Ramón Marrero Aristy Beltré was a Dominican author, journalist and politician and historian. He is renowned as a writer of realist novels, especially those set around sugar-cane which highlighted the abuse to which sugar industry workers subject.
Early life and education
Ramón Marrero Aristy Beltré was born in the town of San Rafael del Yuma, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic to Juan Bautista Aristy Marrero and Olivia Beltré on 14June 1912. His family was quite affluent and so he spent his early years living a comfortable life in the countryside; however, due to the American Occupation of the Dominican Republic from 1916-1924 he went into exile with his parents. His years in exile were spent in: Colombia, Venezuela and the Dutch Antilles. Finally in 1922 he returned along with his parents to the Dominican Republic. Upon their return the Aristy family were unable to once again establish themselves in their lands in the east of the country; instead they settled in the south western part of the country. Up till the year 1929 the Aristy family was lived in their south western holdings and went through rough times attempting to rebuild their destroyed fortune. Nevertheless, Ramón Marrero Aristy was able to find time for his education. In 1928, at age 16 Marrero Aristy was a correspondent for two Dominican newspapers: 'El Diario' in addition to working at a laundry. The remaining part of his adolescence was spent in the Eastern town of La Romana where he continued his education and worked at the Central Romana Corporation's food warehouse. While working at the warehouse he was a first-hand witness to the abuses the predominantly Haitian sugar labourers were subjected to. He left the Central Romana's warehouse and moved to the capital, Santo Domingo where he graduated from secondary school and entered the University of Santo Domingo pursuing a degree in Journalism. He left the university without graduating but became a frequent writer in nationwide newspapers such as: Listín Diario, El Caribe and La Nación.
Literary career
Three years after moving to Santo Domingo, in 1938 Marrero Aristy published his first book, Balsié. One year later, he published the novel Over in which he detailed what he had witnessed while working at the Central Romana warehouse, especially how the sugar labourers were forced to over-pay for their food products
