Opinion piece revisits 'Las Vírgenes de Galindo,' a 19th-century tale set during Haitian rule of Santo Domingo

An opinion column published by the Dominican outlet Acento.com.do revisits 'Las Vírgenes de Galindo,' one of the best-known narratives in César Nicolás Penson's 1891 book 'Cosas Añejas. Tradiciones y episodios de Santo Domingo.' According to the article, the poet Félix María del Monte had earlier treated the same subject in an 1822 poem. The piece is a literary and historical commentary rather than a report of current events. Penson's narrative is set at the Galindo estate, property of Andrés Andújar, in what is now the Santo Domingo neighborhood of Mejoramiento Social, during the period of Haitian domination of the island's eastern part (1822–1844). That control, the column notes, was grounded in Article 40 of Haiti's 1816 constitution asserting the island's indivisibility, a clause that remained until an 1874 peace treaty. The column recounts Penson's story of the killing of Andújar and his three daughters, dated 30 May 1822, and stresses the anti-Haitian sentiment running through the text, including its hostile portrayal of Jean-Pierre Boyer. The author, Ramón Cassá, is cited on questions of ethnic identity during the era. The piece reflects one writer's historical analysis published in an opinion section.