The people say "Good bye" to Corporan

SANTO DOMINGO. Carrying flowers, posters and flags, thousands of Dominicans from all social strata got together yesterday on the principle avenues of the capital to say "adios" to the outstanding television commentator and producer, Rafael Corporan de los Santos, who passed away early on Monday morning.

"Viva Corporan!", "Corporan goes on!", "We love you!", "The people's Corporan" were just a few of the slogans with which his followers said their last good-byes. And they accompanied his casket from the Blandino Funeral Home to the Municipal Building for the National District, where he received honors as a former mayor of the city.

The mayor of the National District, Roberto Salcedo, stressed his love and friendship with Corporan and his hard work during his 1990-1994 term as mayor. "I can give testimony that Corporan leaves us a legacy of solidarity and a sense of service to the most needy, that I think that for this generation and those that come will always be a model to follow," Salcedo said.

After the honors were received at the City Hall, the remains were taken to Color Vision, where for 25 years the program "Sábado de Corporan" were transmitted, and which yesterday was full of sorrow.

Domingo Bermudez and Manolo Quiroz, the Color Vision executives, pointed out the path taken by Corporan in television, as well as his social contributions.

The meringue musician Johnny Ventura, who was related to the departed personality, recalled the difficulties that each suffered through. "We created the Club of the Monos (monkeys) in order to carry out some work for person of scarce economic resources and emulate the work of the Rotary Club," said Ventura, while praising Corporan's performance as a good man.

The song "Peace in the Storm" was sung by the people standing in front of the casket, where different artists and television hosts were present to pay their respects.

In the streets

Upon leaving the television station, poor men, women, children and elderly demonstrated their solidarity and affection along the way to the cemetery of Puerta del Cielo. Cries of sorrow, songs, and prayers were some of the expressions of thanks for the assistance that the poor sectors received.

The burial

Before his burial, Father Roberto Solano offer a Funeral Mass, during which he underlined the walk through this life of Corporan de los Santos and recalled the values that should be carried by each and every person as shown by the example of the deceased.

The burial was attended by President Leonel Fernandez, who decreed a day of morning yesterday.

Fernandez defined Corporan as a great Dominican who he always admired. He expressed his feeling that he was really happy to see so many people all along the Duarte Highway carrying Dominican flags, "which stressed the fact that today we have come to say good-bye to a great Dominican."

By television

The "Rafael Corporan de los Santos Studio" was too small to hold the thousands of persons that filed through the Color Vision Television station top ay tribute to the departed Rafael Corporan de los Santos, who passed away early Monday morning.

Old friends, partners at work, artists, and presenters made up an honor guard, while others took advantage of the scenario to praise him.

Children, adults and old folks walked by the open casket. The people expressed themselves and there they stressed the work that for 25 years he had carried out through his program "Sabado de Corporan" and during his term as mayor of the National District.

Television coverage, produced by Edilenia Tactuk together with the Color Vision team, began at 11:20 in the morning and ended with the burial at 5:20 in the late afternoon at the Puerta del Cielo Cemetery.

Ivan Ruiz and Domingo Bautista were the commentators in the studio.