Mama Tingo

Mamá Tingó was an Afro-Dominican peasant movement leader and political icon who, despite being illiterate, became a prominent activist for rural farming communities. She and her husband worked on their farm for many years until a landholder took their land. Mamá Tingó, a member of the Federation of Christian Agrarian Leagues, led the fight to secure benefits for farm workers in Hato Viejo, ultimately winning land rights for over 300 families. Tragically, she was assassinated on November 3, 1974, while opposing the unjust seizure of residents’ lands during Joaquín Balaguer’s second presidency in the Dominican Republic. 

Mamá Tingó’s legacy is commemorated with a station on the Santo Domingo Metro system and a statue in Monte Plata, though her story is often overlooked in history.