When David Azcona asked me to extend his “Memoirs of a Cibaeño Lawyer”, I didn’t hesitate for a second. Knowing him and having read his “Memoirs of a Cibaeño Student”, of which it is the logical continuation, it was my duty to do so. First of all, for the virtues of David. And secondly, for the valuable testimony contained in this book.
David never lies. Neither about himself nor about others. The truth comes out of the mouths of crazy people, and David affirms, with carelessness: “I don’t deprive myself crazy, I was born with my certificate under my arm that confirms it.” On the other hand, the reader of these memoirs can be sure that the thousand and one incidents that Azcona has had to overcome, as well as the descriptions of those who were involved in them are genuinely genuine, although at times they seem to be the result of his fantasy.
David is brave. For him, as for his namesake, the king, no adversary is too great. His book bears witness to this. Azcona has faced, “from you to you”, with ‘honorable’ university rectors, ‘exalted’ princes of the church, ‘distinguished’ newspaper directors, arrogant officials, opposition leaders, ‘malapagas’ hoteliers, and very wealthy bankers , members of rancid and oligarchic families, almighty brewers, anti-Castro fanatics, intellectuals of various types, ‘truthful’ historians, sloppy mechanics, timid drivers, twisted constitutional law specialists, lustful gringas, horny divorcees, rude brigades of the “Corporation Dominicana de Apagones ”, and has beaten them all. And I am not exaggerating. David Azcona is an iconoclast: for him there are no sacred cows. It does not leave a saint in its place. Nor does he resort to cowardly allusions: he calls his opponents by name, quotes them by first and last names. David Azcona narrates in his book how he faced and how he defeated the “establishment” of the Dominican Republic.
David Azcona rubs shoulders, also “from you to you”, with presidents of the republic, successful businessmen, with the heads of the main law firms. As in the James Bond films, the setting for “Memoirs of a Lawyer” is the globe, from Sosúa to Miami, from New York to La Romana, passing through Alaska, through San Francisco, California; by Azua de Compostela and by South Carolina. No matter where you are: You feel at home both in the Hotel Meliá and in the San Luis prison, in Gascue and in the Gallera neighborhood of Santiago.
The reading of Memoirs of a Cibaeño Lawyer it is enjoyable. Azcona tackles very serious issues with an unmatched sense of humor. This sense of humor is essential, as it serves to counteract the pessimism that the pot, the prángana, can provoke. David reveals the well-known cunning and the enormous pragmatism of the Dominican when it comes to dealing with the misadventures that populate his days. Says Azcona: “« I do not consider myself a legal theorist, one of those who go to France and come talking ‘caballás’. All I know is to solve cases ». Azcona prefers praxis to books.
On the other hand, it contains unpublished anecdotes about numerous actors in national public life: Agripino Núñez Collado, Frank Moya Pons, Aníbal de Castro, Eduardo Jorge Prats, Orlando Jorge Mera, Francisco Domínguez Brito, José Ricardo Taveras, among others. Anecdotes all worthy of being known.
“Memoirs of a Cibaeño Lawyer”Is an original and bold work, too bold for traditional bookstores to market. Despite having avoided traditional distribution channels, his work has been widely read, even by important figures in national public life. No one should miss reading Azcona’s work. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough – it’s a real gem
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