11/26/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17xJxe6KoZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Rafael Trujillo, the brutal fascist dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic for over three decades, once admitted: "My only problems are the Catholic Church and the Mirabal sisters." Trujillo had seized power through a military coup in 1930, and his authoritarian regime used intimidation, imprisonment, torture, and murder to maintain control, with tens of thousands dying under his rule. That three young women from a prominent, well-to-do family could rise to become leaders of the underground resistance -- so formidable that the far-right dictator himself named them as his primary threat -- is a testament to their extraordinary courage and determination. When Minerva, Patria, and Maria Teresa were assassinated by Trujillo's henchmen on this day in 1960, they became instant martyrs and national heroes. In 1999, the United Nations honored their sacrifice by designating the date of their assassination, November 25, as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The Mirabal sisters' path to resistance began in 1949 when their family attended a social event with Trujillo, where the dictator made unwanted advances toward Minerva. When he became aggressive and physical, she slapped him in the face and the family left the party early. In retaliation, her father was imprisoned and subjected to brutal treatment, dying shortly after his release. Minerva and her parents were arrested, their property was seized, and the family finances were ruined. Later, Minerva and her mother were held under house arrest at a hotel, where Trujillo tried to coerce Minerva into sleeping with him to secure their release, which she refused.
After graduating law school summa cm laude, Minerva was denied her license to practice law. She met fellow activist Manolo Tavárez Justo at university, and they married in 1955, becoming resistance leaders together. Her younger sister Maria Teresa soon joined the movement. Patria, the eldest, initially resisted involvement but joined after witnessing a brutal massacre perpetrated by Trujillo's forces on June 14, 1959. The sisters and their husbands became key figures in organizing opposition to the dictatorship.
Together, Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa formed an underground opposition group called the Movement of the Fourteenth of June, named in memory of the massacre that had galvanized Patria into action. The sisters distributed pamphlets containing the names of people killed by Trujillo and obtained materials for constructing guns and bombs in preparation for an open revolt. Within the resistance movement, they adopted the code name Las Mariposas (The Butterflies), originally Minerva's underground name. Despite knowing the grave risks they faced, the sisters remained undeterred. As Maria Teresa declared, "Perhaps what we have most near is death, but that idea does not frighten me. We shall continue to fight for that which is just."
Minerva and Maria Teresa were imprisoned on several occasions and subjected to torture, along with their husbands. The regime's crackdown intensified, but international pressure eventually forced Trujillo's hand. After the Organization of American States condemned his regime and sent observers to the Dominican Republic, the sisters were freed as a supposed gesture of leniency, but their husbands remained imprisoned. The women began making regular visits to see their husbands at the remote prison in Puerto Plata, traveling across dangerous mountain roads.
On November 25, 1960, after one such prison visit, the three sisters and their driver were ambushed on their return journey. They were beaten to death in a cane field, then their bodies were stuffed back into their vehicle and pushed over a cliff to simulate an accident. No one believed the regime's story. The martyrdom of the Mirabal sisters instantly helped solidify resistance to Trujillo both at home and abroad. Six months later, facing mounting pressure from all sides and having lost military support, Trujillo himself was assassinated on May 30, 1961.
The sisters have long been revered as national heroes in the Dominican Republic for their extraordinary courage in standing against tyranny. A fourth sister, Dedé Mirabal, survived and dedicated the remainder of her life to raising her sisters' six children alongside her own and preserving their legacy through the establishment of a museum in their childhood home. She became the keeper of their story, ensuring that Las Mariposas would never be forgotten. Dedé passed away in 2014 at the age of 88.
On November 25, we remember and honor the contributions and sacrifices of the Mirabal sisters and all those who work toward a world free from violence against women. This date also marks the beginning of the "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," an annual global campaign that runs through December 10, International Human Rights Day, calling for action to end gender-based violence in all its forms.
To learn more about their heroic story, there is a highly acclaimed historical fiction novel about the Mirabal sisters, "In the Time of the Butterflies," which is recommended for older teens and adults at https://www.amightygirl.com/in-the-time-of-the-butterflies
A memoir by the surviving sister, Dedé Mirabal, was also recently translated and released in English: "Alive in Their Garden: The True Story of the Mirabal Sisters and Their Fight for Freedom" at https://amzn.to/4pBCvg6 (Amazon) and https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9781683405009 (Bookshop)
Two films have also been made about the sisters' story - both for older teen and adult viewers - "In the Time of the Butterflies" (https://amzn.to/3DSPuT1) and "Tropico de Sangre" (http://amzn.to/2g9hrLJ)
For two books for younger readers about girls living under the oppressive Trujillo regime, we recommend "Before We Were Free" for ages 10 to 14 (https://www.amightygirl.com/before-we-were-free) and "The Color of My Words" for ages 8 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-color-of-my-words).
For more books for tweens and teens about the experience of girls and women living under real-life authoritarian regimes, visit our blog post "The Fragility of Freedom: Mighty Girl Books About Life Under Authoritarianism" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=32426
