Minou Tavárez Mirabal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minerva Tavárez Mirabal
Representative for National District’s district #1
In office 16 August 2002 – 16 August 2016 Serving with Alberto Atallah (from 2006 to 2016)
Vice Foreign Minister
In office 16 August 1996 – 16 August 2000
President	Leonel Fernández Reyna
Vice President	Jaime David Fernández Mirabal
Board of Directors, Trust Fund Victims ICC
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 June 2020
Preceded by	Felipe Michelini
Personal details
Born	(1956-08-31) August 31, 1956 (age 68) Ojo de Agua, Hermanas Mirabal Province
Nationality	Dominican
Political party	Democratic Choice (2015-present)
Other political affiliations	Dominican Liberation’s Party (circa 1995–2014)
Children	Camila Minerva & Manuel Aurelio
Residence	Santo Domingo
Alma mater	Instituto Universitario de Investigación Ortega y Gasset University of Havana
Occupation	Politician, Professor
Profession	Philologist

Minerva Josefina Tavárez Mirabal (born 31 August 1956), known as Minou, is a smart and active person from the Dominican Republic. She is a philologist, which means she studies language and literature. She is also a professor and a politician.

Minou served as a representative for the National District in the lower House of Congress. She held this important role for three terms, from 2002 to 2016. Before that, she was a deputy minister of foreign affairs from 1996 to 2000.

In 2016, she ran for president of the Dominican Republic. She was the chosen candidate for two political parties, the Alliance for Democracy and Democratic Choice.

From 2002 to 2016, Minou held several leadership roles at an organization called Parliamentarians for Global Action. This group works to promote peace and justice around the world. She led their International Council from 2012 to 2014. She also served as President of their Executive Board until 2016.

Since 2019, she has been the vice president of the Alianza País political party. She also helped start and now directs the Memory Museum Mirabal Sisters. This museum remembers her brave family. In 2020, Minou was chosen to join the Board of Directors for the Trust Fund for Victims. This fund helps people who have been harmed by serious crimes. It is part of the International Criminal Court. In 2021, she was re-elected to this board and became its Chairperson until 2024.

Minou's Early Life and Family

Minou Tavárez Mirabal was born on August 31, 1956. Her parents were Manuel Aurelio Tavárez Justo and María Argentina Minerva Mirabal. Both of her parents were lawyers and activists in the Dominican Republic.

Parents' Fight for Freedom

In 1960, Minou's parents started a secret group called "14 June." Their goal was to overthrow the dictator Rafael Trujillo, who ruled the country. Sadly, Minou's mother and two of her aunts were killed by the dictatorship in 1960.

A few years later, in 1963, her father was also killed. This happened after a group called the Triumvirate took over the government. Minou was only 7 years old when she lost both of her parents. Her parents are remembered as national heroes.

Growing Up with Her Aunt

After her parents died, Minou was raised by her aunt, Dedé Mirabal. Dedé also raised the children of her other sisters who were killed. Minou is a cousin and foster sister to Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, who later became a vice-president of the Dominican Republic.

Minou's Work in Congress

Minou was first elected as a Representative to the National Congress in 2002. She served for four years, and then was re-elected two more times. This means she was a representative from 2002 until 2016.

During her time in Congress, she was the leader of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. This committee works on how the Dominican Republic deals with other countries. She was also a member of several other important committees.

Minou's Government Roles

Minou also worked for the government as the Vice-Chancellor of the Dominican Republic. This was from 1996 to 2000. In this role, she helped organize many important international meetings held in the Dominican Republic.

For example, she helped coordinate the first meeting of leaders from the Caribbean Community in 1998. She also helped organize the second meeting of leaders from African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries in 1999. From 1996 to 1998, she also helped manage the relationship between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Before becoming Vice-Chancellor, she helped lead discussions about foreign policy in 1997-1998. She also helped organize a special meeting of leaders from Central American countries in 1997.

Minou's Political Parties

Minou was a member of the Central Committee of the Party of Dominican Liberation from 1997 to 2014. In 2015, she started her own political party called Democratic Choice. She has been the leader of this party since it began.

As mentioned before, she was a candidate for president in the 2016 Dominican Republic general election. Since 2019, she has been the vice president of the Alianza País party.

Minou's Family Tree

See also

In Spanish: Minou Tavárez Mirabal para niños