Interviews in Samaná: Memories of a Transformed City

At Casita para la Vida, we are currently conducting a series of interviews in Samaná as part of an effort to recover the voices and memories of a community deeply affected by the tourism development project launched in the 1970s.

Although intended as an economic boost, this project brought with it profound and painful consequences: the in situ destruction of the city’s historic core. This forced transformation not only broke the economic and social networks that sustained the local population, but also erased the architectural and urban character that once defined the city.

Through these interviews, we seek to understand how these changes disrupted daily life—how they altered relationships, livelihoods, and the community’s sense of belonging. Samaná lost more than just buildings; it lost symbolic structures, neighborhood ties, and ways of life that had evolved over generations.

Now, decades later, we are listening to those who experienced that transition, as well as younger generations who live in the aftermath of what was taken and what was imposed. Listening to these voices is a necessary step toward healing, learning from the past, and imagining new models of development that are more humane, respectful, and sustainable.

Because behind every street, every house, and every community, there are stories worth telling. And at Casita para la Vida, we believe that any true rebuilding must begin with memory.