Nicolás Silfa Canario

Dominican Immigrants|Dominican Veterans|Dominicans in Politics|Dominicans in the United States|Rafael Leónidas Trujillo|World War II

CUNY Dominican Studies Institute

The Silfa Family

1915-1993

Edward De Jesús, Principal Investigator / Curator

Ruth Lizardi, Coordinator / Assistant Curator

Dr. Ramona Hernández, Director, CUNY DSI & Professor of Sociology, The City College of New York

Anthony Stevens-Acevedo, Assistant Director

Idilio Gracia Peña, Chief Archivist

Sarah Aponte, Chief Librarian

Jessy J. Pérez, Archivist

Jhensen Ortiz, Assistant Librarian

Groana G. Meléndez, Photography Editor

Norma Guzmán and Donald Mounts, Researchers

Dr. Tim Williams, Senior Editor

Mariel Acosta, Katie Duarte, Shaday Fermín, and Anthony Stevens-Acevedo, Editors

John P. Bimbiras, Edward De Jesús, Jhensen Ortiz, Jessy J. Pérez, Sophia Monegro and Natalie A. Studt, Biography Text Writers

Isabelia Herrera, Grant Writer

Javier Pichardo, Graphic Artist

Sponsor: CUNY Dominican Studies Institute

Sponsor: Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York

Sponsor: Latino Americans: 500 Years - National Endowment for the Humanities

Sponsor: American Library Association

Sponsor: New York City Council

Sponsor: Smithsonian Latino Center

Sponsor: Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro)

Sponsor: The Documentary Forum - CCNY Center for Film, Journalism, and Interactive Media

Sponsor: Dominican Students Association

24" x 36" panel

English

Silfa was a passionate Dominican anti-Trujillo dissident; he was President of the Dominican revolutionary Party (PRD) headquartered in New York City, organized to support and disseminate opposition to Trujillo's continued dictatorship. In 1947, he travelled to Cuba to join a plot to invade the Dominican Republic and depose the dictatorship; this plot was named Cayo Confites. After the expedition failed, he returned to New York and again congregated exiles against Trujillo's regime. His home became the base of PRD and was the starting point for demonstrations and operations against Trujillo in New York, Washington D.C., and the rest of Latin America from 1949 until 1960. After Trujillo's death, Silfa returned to the Dominican Republic as a member of the PRD on July 5, 1961. He remained involved in Dominican politics until his passing on August 1, 1993. He was buried at Cristo Redentor cemetery in Santo Domingo.