In a formal ceremony held in advance of the Dominican Republic’s 2027 national Independence Day and Homeland Month celebrations, the Dominican Republic’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Andy Rodríguez Durán accepted two sculpted busts of Juan Pablo Duarte, the nation’s iconic founding father, from representatives of the Duartian Institute.
This handover marks a key step in the Dominican Republic’s initiative to share its foundational historical heritage with the global community. Per the planned installation schedule, one of the two bronze busts will be placed in Djibouti, a country that falls under the diplomatic accreditation of the Dominican Embassy based in Riyadh. This placement will make the sculpture the second official public monument to Duarte located on the African continent. The first official Duarte bust was unveiled in Egypt in 2023, when Ambassador Rodríguez Durán was serving in a diplomatic posting there.
The second bust, which portrays Duarte in his historic role as a military leader of the Dominican independence movement, will remain on permanent display at the Dominican Embassy’s headquarters in Riyadh, serving as a permanent reminder of the nation’s founding ideals for visitors and diplomatic staff alike. Alongside the two sculptures, Ambassador Rodríguez Durán also received an official Dominican national flag and a curated collection of books and institutional publications that detail Duarte’s life, contributions, and enduring legacy.
Wilson Gómez Ramírez, president of the Duartian Institute, emphasized during the ceremony that his organization has long prioritized expanding global awareness of Duarte’s transformative role in Dominican history. The institute remains dedicated to preserving his ideals and extending recognition of his legacy beyond Dominican borders to international audiences. For his part, Ambassador Rodríguez Durán expressed sincere gratitude to the Duartian Institute for its ongoing work to safeguard the patriot’s legacy and create opportunities to share it with communities across the globe, noting that the installations will strengthen cultural diplomacy and highlight Dominican national identity in the Middle East and Africa.