Abinader honors 12 outstanding Dominicans in Europe for their talent and contribution to the country
Madrid, Spain.— President Luis Abinader, together with Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó, led on Tuesday the presentation of the Dominican Outstanding Abroad Award “Index Somos Todos,” which this time honored 12 Dominicans living in Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom for their professional careers and for projecting the Dominican Republic in a positive light.
The ceremony took place at Madrid’s Cine Capitol, a city home to the largest concentration of Dominicans in Europe, according to the Presidency of the Republic. Medicine, culture, research, sports, innovation and business are among the fields in which the honorees have excelled.
In congratulating them, Minister Bisonó highlighted each honoree’s perseverance, excellence and willingness to serve, and urged them to keep opening paths and carrying their roots with dignity. He also praised President Abinader’s work to give Dominicans abroad an important place in government policy, and assured them of the support of the Foreign Ministry, the embassies, the consulates and Index.
The Vice Minister for Dominican Communities Abroad, Celinés Toribio, described the honorees’ talent and contributions as a collective heritage and said that a nation’s international prestige is also built in a hospital, a classroom, a company, a cultural stage or a community organization.
Those honored in Spain were Héctor Farías, who has directed the Ballet Dominicano en Europa since 2015; Eslaysa Indira Reynoso García, a dentist and entrepreneur; Rosanel Amaro Rodríguez, a pulmonologist and researcher; Lissette Batista, a gastroenterologist who leads the Prevencolon-RD initiative; Carlos Vinicio Rodríguez Jumelles, a physician coordinating trauma emergency care in Torrejón; Carla F. Jovine Rijo, founder of the 3D Collective platform, and Gricell Garrido Colón, businesswoman and founder of Prevent Security Systems.
From Italy, the honorees were Beatriz Acosta Acosta “La Tía Yin,” folklorist and cultural manager; Emely Natividad Balbi Méndez, economist and community leader, and Denny Méndez, an actress who in 1996 became the first Afro-descendant woman to win Miss Italy. From the United Kingdom, Laura Esther de la Cruz Rosario, an intensive care specialist, and Mario Lenny Ramírez Ruiz “Viktor con K,” artist and cultural promoter, were honored.
The award was presented during President Abinader’s visit to Madrid, where he will take part on November 4 and 5 in the 30th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Photo: Presidency of the Dominican Republic