Juan Pablo Duarte (Santo Domingo, 1813 – Caracas, 1876), together with Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Matías Ramón Mella , is one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic.

When the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo declared emancipation from the Crown in 1821 and easily got it, it quickly enticed the neighboring Haitians (Haiti is a former French colony) to invade, and proclaim the island as "one and indivisible".

In the ensuing years, the outrage and discontent of the inhabitants of the Spanish side of the island prompted European-educated Duarte and other patriots to establish a secret dissident society called La Trinitaria, shaped after the Carbonari, which helped undermine the Haitian rule of their side of the island. Later on he and others founded another society, La Filantrópica. This society had a more public presence, seeking to spread veiled separatist ideas through theatrical stages. All of this, along with the help of many who wanted to be rid of the Haitians and return to Spanish rule (and not to create an independent nation), led to the proclamation of independence on the 27th of February, 1844 (Dominican War of Independence). However, Duarte had already been exiled to Caracas the previous year for his insurgent conduct. He continued to correspond with members of his family and members of the independece movement.

Duarte was supported by many as a candidate for the presidency of the new Republic, but the forces of those who sought Spanish sovereignty, led by general Pedro Santana , took over and forced Duarte into exile. In 1845, Santana exiled the Duarte family. Soon, the Dominican Republic, yet again, ceased to exist.

It was not until 1865 the Dominican flag flew again, when independence fighters managed to retake their nation, in what is now called the Restoration of the Republic.

Duarte kept coming and going from the island for many years due to rejection and accusations posed by many of the remaining Spanish rule followers, and also because of his disgust with all of the bickering and dishonest dealings of the politicians that now started to rule the young nation.

Juan Pablo Duarte died alone and sick in Caracas, Venezuela, at the age of 63. His remains were transferred back to Dominican soil in 1884, by the then president/dictator Ulises Heureaux , and were given a proper burial and honors.

His birth is commemorated each January 26th by Dominicans.