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Gil Family Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 0353

Scope and Content

This collection is a compilation of articles and other written works published from 1970 to 2014 that commemorate the importance of the Dominican revolutionary intellectual Guido Gil Díaz. Many of the articles in this collection are opinions of other Dominican intellectuals and academics on Gil Díaz and his work as an intellectual, revolutionary, historian, and advisor to many labor unions. Others focus on topics related to Gil Díaz, such as his disappearance; the publication of a new edition of his book, Orígenes y proyecciones de la Revolución Restauradora; the opening of a bridge dedicated to him; and the impunity of the authorities involved in his disappearance. This collection also includes material written by Cristina Flores-Gil about the research she conducted into her family history and the breaking of the silence that is still maintained by many in the Dominican Republic.

Dates

  • Creation: 1970-2014

Creator

Language of Materials

Includes materials written in English and Spanish.

Access

This collection is open for research.

Biographical/Historical Note

Guido Gil Díaz was a Dominican lawyer, journalist, historian, and intellectual who fought for workers' rights in the Dominican Republic. Gil Díaz was born on June 12, 1935 in the city of Moca. From a very young age, he worked as a reporter for various Dominican newspapers. On February 25, 1961, he graduated as a lawyer from the Universidad de Santo Domingo. As a lawyer, journalist, and intellectual, Gil Díaz wrote several works, the most prominent being his book Orígenes y proyecciones de la Revolución Restauradora, published in 1964.

Dedicating himself to political activism, Guido Gil Díaz was involved in several workers' movements and worked as a legal advisor for many labor unions, especially in the city of La Romana. On January 15, 1967, he was arrested by police from La Romana, however, he was released shortly afterwards with police orders to leave the eastern region of the country within the next twenty-four hours. On his way to the capital, the police arrested him again. Gil Díaz has not been seen since January 17, 1967. Due to the tumultuous and violent times in the Dominican Republic, the Gil Díaz family, like many Dominican families, maintained their silence about their missing yet influential family member.

Cristina Flores-Gil was born in the Dominican Republic and has lived in the United States since she was six years old. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2015. Flores-Gil is the great-niece of Guido Gil Díaz. With intentions of learning more about the hidden history of her family, Flores-Gil created this collection which emphasizes the significance and influence of the Dominican intellectual revolutionary.

Extent

0.1 Linear feet (1 Folder)

Abstract

Guido Gil Díaz (b. 1935) was a Dominican lawyer, journalist, historian, and revolutionary intellectual who fought for workers' rights in the Dominican Republic. This collection, created by his great-niece Cristina Flores-Gil, consists mainly of newspaper articles covering Gil Díaz's work and research, and the lack of justice in the case of his disappearance. The collection also contains works written by Flores-Gil regarding her family history.

Physical Location

University of Florida Smathers Library Building

Alternate Form of Finding Aid

This guide is available in Spanish at https://www.uflib.ufl.edu/findingaids/Spanish/mss0353.pdf.

Acquisition Information

Cristina Flores-Gil, alumna of the University of Florida, donated this collection in 2014.

Title
A Guide to the Gil Family Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid created by Kalthoum Elfasi
Date
February 2016
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared Using Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida Repository

Contact:
George A. Smathers Libraries
PO Box 117005
Gainesville Florida 32611-7005 United States of America
352-273-2755