Altagracia Ramirez: "Some justice has been done, because the real justice is when it is done here"

SANTO DOMINGO. Altagracia Ramirez, the wife of the disappeared university professor Narciso Gonzalez, was driving down John F. Kennedy Avenue when she received the news that they won the case that they had filed against the Dominican State in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. "I stopped and I cried and cried," she recalls.

She believes that with this decision justice has come halfway, because "one wants to see the persons responsible in jail, or to be made public, and come out and say, "it was us," and tell us where the body of Narciso Gonzalez is." The Court ordered the country to pay an indemnity of US$395,000 to the family of Narcisazo-who disappeared in 1994-and make a public apology.

Although she does not want to talk much about the sentence handed down, until she meets with the Truth Commission, Narciso's wife answered some questions for Diario Libre.

Q. How did the family receive this decision, are they satisfied?

A. For us, although we expected something, it was a surprise. Y cannot give you a polished opinion, because we are still studying all those documents which are quite long. We are going to analyze the documents.

Q. But, do you feel that justice was done?

A. I would say partly, because justice is when there is justice, here, in the country, this is the justice I want.

Q. How have these 18 years of struggle been for the Gonzalez family?

A. I have stopped being "Tati" for many reasons...to get where we are not one has to leave many things aside as a person, as a woman, but I feel satisfied with a job completed.

Q. This decision is at the international level, but at the local level, what comes next?

A. We are going to wait to meet with the Truth Commission to know what we are going to do, what is to happen.

Q. But, this closes the possibility of obtaining justice at the local level, with this case they are already satisfied....

A. This is one of the clauses that is called for in the sentence, but I do not want to emit opinions until the group does it, that way we can give a satisfactory answer.

Q. But you said that you have a desire that the masterminds and the killers pay for their crime.

A. Yes, that is true, I have always said that, that they themselves admit it, say that we are responsible, we were in the disappearance of Narciso Gonzalez. I hope to God that we get this opportunity to clear up the case from these persons.

Q. Are you bitter?

A. I worked a lot on this. I went to groups, I did yoga, I read the philosophy of the Tao, then I learned that even Jesus Christ pardoned, so why not me?

Q. You have pardoned them then.

A. Like I say, you pardon, but you do not forget. Because then this burden you have to carry, and this can be bad for your body, in your actions, then I have learned that each person carries his own blame.

Q. The sentence established an economic retribution by the State, will they receive this retribution?

A. You know that I have chosen not to talk about that. What is more, I am going to be very sincere with you, for my son that is dead, I have not wanted to read that part.

Q. Why do you refuse?

A. I don't know. I don't know, but Tati has not been able to, sincerely. (Tears and tears...her voice breaks up) Because for me life is more important than that.