Dominican Republic Mourns Intellectual Figure Marcio Veloz

The Dominican Republic's President Luis Abinader declared a national mourning day starting on Monday due to the death of prominent writer Marcio Veloz.

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Specialized in American and Caribbean history studies, Veloz developed outstanding work in anthropology, archeology, education, and diplomacy fields. 

He received several awards such as the National Poetry Prize in 1961, the National Short Story Award in 1981, and the National Novel Prize, this latter on three occasions.

The writer passed away due to COVID-19 at the age of 84 on Saturday, after being admitted to a health care center where he remained for several days.

The meme reads, "Professors and writers regret Marcio Veloz Maggiolo's departure. A big one has left!"

Veloz was director of the Anthropology and History Department at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. He also served as Undersecretary of State for Culture and ambassador to Mexico, Peru, and Italy.

"His contributions to the country's art and culture, as well as, the dissemination and recognition of his work at the international level are reasons enough for his distinction," a Presidential decree stated.

Member of the Dominican Academy of Language, he wrote the celebrated novels "Life has no name" (La vida no tiene nombre), "The Accordion Man" (El hombre del acordeon), and "The Soldier Fly" (La mosca soldado).