Spanish
Azua. — With the conclusion of the excavation phase of the project “Following the Remains of Cacique Enriquillo”, the City Council of the municipality of Pueblo Viejo declared the architectural complex made up of the vestiges of the Church and the Convent of Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes a Historical and Cultural Heritage site, recognizing the historical, archaeological and cultural value of this important site of the old colonial settlement of Azua de Compostela.
The project is an initiative of the Macarrulla Foundation, with the support of the General Directorate of Strategic and Special Projects of the Presidency (PROPEEP), and has been directed by the Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martínez, along with a multidisciplinary team of national and international specialists.
During this field stage, the excavation and recovery of 35 human skeletons was achieved, as well as various archaeological materials that will now be subjected to specialized scientific studies in laboratories outside the country, within the framework of a new research stage that is estimated to take approximately eight months.
As part of the project, work was also carried out to restore the ruins of the Church of Our Lady of Las Mercedes, which included the re-placement of some of the original stones that had come loose over time and the seismic events that have historically affected the region.
For Lidia Martínez de Macarrulla, president of the Macarrulla Foundation, the progress made so far reflects the value of collaboration between institutions, specialists, and the community.
"We want to deeply thank all the institutions, specialists, collaborators, and community members who have joined this project. This has been a collective effort that demonstrates how collaboration can open new doors to the knowledge of our history."
For his part, the director of Strategic and Special Projects of the Presidency (PROPEEP), Robert Polanco, thanked the archaeologist Kathleen Martínez, her technical team, and the community of Pueblo Viejo for the effort made in the project, an initiative that for several weeks attracted the attention of the media, students, researchers, and citizens interested in learning more about the history and cultural roots of the country.
Polanco explained that, in line with the commitment to transparency and accountability promoted by President Luis Abinader, the sum of 2,493,338.31 pesos was allocated to the physical adaptation of the space —which included the restoration of the office, the ceiling, painting work and the habilitation of the laboratory prior to the arrival of international specialists.
He added that in the general logistics, which included air tickets, accommodation, transportation, fuel, and opening activities, 4,735,006.54 pesos were invested, while 799,650 pesos were allocated to human resources. To this are added 85,946 pesos in additional expenses and 125,007 pesos for the week of extension of the works, which raises the total investment made by PROPEEP to 8,113,940.85 pesos.
The City Council of Pueblo Viejo, headed by its mayor Victor Figuereo, made the declaration by which the architectural complex of the Church and Convent of Our Lady of Las Mercedes is recognized as Historical and Cultural Heritage of the municipality.
The declaration was adopted through Resolutions No. 01-2026 and 02-2026, approved by the Council of Aldermen of the City Council of Pueblo Viejo.
Figuereo highlighted that this declaration represents an important step for the preservation of local historical heritage and for strengthening the cultural identity of the community.
Likewise, the Council of Aldermen declared Adoptive Sons and Daughters of the Municipality of Pueblo Viejo to the researchers who have contributed to the development of these investigations: Lidia Martínez de Macarrulla, Dr. Kathleen Martínez Nazar, Antonio Guio, Aya Salem, María Luz Carretero, Eva María Moreno and Víctor Barrera Alarcón.
For Kathleen Martínez, scientific coordinator of the project, the stage that is now beginning will be key to better understanding the meaning of the findings.
“Now we are entering a fundamental phase of the project: the scientific analysis of everything recovered in the excavations. These studies will allow us to advance in the historical understanding of the site and continue to contribute knowledge about one of the most important stages of our past.”
The investigations carried out in Pueblo Viejo are part of the efforts promoted by Decree No. 783-21 of the Executive Branch, aimed at promoting research related to the search for the remains of cacique Enriquillo, an emblematic figure of indigenous resistance in Dominican history.
