Good Bye to the creative genius of Harold Priego

SANTO DOMINGO. Last Friday night he was having a good time during an activity at which the Ministry of Culture presented its strategic play for this year; there, using his popular figure of Boquechivo, he drew a resumé of the first 100 days of Minister Jose Antonio Rodriguez as the Minister of Culture. But the following day at 4:00 in the afternoon, the country learned of the passing of the noted caricaturist Harold Priego. He died of a heart attack which took his life at just 58 years old.

The news filled the environment with sadness. Within a few minutes, he and his creations, Diogenes and Boquechivo, which is published by the Diario Libre, became the main news on the social media of Twitter and Facebook. The artist, born in 1955 in La Vega, studied architecture for three years. Later he occupied important positions in several publicity agencies in the country.

He was the son of the sculptor Joaquin Priego and grandson of the painter Enrique Garcia Godoy.

Besides being the creator of Diogenes and Boquechivo, he also did political and social caricatures in other media, such as Hoy (Eloy en el Hoy), Listin Diario (Doña Marmara and her inoffensive husband don Chichi), and in El Caribe he published Matias and Berroa. Priego won fame with his personage of Boquechivo, who together with Diogenes, his alter ego, illustrated some of the most significant moments of the country over these past years.

His last caricature

His last caricature shows a Diogenes with a half smile on his face as he observes Boquechivo, who is not very happy, shine the shoes of Founding Father Juan Pablo Duarte.

This is a generalization of the last cartoon published by Harold Priego, who influenced by his characteristic patriotic sense, in the last of his published cartoons, lets people see the importance of the fatherland and the humility which each citizen should revere the ideals of its national identity.

Recognitions

His way of capturing the events with satire through his characters, brought him recognition from society.

Last year he began the radio skit of "Diogenes and Boquechivo on the radio" which was broadcast by Radio Zol 106.5 FM.

Winner of competitions for scripts and a prize for the short film "No lo revivas," Priego quickly achieved lots of social recognition.

In September of last year, he opened his exhibition called "Caricatures" along the fence of Independence Park. The showing brought together stories of the popular characters which made him famous. Among others there were drawings in black and white as well as in color of Tulio Turpen, Yuleidys, Doña Marmara and her husband Don Chichi.

Reactions

Jose Antonio Rodriguez, the Minister of Culture, regretted the news and eulogized the life of the artist. "He was an extraordinary person and we had great plans for him. Last Friday we were together and this is news that makes us all sad," he said.

The poet, Jose Marmol, the executive vice-president of Public Relations for the Banco Popular, sent condolences to his family as well as the personnel of Diario Libre. "We were together last Friday in an activity of the Ministry of Culture, It is a great loss for the country because he was an artist who was distinctive because of his creativity and his way of communicating through his caricature," he said.

Singer-songwriter Victor Victor called him an extraordinary human being with whom he had shared on more than one occasion some creative work.

Today's acts

The remains of Priego will be buried today, Monday, at 11:00 a.m. in the National Cemetery on Maximo Gomez. Yesterday personalities and "people from the people" visited the funeral parlor where they were able to offer their condolences to relatives. On the way to the burial site, his remains will make a stop in front of the Omnimedia Building, located on Abraham Lincoln, where he will be remembered.