Neyba

Neyba (Neiba) is the capital of the province of Valle del Bahoruco in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. It is located in the heart of the Valley of Neiba, consisting of sections and sites, many located in the mountains of the Sierra Valley of the same name.

It is located in the southwest of the country bounded on the north by the San Juan province, northeast of the province of Azua, southeast of the province of Barahona and the south and west by the province independence.
Its boundaries are at the north by the Sierra de Neyba the south of the Sierra Bahoruco, west to Lake Enriquillo, county of Los Rios and Villa Jaragua and east, with Tamayo, Galvan and Vicente Noble.
Its main rivers and streams are: Las Marias, Rio Panza, Don Juan and the Cuff. Some of which, by the great assault of nature, have decreased their course and others have disappeared, such as, amongst others, La Higuera and Llantica (Cachon entourage Cachon Grande). This has considerably reduced traditional farming.

According to the National Census of Population and Housing Census conducted in 1993, it has a total of 40,786 houses and a total of 40,785 inhabitants, of which 19,875 are female and 20,910 are male.  Its density is 11.590 inhabitants/km. ² and the percentage of rural population is 56.86%.

Festivities
Festivities in honor of the patron saint Saint Barthelemy Apostol are all held on August 24^th, where a series of activities and games take place, which include: Mass; via crucis; baptisms; confirmations; Queen; besamanos etc.

The festivities of St. Bartholomew, patron and protector of spiritual Neiba have been held since 1935, after the founding of the parish. Oral tradition relates that St. Bartholomew was selected as their patron saint, because it is believed that on several occasions he protected the village from the threat of bandits and looters.
Religion

From its beginnings this town has militated in the Catholic religion.  In the first decades of the twentieth century, there were new Christians penetrating the neighboring Section Mella, and were spreading throughout the region in parallel with Catholicism.

Usually an individual entered the Catholic religion immediately after birth. The newborn received early attention given by a midwife, because at the time was a lack of doctors.  The first baptism known as “pouring water” or “make water”, was an act not authorized by the Catholic church and was established in advance by the customs.
In 1870, they built the first temple in the town. Its construction was made of wood, zinc roof, floor boards, but with good ventilation, where people attending the religious services could enjoy the service without regard to its structure.

Neiba’s Catholic people worship to God and the Virgin Mary. The dates set for these activities served as a nucleus for the organization of recreational events that came to absorb the population.  The festival of the patron is on the August 24^th of each year (St. Bartholomew the Apostle).

The Catholic Church now has refocused its activities through the formation of groups such as: prayer groups, youth ministry, catechesis, parish council, a group of Franciscan etc.  In the town there has also been the spreading of other religions, such as: Mita Congregation in Aaron; Mormons; Jehovah’s Witnesses; Adventists; Torre Fuerte; Mennonite; Pentecostal and the Church of Christ amongst others.

The town of Neyba was established in 1546 and their neighbors enjoy their lands which were in the district Azua.  Neyba, is located in the southern region of the Dominican Republic, near the Sierra de Bahoruco, which is an extension of the Sierra Haitian Masif Seal.

It reaches the territory by the Tiburon Peninsula and heads towards this in several steps and crosses the provinces of Independencia, Pedernales and Barahona.  The geographical limits of Neyba are north of San Juan Province, in the south Independence County, the east part of the province of Barahona and San Juan, and west, Independence.
Before the conquest and colonization of the island of Santo Domingo, Neyba was a part of the Chiefdom Nitainato Jaragua and during the colonial era of Bahoruco the hills were a bastion of freedom.
Neyba is known in the history of our country as a wealth of patriotism and bravery, they demonstrated this through their participation in the Independence of the Republic.  In Neyba the first blood was shed, on March 13^th 1844, when the Dominicans and Haitians clashed.  The Dominicans were the winner of this battle, called Baptism of Blood.

A Power Rodeo was held in the township now known as Galvan Bahoruco Province, where he won immortal Gen. Fernando Tavera in the battles of “Las Marias”, “Cambronal” and “Desserts Rio” also had outstanding Generals: Dionicio Reyes; Francisco Sosa Juan Pedro Rodoli; Lorenzo de Sena; the Brothers of Peace Reyes and Joaquin Aybar.  They are all children of Neyba.
Neyba also was the scene of restorative struggles, which started the first day of war with the assault on the command Neyba, an action directed by Cayetano Velasquez.  An Act of Congress of 1942 saw him rise to the rank of a Neyba head of the Bahoruco Province, being inaugurated on March 18^th 1943, during the Trujillo tyranny.  On March 10^th by the residents of the place mark this date as the date that the announcement was made.

Neyba did take to the sword to defend their homeland, but also used the pen to sing their love such as the letters of the Oro poet Apolinar Perdomo.  In honor of this great poet, the main street of Neyba, bears his name.

General Sosa was a hero of the Battle of Cambronal held in the Galvan Bahoruco Province, there is also a street that bears his name in honor.  Miro Angel Santana and Rafael Vargas, sergeant of aviation, revolted against the tyranny of Trujillo, so they too are the heroes of Neyba, and again there are streets bearing their names.

Luis Felipe Gonzalez, was the first teacher in the area of education of Neyba, so there is also a street in the town that bears his name.  These are some of the main characters of that era.   Not only are they characters that are heroes within Neyba but also nationally.
Before the conquest and colonization of the island of Santo Domingo, Bahoruco was a part of the Chiefdom Nitainato Jaragua and during the colonial era, Bahoruco the hills was a bastion of freedom.