EL BATEY

n.105 cm.76x101

semi-gloss on canvas

                                In this painting is represented harvesting sugar cane.

In the Dominican Republic, agriculture is one of the major resources.
After the fishing and tourism, are the crops of coffee, cocoa, tobacco and sugar cane.
For these crops, labor used is from Haiti.
Haitians Workers live in villages called batey.
The batey, which are shown to tourists, while hiking, are composed of simple, small houses all alike, equipped with electricity, water, a small vegetable garden and a few chickens.
But unfortunately, the majority, are formed from wood cabins or made with recycled materials, without bathrooms, without water and without schools for children.

In these villages, are born and die without leaving a mark, the children, are not even reported to a registry office!