José Rafael Lantigua, writer and former Minister of Culture, passes away

Santo Domingo.- José Rafael Lantigua, writer, academic and former Minister of Culture, died on Tuesday morning after a period of illness. The information was confirmed by relatives and collaborators from the cultural field. Born in Moca on September 17, 1948, Lantigua developed a career linked to literature, cultural management, and teaching. He obtained a degree in Education Sciences, with a major in Literature, from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña. He was a full member of the Dominican Academy of Language since 2006, holding seat A, and formalized his entry in 2008 with a speech on literary conduct. In the institutional sphere, he directed the literary supplement Biblioteca of the newspaper Última Hora between 1985 and 2000, chaired the Permanent Commission of the Book Fair and founded the Santo Domingo International Book Fair. Between 2004 and 2008, he assumed the position of Minister of Culture. He also served as director of the Center for Cultural Studies of the Global Democracy and Development Foundation and led the editorial direction of the Revista Global.

Lantigua gave lectures and courses in literature, cultural management, communication, and public policies, both in the country and abroad. His work includes essays, poetry, biographies, and literary studies. Among his publications are titles such as “Domingo Moreno Jimenes, apostle of poetry”, “The conspiracy of time: memoirs of the Dominican man”, “The craft of the word: literary conversations”, “Shadow notebook” and “An encounter with the commander: rationed letters”. He received recognitions such as the National Essay Award, the National Journalism Award from the Foreign Press Club, the Pro-Culture Award from the Ateneo Amantes de la Luz, the Narciso González Award for Intellectual of the Year, the Dominican Academy of Language Award, the Eugenio Deschamps Award, as well as municipal distinctions in Santiago de los Caballeros and Moca. In recent years, he continued to publish essays and articles on literature and culture. His legacy remains in the intellectual production and in the cultural institutions of the country.