Bobby Parker never imagined that he would fall into the trap and the meeting, which he also sought, would be fatal for him.
In fact, he was not at all taken aback when the conversation with these three Mexicans suddenly took a serious turn: he had to be in not such troubles. With his left hand, he dutifully pulled out his wallet. Having accurately calculated, he unclenched his fingers, and the wallet, instead of ending up with one of the opponents, flopped to the ground. His right hand quickly slid under his jacket, drew his gun, and Bobby squeezed the trigger. Of course, he fully assumed that these guys were armed, but ... it's always better to shoot first.
Bobby Parker, aka Robert Canales, an experienced and successful FBI agent, could have aimed more precisely, then he would not be lying around with paralyzed legs now. And if he put down two of those Chicanos, maybe there would be no process, no unrest caused by it, which still excites the Mexican population of the eastern quarters of Los Angeles ...
The American press passed over this event in silence, showing an unusual indifference to the action-packed material. This time, she was not seduced by any juicy details from the life of the criminal world, nor the adventures of underground drug dealers and agents provocateurs, nor a shootout followed by a chase and raid. The bottom line is that the “Los Tres Affair”—the “Three Affair”—was contrary to what the judiciary claimed to be political through and through. And to talk about him meant to tell the public about the most burning, explosive problems of one of the national minorities in the United States - Chicanos, Mexican Americans.
The circumstances of the Los Tres affair became known to me in the summer of 1973, during the X World Festival of Youth and Students in Berlin. On a hot August day, I went to the International Cinema, where the US delegation club was located, hoping to catch some American Indians there. The guy I thought was an Indian turned out to be a Chicano. He wasn't offended.
Happens. And then many of us have Indian blood in our veins. And the ones you're looking for won't show up until late at night.
Learning that I was from Moscow, he, as if guessing my next question, suggested:
What if you write about us too? The life of Chicanos in America is not often written about, and probably even more so abroad.
Soon we were sitting in one of the rooms of the American festival club. My new acquaintance Arturo Rodriguez was joined by his friends Juan Baldisan, Jaime Garcia and Nativo Lopez. It was Lopez who was sent to the festival by the "Committee for the Liberation of Los Tres", and it was he who told me about the problems of urban Chicano youth, described in detail the circumstances of the 1971 Los Angeles trial, which played an important role in the development of the organized Chicano struggle for their social and political rights.
drugs or people
To understand the essence of this matter, one must recall the events that preceded it. Nativo pulls out a thin pamphlet from a pile of papers in front of him and hands it to me. - This was published by our "Committee for the Liberation of Los Tres." It tells a little about what these three guys managed to do before the FBI set up a trap for them. Juan Fernandez, Alberto Ortiz, and Rodolfo Sanchez were active in an organization that began in the spring of 1969 in East Los Angeles. It was called "CASA de Carnalismo", or "Center for Public Autonomous Action". (CASA stands for Centro de Accion Sociale Autonomo).
A slender black-haired girl enters the room.
Lenore de Cruz - she introduces herself to me and puts several newspapers on the table. - Here is what you asked for, Nativo.
These are newspapers published by various Chicano organizations. Nativo pushes them towards me:
See what's going on in East Los Angeles so far, how brutal the police are. The leaders of KASA wanted to put an end to these abuses, to pull their brothers out, if not out of poverty, then at least out of darkness and ignorance...
The "Association for Progressive Actions of the Maravilla Community" held a press conference at which they reported on new facts of police terror against Chicanos in the territory of this community. Joseph Sanchez, Leonard Rodriguez, Mario Montoya, the Pinon brothers - 19-year-old Sal and 16-year-old David were subjected to beatings and bullying.
The Pinon brothers made statements for the press. Sal: “At 1:30 am on May 19, 1973, David and I were stopped in the street by a police patrol. For some unknown reason, we were searched. One of the cops punched me in the face for no reason. I answered him the same. And then he received such a blow that he lost consciousness. I woke up in the hospital."
David: “They pushed me into a yard and started beating me with clubs. My brother was taken away at that time. The owner, Albert Pacheco, and his two sisters ran out of the house. They began to ask the policemen to stop the beating. They were arrested.
I was handcuffed and pushed into the car. On the way to the hospital, the car stopped in a deserted park. The policemen opened the door and told me, "Run." I knew it was a provocation and refused. Then they slammed the door with all their might, so that it fell on my legs. Then one of them hit me with a club in the groin.”
Sal: “At Bella Vista Hospital, the police continued to torture and abuse us. The doctors saw all this and laughed as if they had swallowed laughing gas. Therefore, David did not trust them and did not allow the wounds on his head to be sewn up. Then we were taken to the station. David was dragged out of the car by his hair and hit between his legs again. We were searched in the precinct. David was found wearing a comb with the brand name "Little Man". One policeman grabbed a fountain pen and began to write these words on David's forehead and cheeks. The rest, meanwhile, began to beat me. They tried to aim at the eye that they had crippled on the street. Then they said that it was not good when the floor and walls were splattered with blood, that it had to be wiped off, and began to drive our faces along the walls. We tried to hint at our constitutional rights, but in response, new blows and insults rained down.
Those who created CASA de Carnalismo understood that the Chicanos would not achieve justice if they put up with their backwardness, illiteracy, Nativo says, waiting for me to run through the story of the Pinon brothers. - So they took up educational work. They gave lectures, arranged seminars, concerts, organized various courses and circles, legal consultation points, carried out educational work with young people, trying to put an end to gangsterism among teenagers. Very soon they realized that all their enthusiasm would be wasted if they did not eliminate perhaps the most important evil - the drug trade.
Drug addiction in our country has reached the proportions of a nationwide problem, but in the slums of Los Angeles it has become the number one scourge. The authorities could not cope or did not want to really take on this problem. And the leaders of CASA decided to take matters into their own hands. They launched a campaign under the slogan: "If the people don't destroy the drugs, the drugs will destroy the people." The plan was based on a simple logic: to get rid of drug addiction, you need to do away with the source of drugs; this source - underground businessmen, therefore - it is necessary to expel businessmen.
KASA activists acted decisively. Having found a "pusher" (1 "Pusher" - "pusher", a drug seller (Amer. slang), they offered him to immediately and permanently get out of these places. Special pickets took under the supervision of street hawkers and shops selling syringes. And the CASA area began to be quickly cleared of drugs. This was officially noted by doctors when they examined young people. Particularly distinguished in the campaign are just those three who fell into the police trap - Juan Ramon Fernandez, Alberto Ortiz and Rodolfo Pena Sanchez. The popularity of "Casa de Carnalismo" grew. But along with it grew the suspicion of the authorities. Their line is clear to us: keep the Chicanos out of politics. Therefore, they look askance at any organization that can become the center of concerted, planned actions of the Mexican minority. It was decided to discredit CASA at any cost. This is evidenced by the materials collected by the defense in the Los Tres Case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation made at least two attempts to end CASA at the hands of professional provocateurs.
Nativo puts his hand on the pamphlet of the Committee for the Liberation of Los Tres.
Everything is described in detail here. At the trial, the judge did not allow the main witness for the defense to speak, saying that the testimony he was going to give was "not relevant to the case." This man's name is Frank Martinez.
Unwanted Witness
Frank Martinez has always been given a tough job and has always done it successfully. Frank's "specialty" was the following: he made his way into the leadership of any leftist organization, then carried away the "masses" to a "revolutionary feat" - arson of a bank, a terrorist attack - certainly something of that kind. The “feat” ended with the instant appearance of large police squads at the scene, a search, the destruction of the headquarters of the organization and its outlawing.
In California, Martinez was transferred from Houston (Texas) in 1969, when he was on the verge of exposure during the preparation of the next operation. Martinez was ordered to compromise one of the most powerful Chicano organizations, the National Chicano Moratorium, which had 140,000 members. We must pay tribute to the zeal and dexterity of the agent: in a few months he became the chairman of the organization. The "feat" was not slow to take place: during the 1970 election campaign, Senator John Tunney was attacked by a Chicano mob. Immediately followed by a police raid on the headquarters of the Chicano Moratorium, mass arrests ...
The next target was CASA de Carnalismo. Martinez was faced with the usual task of infiltrating the organization and inciting several of its members to arrange an explosion, preferably in a bank. Explosives were out of the question.
At first, the agent launched a very diligent activity. But ... quite a bit of time passed, and the authorities began to receive from him, to put it mildly, strange information. Martinez reported that "CASA de Carnalismo" is an association of residents of the community called "Picogardens and Aliso", that its main activities are: providing legal assistance to immigrants from Mexico, organizing English and Spanish courses, guitar lessons and classes sports section (karate), employment of young people, as well as a campaign against drug addiction and drug trafficking. Besides, Martinez added, CASA had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks, which the police attributed to some underground organization, the Chicano Liberation Front. Of course, the authorities did not want to hear about such information. Something else was expected from Martinez - to present CASA as a legal cover for an underground "front", which was accused of a series of explosions in Los Angeles. Martinez was shown photographs of the leaders of CASA, including Los Tres, and ordered to help put them behind bars at any cost ...
And then the unexpected happened. Either the conscience spoke in the burnt provocateur, or some other reasons had an effect, but, not daring to disobey the order openly, he did everything possible to fail the task. Apparently, the contrast between what Martinez expected and what Martinez actually saw was too striking. Instead of screamers waving homemade bombs, there are serious guys teaching their fathers and grandfathers the basics of political literacy, and literacy in general. Instead of calls for an "immediate revolution" - persistent and dangerous work to cleanse the community from a terrible infection - drug addiction.
Pariahs of the American Southwest
About the life of the Chicano, as some American newspapers admit, much less is known in the United States than about any other national minority, although in terms of numbers this group follows the Negro population - according to unofficial estimates, it has at least 8 million people.
The majority of Chicanos live in the southwestern United States. In the states of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, they make up over 20 percent of the population.
Here is how the New York magazine Business Week describes the appearance of Chicanos in the United States:
“The Chicanos claim (and they have every right to do so) that they were the first to settle the southwestern part of the North American mainland, and not newcomers from Europe. The city of Santa Fe (New Mexico) was founded 11 years before the "Pilgrims" (1 Meaning the settlers from the Mayflower who reached America in 1620 (Ed. note)) saw the shores of America .. Many Mexican Americans have ancestors who lived in the Southwest long before the area became part of the United States after the Mexican-American War. Approximately 85 percent of Chicanos are natives of these places.
The Chicano unemployment rate is twice the national average. Among them, there are absolutely no people belonging to the incomes of the middle or upper strata of American society.
The situation is especially difficult for immigrants from Mexico, recruited by companies that need cheap, unskilled labor. Day laborers are used in the most difficult work in mines, in construction railways. Many Mexicans work in the vineyards. By the way, it was the speeches of the Chicano agricultural workers that first drew the attention of the American public to the problems of this national minority. The strikes on the plantations are being led by the agricultural workers' union, led by one of the most energetic Chicano figures, Cesar Chavez.
In front of me is a hefty stack of papers, fastened with a binder, the fruit of the painstaking work of young activists from the Chicano Aztlan news service. 250 pages of small text reproduce materials from seven local newspapers in various states in one month.
We started publishing this edition regularly,” says Lenore de Cruz. - It will help to systematize data on the situation of the Chicanos in different parts of the United States and, thus, will be a good propaganda tool in our work. Take a look at the headlines.
I'm leafing through this book-newspaper.
ARIZONA REPUBLIC: 'Prospects for farm workers very bleak': 'Chavez calls for another boycott if collective bargaining fails again.'
"DENVER POST": "The Beating of the Arrested Chicano"; "A Suicide Spike Among Denver Chicanos".
LOS ANGELES TIMES: "Riots on the East Side. Two killed"; "Social Tragedy in the Fields: Illegal Exploitation of Children"; “Agricultural workers' strike: pickets intensified; another 54 people were arrested”; "Round-Up of 'Illegal' Immigrants from Mexico".
EL PASO TIMES: "Housing shortage for Chicanos."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE:
"Clashes and arrests in connection with the strike in the vineyards".
"SANTA FE NEW MEXICO":
"Security Measures Against the Infiltration of New Immigrants from Mexico".
That's it, - sighs Lenore de Cruz. - It is not surprising that we strive to attract the attention of the whole country by any means.
Conversation in the wilderness
Let us return, however, to the Los Tres Affair and Frank Martinez. Of course, the idea of an armed raid on the bank was buried - Martinez's discouraging reports played a role. But the FBI did not abandon their idea and began to “lose” the second, more “quiet” option. At the disposal of Martinez came a certain Naho, a hopeless drug addict who carried out any dirty assignments, just to have money for heroin. The mission of Martinez, who by this time had already lost confidence, was not difficult: to arrange for his “buddy” to spend the night in the premises of the CASA headquarters. It was not difficult for the highly experienced agent to guess what would happen by morning: the police would turn up with a search, find heroin or opium, and CASA would be declared the main drug dealer in the area, which would automatically lead to its ban.
At the appointed hour, Martinez took Naho to bed for the night. He zigzagged for a long time in pitch darkness along some backyards, finally stopped in front of an unsightly door, opened it and, pushing Naho inside with the words: “This is here,” quickly walked away.
Whether Naho soon realized that he was not at all where he needed to be, but in the lair of local criminals and drug addicts like him, remains unknown. But he did not get to the CASA headquarters on either night. Martinez ruined the mission.
It was then that the third and final plan for the liquidation of KASA was put into action.
In those July days of 1971, Rudy (Rodolfo Sanchez) left home early, returning after midnight - work at CASA was up to his neck. “This one called again,” they told him at home. Some unsub had been trying to meet Rudy for two weeks now. On the evening of July 21, Sanchez himself picked up the phone.
Bobby Parker, the stranger introduced himself.
It's the first time I hear it," Rudy replied.
But the name Robert Middleton reminds you of something, doesn't it? Parker chuckled.
Middleton... I wish Rudy didn't remember that name! The most nightmarish, the most shameful thing in his life is connected with him, something with which he ended forever and from which he now tried to warn and save others. Yes, Rudy went through this path: syringe - robbery - prison. There, in prison, they met - Sanchez and Middleton. Later, at the trial, Rudy learns that Bobby Middleton got money not only by robberies, but was not averse to offering his services to everyone who paid well: the police, the FBI. Especially the FBI. The defense will require the involvement of Middleton as a witness, but her request will be answered that he had just been released on bail after another bank robbery and fled in an unknown direction. However, all this later. And on that July evening, Rudy did not even think that his former cellmate had a “second face”. Otherwise, he would not have taken Parker's request at face value.
I came out to you just on the advice of Middleton, - it was loudly heard in the telephone receiver. - Rumor has it that in your area the "goods" are not stale. They would set me up with one of my old acquaintances. You will not regret.
Get out where you came from. I don't do stuff like that anymore," Rudy snapped.
But Parker turned out to be an assertive fellow and bent his own. “Actually, why do I refuse? Sanchez snapped. “He says he handles large batches of heroin. Here we will cover another reptile!
Okay, let's move on, we'll discuss the details tomorrow, - he "surrendered".
Around 2 pm on July 22, 1971, Juan Fernandez and Alberto Ortiz drove Rodolfo Sanchez in a car to the sausage store where Bobby Parker was supposed to go. Rudy stayed to wait while his friends left.
At exactly 2 o'clock, Rudy's ear rang out:
Bobby Parker.
Bobby was punctual. And long hair. His hair was in Rudy's face as they raced down the highway on Parker's motorcycle.
Over there on that wasteland," Rudy pointed out.
Stopped.
Well, tell me what's up.
I need three ounces of heroin. I give 1200 dollars. Is it coming?
Do you consume?
No, except that I indulge sometimes, I sniff cocaine.
Okay, wait here. I'm going to go talk to someone. It's nearby.
Rudy walked around the corner of the house where Juan and Alberto were waiting for him.
Sit in the car for now. We ourselves will talk with this type, - Juan and Alberto headed towards the shaggy motorcyclist. They both had pistols in their pockets. This precaution was taught to them by frequent and unpleasant communication with the "wards" of CASA.
Are you Bobby Parker? Juan and Alberto asked the shaggy man. - You wanted heroin? In our places, this "product" is no longer in vogue. Get the hell out of here.
So well started business cracked at the seams. Bobby didn't want to believe it. Well, nothing, he will make these upstarts climb on the rampage. And then the cops will arrive in time. They settled somewhere nearby and will appear at the first call. And Bobby began to "put pressure on the psyche":
Who are they? Mind your own business!
Don't you understand well? OK. - The guys moved closer. - You boasted to Rudy that you were rowing money in bags. Well, this money should be returned to the people. And without them, someone will have to give up their occupation. At least for the time being. Throw out everything you have with you.
Bobby humbly reached into his pocket for his wallet...
Of course, from the point of view of the authorities, everything turned out as well as possible. These two and that one, Rudy, will be caught in an hour or two. Now they are covered. Is it a joke - an attempted armed robbery of an FBI agent! And it's over with CASA... But it doesn't make it any easier for him, Robert Canales. For some fractions of a second I was late with a shot ...
Twisted in pain, the Parker sank into the roadside dust.
It is useless to resist.
The quarter is cordoned off, that's clear. And the police already know in which house they settled. In vain only aroused the hostess with her daughter. They'll be in trouble if they start shooting. And Los Tres, as they were called from that moment, went out to meet the policemen ...
Court
Nine jurors, entering the courtroom, were dumbfounded. "Hands up," the federal police officer commanded them calmly. The FBI man was busily feeling their pockets - in full view of the public, court officials, judges! “OK,” the officer nodded to the judge, “you can proceed, your honor.” Trembling with fear and humiliation, the jury trudged to their seats. So on October 19, 1971, the Los Tres case began in federal court in Los Angeles.
Outraged lawyers challenged the entire jury, from which, after the public search procedure, it was difficult to expect objectivity. Still, what inveterate gangsters should sit in the dock if the police suspect that they may have armed accomplices in the composition of the court itself! At first, the argument of the defense seemed to have an effect on Judge Laidik. But having learned that it would be possible to select new jurors no sooner than in 24-48 hours, he waved his hand: there is nothing to delay the process.
The defense presented the court with photographs and other materials that undeniably proved that many of its potential witnesses had been blackmailed by FBI agents. Judge Laidik dismissed this protest as well, without even examining the evidence on the simple grounds that, in his opinion. "The FBI couldn't do that." But any evidence that contradicted the prosecutor's story, which portrayed CASA as a subversive terrorist group whose goal was to kill all the policemen in Mexican neighborhoods, Judge Laidik irritably dismissed as "irrelevant." He refused to listen to the doctors' opinion on how successful the CASA's fight against the spread of drugs had been. Those who wanted to tell how the defendants tried to reason with fellow citizens were not allowed into the courtroom, how, risking their lives, they expelled heroin dealers from the community. In total, the judge rejected more than 30 defense motions.
Nativo, who told me about the course of the trial, explains the judge's behavior in the following way:
What else could he do? After all, it was necessary at all costs to present Los Tres as criminals and thereby discredit the CASA de Carnalismo. So he clamped the mouths of the witnesses. The prosecution was especially afraid of such testimony, which confirmed the picture of a police conspiracy against CASA. Therefore, the main witness for the defense, Frank Martinez, was not allowed into the hall. Therefore, the prosecutor and his witnesses were confused when they substantiated the charge of "attacking a federal agent who was on duty."
On the one hand, Canales stated that he had no idea about any "CASA de Carnalismo". This was necessary in order to refute the argument of the defense about the deliberate actions of the police against CASA. On the other hand, the police raided the headquarters of CASA already half an hour after they shot at Canales. and an hour and a half before the arrest of Los Tres themselves. How did Canales and the police know that the leadership of the organization was to be found there? The defense had a witness whom Canales, even before calling Rudy Sanchez, had questioned about CASA and especially about the anti-drug campaign. Of course, this witness was also not allowed to speak at the trial. The prosecutor nevertheless acknowledged that the FBI had been watching CASA for a long time and had accumulated an extensive dossier on its work. The defense tried to claim this dossier, such a right is granted to it by law. They denied this...
On January 7, 1972, a federal court found Juan Rayon Fernandez, Alberto Ortiz, and Rodolfo Pen Sanchez guilty of all charges of "criminal conspiracy against the U.S. government," "assault of a federal agent in office," and "assault of a federal mail (?!), money or other property of the United States in order to steal it with the use of weapons. Ortiz was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Fernandez to 25, Sanchez to 40.
We consider the verdict deeply unfair,” says Nativo. - The process was thoroughly political. And this is what we try to explain to people. We invite representatives of other groups, organizations of various national minorities to our rallies. Thus, the "Los Tres Affair" is not only not buried in judicial annals, it serves our struggle. By the way, the defense demanded a review of the decision, and so far the justice authorities have not said “yes” or “no”. This very caution speaks volumes. Although CASA de Carnalismo no longer exists, its courageous experience helped us to understand that the guarantee of the success of our struggle is organization and unity. We Chicanos are not the same as we were ten or even two years ago.
When this article was already being prepared for publication, I received a parcel from the USA. On the package, in the "Sender" column, it was written: "The National Committee for the Liberation of Los Tres."
“Brothers, sisters! - I read in one of the materials sent to me by friends from the Berlin festival. “Our committee is proud to announce that Los Tres have recently been released on bail and are awaiting the 9th Court of Appeals for a review of their case... Judicial efforts to prevent bail and the prosecutor's desperate efforts to increase bail (instead of $150,000) for three prisoners - 150 thousand for each) did not give any result. Through sustained and systematic public pressure on the federal court, through daily Chicano demonstrations, our three brothers have gained partial freedom."
The list of committee members includes such world-famous names as Angela Davis, Ialf Aberieti, Jane Fonda. Thousands and thousands of Americans participated in fundraising to get three brave Chicanos out of jail, who spent more than two years in prison in Atlanta, Georgia. However, this period was not wasted for them.
“I haven’t written to you for a long time, because I devote most of my time to studying,” one of the convicts, Rodolfo Sanchez, addressed Chicano readers from the pages of the La Gente newspaper. - Since I got here in prison, I have had a lot of time to study, analyze and even (!) Criticize the goals that we representatives of the Chicano movement strive for in the interests of the entire working class, because part of it we are too.
As a result of my studies, I began to be aware of many facts of reality. And one of the most important among them, I would say even the most important, is this: no movement for the liberation of the working class can stand alone or be isolated. On the contrary, we must unite with all national and international movements of the working class that pursue the same goals as we do. It is for this reason that I have come to the conclusion that Chicano workers, Indian workers, Negro workers, workers of every color and every race, must fight together for our common cause, for the cause of ridding the workers of the habit of slave labor. And that is why I call you, brothers, to be internationalists in thought and deed...”
Los tres Ojos Park is named after its main attraction - a system of huge caves, the former sacred place of the Taino Indians, where sacrifices were previously made. Now it is completely re-equipped for walking: it is equipped with paths and ladders, as well as viewing platforms, from where three lakes are visible from a great height, in honor of which the cave, and the park itself got its name. Los tres Ojos means "Three Eyes" in Spanish.
The lakes are located at a depth of 15 meters and do not communicate with each other. The water in them differs in color and composition. In one of the lakes the water is fresh, in another it is salty, and in the third it is saturated with hydrogen sulfide. Previously, one more lake could be found here, which is now separated from the cave by stone blocks left after the collapsed vault. Until recently, it was possible to swim in the lakes, but rather the authorities sounded the alarm due to the increasing number of accidents. Therefore, tourists will not be able to plunge into the cave lakes these days. Instead, guests are offered another attraction - ride a pleasure boat on the aquamarine surface of the largest lake and admire the hanging stalactites from below. You can also take a boat to the open-air lake. Local residents earn extra money by jumping from a 20-meter height into the lake, raising a bunch of spray, for fun for tourists.
The cave of Los tres Ojos was formed by an earthquake. Lakes in it did not form immediately. Their water came from underground sources.
Los Tres Ojos is a cave located in the capital of the island, the city of Santo Domingo. Its name is translated into Russian as "three eyes", the cave got its name because of the three internal lakes at a depth of 15 meters, each of which has a special composition of water and, accordingly, a color.
One lake is fresh with the purest aquamarine water, the second is the smallest, green-yellow, with sulfuric water, from which healing vapors emanate. The third lake is salty, located under powerful stalactites. There used to be four lakes, but the arch of the cave collapsed.
Los Tres Ojos is one of the most popular attractions in the Dominican Republic. Many people come to see the amazing lake cave every day. In addition, this unique natural attraction is located not in a distant natural park, where it takes several hours to get there, but right in the capital Dominican Republic.
Tourist Information
- Previously, you can swim in the lakes, and even bungee jump into the deepest. But for now, swimming is prohibited for safety reasons.
- It is quite easy to walk through the ornate cave - stairs, bridges and handrails were installed for tourists.
- On the largest lake you can ride a boat. Be sure to take this unusual walk through the underground waters of a mysterious cave, where many centuries ago the Indians performed their religious rites and sacrifices.
Opening hours and ticket prices
You can visit the caves from Monday to Saturday from 08.00 to 17.00. Monday is traditionally a day off.
An adult ticket will cost you 10 pesos, and a child ticket is half the price, it costs only 5 pesos.
How to get there
Since the cave is located in the capital of the Dominican Republic, you can get to it in several simple ways:
- You can take the bus following the Ave Las Americas - Calle El Sol route to the Natural Park "Los Tres Ojos".
- As always, you can easily get to any sights of the city by using the services of a taxi or by your own rented car.
- If you are staying in the east of Santo Domingo, then you can easily cover the distance to the cave on foot.
Contacts
Address: Los Tres Ojos, Santo Domingo Este, Santo Domingo, Repblica Dominicana
Phone: +1 809 472 4204
Columbus Lighthouse - Red Square Dominican Republic Columbus Lighthouse (Faro a Colon) is perhaps the most important monument in the entire Dominican Republic. If you have arrived in this country but have not visited the lighthouse, you have missed out on a lot.
The unique natural park Los Tres Ojos (“Three Eyes”) is located near the capital of the Dominican Republic. Fame brought him an amazing cave, in which there are three multi-colored sulfide lakes, because of which the park actually got such an unusual name.
The cave of Los Tres Ojos is located on the territory of the city park Mirador del Este (the eastern outskirts of Santo Domingo). Several centuries ago, an earthquake occurred in these parts, as a result of which tectonic faults arose. As a result, cup-shaped caves were formed, which eventually filled with water coming from an underground river. Almost all caves are located at a depth of about 15 meters and are connected by paths of stone steps. Near each lake there is a specially equipped observation deck. 
The water in the lakes is of different colors, as it differs in chemical composition and different depths. The very first lake is perfectly transparent, the water in it has a bright and juicy aquamarine color. But the second lake is very small, in it the water has a greenish-yellow tint. The third of the lakes is located in the center of a huge cave hall, which is decorated with stalactites. It is large and you can even ride a raft on it. 
In 1916 the fourth lake was opened. Of all the lakes, it is considered perhaps the most beautiful.
The water here, due to the presence of sulfur, has a yellowish tint, while remaining completely transparent. You can get to this lake by ferry, bypassing underground tunnel. Here, the arch of the cave collapsed somewhat, and now it looks more like a volcano crater, overgrown on the slopes with dense tropical greenery.
Los Glaciares Park (Parque Nacional Los Glaciares) probably the most popular in Argentina. He hides incredible Beautiful places- the world-famous Perito Moreno glacier, Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy mountains, Lago Viedma and Argentino with fragments of icebergs. Incredibly beautiful places. And of course there come crowds of tourists from all over the world. The Japanese, Germans, Spaniards are probably the main visitors to the park. Dozens of buses with pensioners ply along the picturesque roads among the Argentinean pampas. Such a desire to travel is respected, especially when you consider that many tourists have already crossed the 80-year mark, judging by their appearance.But it's not about that. The track to Fitz Roy is the most popular place in the park and many "walking" tourists go there. The track starts at the outskirts of the town of El Chalten and ends on the shore of Laguna de los Tres. The whole journey takes about 4 hours - this is judging by the route map, which is issued in the visitor center of the park. In fact, a little more - because it is impossible to resist the beauties and you have to stop at every step and climb behind the camera. The elevation difference is quite solid - 750 meters, although it is stretched over the entire track. The length of the track is 10 kilometers. Many tourists buy a one-day excursion and complete the track both ways in a day. Personally, I don’t understand the pleasure of riding 20 kilometers back and forth without really enjoying the beauty ...
2. A minority of tourists take a tent (often rented) and go to the Poyncenot camp, from which an hour and a half walk to the lagoon. They spend the night there and go up early in the morning to see the sunrise. We did the same. Unless we had our own tent) In the late afternoon "climbers" converge at the campsite, and it becomes noisy. The cyclists set up a tent near us. I met one of them. Mark talked about their epic travel plan in Argentina. But the wind on the way to El Chalten was so strong that they decided to stop - and left in the first pickup truck they came across, throwing the bikes into the back. He asked to wake them up by dawn (I was the happy owner of a working phone with an alarm clock).
The freaking wake-up call rang at 4.30, I quickly got ready, stirred up the neighbors' tent and set off. Terribly wanted to sleep. And the road ahead was rough. Of the 750 meters of climb, 400 hit the last 2 kilometers - to the shore of the lake. Almost 200 meters from the camp, the trail abruptly went up, winding between the stones.
For those who are going to go up at dawn, I advise you to lay at least 1.5 hours - for those who are in good shape. The trail is very unpleasant - boulders, scree. Plus snow on the rocks.
Having climbed up and taking a breath, of course, I was stunned - such a view opened up. The entire route was visible. What has passed, and what is yet to come. Two lakes in the foreground - Madre and Iha - Mother and Daughter, past which the path to Cerro Torre went. Behind them you can see a piece of Capri Lago - near which we spent the first night. And a strip of water on the horizon is Viedma Lago, a huge lake. 
3. But with Lago de los Tres, to which I went, it turned out to be a bummer. Instead of a beautiful reflection, which I wanted to shoot, I was met by ice. Spring in these parts was just beginning, and the lake did not have time to melt. I was disappointed. Strongly. But there is nothing to do, it is necessary to shoot what is. I took a couple of shots from above over the lake, and then went down to the ice. 
4. Clouds swirled over the peaks, the classic view of Fitz Roy again did not work. But it was still beautiful. It was evident that the ice melted, and then froze again. 
5. The sun was rising, and I moved to a small polynya. There was a piece of mountain range visible. In the meantime, on the slope above me, where the first photo was taken, more and more new climbers appeared. Slightly overslept dawn) In the afternoon there will be even more of them, although there is nothing to do there during the day - the sun directly above the peaks prevents you from filming something sensible. 
6. A little later I went to a small rocky hill overlooking two lakes - de los Tres and Susia. The second lake had already opened and ice plaques were floating in it like droplets of fat in soup. 
7. The morning was in full swing, and the peaks were not shown. A cloudy veil hung over the peaks for a long time, and only in the afternoon it swelled and the teeth of Fitz Roy and Poincenot appeared 
8. On the same day, we dismantled the camp, packed our backpacks and went to another fantastic peak - Cerro Torre. A farewell look at our native places. It seems that you know all the snags and more or less photogenic trees by heart) 
9. The mountain accompanied us with a roar - an avalanche descended from a glacier lying at the foot of Fitz Roy. As if a cannon was fired, the echo carried the noise throughout the park .. 
10. For the best effect of presence - panoramas 
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