cabral was the son of José Daniel Ariza Sánchez, assassinated by the dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1934 after being arrested and tortured in Nigua, and maternal nephew of the anti-imperialist fighter Máximo Cabral Reyes, hero of La Barranquita facing the invaders of United States in 1916. His mother was Amada Cabral Reyes.
You may be interested in: Let’s dream of a better world
Founder of the clandestine movement “June 14” along with Manolo Tavárez and Minerva Mirabal, he shared prison with both in La Victoria prison, where he was locked up when the tyranny was beheaded.
He also worked together with Máximo López Molina, leader of the Dominican Popular Movement (MPD) in the struggles for detrujillization, where he faced the Paleros de Balá.
After being released from prison, he went into exile, where he received military training in Cuba, led by Ernesto “Che” Guevara, and also in Algeria, where he met the leader Ahmed Ben Bella and Houari Boumédiène.
He participated as a combatant in the Las Manaclas guerrilla movement between November and December 1963, and did not accept the decision of Manolo and other revolutionaries to surrender to the authorities under the promise that his life would be respected. Manolo and the bulk of the guerrilla, after surrendering, were assassinated by the military troops, while Ariza Cabral managed to circumvent the fence, entered Santiago and later Santo Domingo.
During the 1965 war, Ariza Cabral discreetly participated as a sniper, causing casualties to the North American invaders.
During the 12 years of Joaquín Balaguer, Ariza Cabral remained in the revolutionary ranks, combining his work as a builder with political activities.
Together with other revolutionary fighters, he prepared to send a group of men to reinforce the ranks of the combatants who were preparing in Cuba together with Colonel Francisco Caamaño.
The expedition of June 14, 1959 surprised him while working in Constanza, where he closely followed the clashes and later captured them in his book “What happened in Constance in June 1959”, a detailed account of the development of military operations.
He also wrote his memoirs entitled “Testimonies of a revolutionary combatant”, published in 2018, and gave numerous interviews for radio, television and print newspapers about his participation in patriotic struggles.
